Well, there’s not a whole lot to mention, I’ve just been cruising along and trying to enjoy as much of the ocean as I possibly can. I saw whales and Depoe Beach, tide pools all over in Yachats, harbor seals near Waldport (and then again all along the coast, they kept popping up!). It’s just been a wonderland of ocean adventures! The only bad part of this whole trip is when I have to road walk on the 101, so I’ve been taking a lot of buses to get around those road walking sections. So have I walked every inch of the OCT? Absolutely not. Do I care about that? Absolutely not. 🙃
Near seal point, maybe? Tide pool fun! More tide pool fun! I LOVE the tide pools, they’re so interesting!! It’s hard to see, but there’s a harbor seal down there! And then I kept seeing them all along the coast for the next 2 days. I like to think it was all the same seal and she was curious and following me down the coast to see what I did. Hey, it’s possible, right?!? Jellyfish on the beach? I actually don’t know, but whatever it is these things show up all over the placeThe start of the Sand Dunes Natl Rec AreaThis is one of those crossings you’re supposed to do at low tide, otherwise it gets a little dicey. It was fine when I crossed, the water was just starting to get up to the rocks, no big deal. The trail still does go through the jungle too, don’t forget about that, it’s not all beaches and ocean! A hiker/biker site on the beach, that little trail behind my tent went straight to the beach 🥰
I was ready to be done with the horribleness of California, but I wasn’t ready to be done with the PCT, so I compromised and decided to downgrade myself from “thru-hiker” to “section-hiker”. So I jumped up to Cascade Locks to hike Washington. Both the Sierras and Washington are some of the absolute best hiking…
Washington is amazing!! I’m so glad that I made the decision to pop up to Cascade Locks and hike north from there, for lots of reasons: First, Washington is gorgeous, this is some of the best hiking on the PCT! Also, it’s actually a relief to become a section hiker, I just feel so much…
I am quickly learning that this trail is beautiful, but also requires a much higher level of planning than I am used to. For example, campsites are not very common and tend to be a hiker/biker sites at state parks or campsites at private RV parks. Well, I got to cannon beach last night intending…
So far everything has been incredible, this trail does not disappoint! It’s been a nice combination of beach walking and lovely hikes through dense forests. I’ve managed to successfully avoid most of the hwy 101 walking (but not entirely). For example, yesterday I took a “ferry” across Nehalem bay/river (the ferry was a small fishing…