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 🥰
Made it to Snoqualmie pass, and really quickly too! I’ve definitely gotten my thru-hiker legs back, I’ve been doing 28-30 mile days recently and still feel really good, so that’s amazing… The trail from White Pass to Snoqualmie pass isn’t as spectacular or amazing as the first part of Washington, there are no dramatic stories…
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…
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…
Yesterday I made my way to the start of the trail by flying to Portland, an Amtrak bus to Astoria, and then walking to the state park (there were no Ubers 😢). So really, it was a pretty easy task to get to the start. After a lovely night camping at the hiker/biker site at…
We’re getting close to the end! The past couple of days on the trail have actually been rainy, that’s really the first time this entire summer that I’ve had to hike in the rain, which is pretty amazing! Otherwise it’s just been a lot of lovely beach walking and meeting new friends. There was one…
It’s hard to believe, but I’m almost done with this trail! Only 50 more miles to go until I hit the northern terminus (the trail doesn’t actually go all the way to Canada, it stops about a tenth of a mile from the border. Why? Who knows…) So far the trail has been a lovely…