Wild Irises and Coastal Sunrises. June 24.

Dear Trail Friends

I am sitting in my tent ( this will be my first night in the new 2-person freestanding tent I bought - to use in sand where stakes will not work well - and for my "hope chest" that Chris will join me on a hike with a few sleepovers.)
This is an absolutely beautiful campground. I've come to expect RV camps to be ugly but take a look at photo 1. And they let hikers stay for $10 (if you stay a second night it goes up quite reasonably to their usual rate of $37 for subsequent nights ). 

 

Working backwards, photo 2 shows me having an entirely new experience: backpacking barefoot. Also negotiating my umbrella on a truly crowded beach. I had to laugh at myself. I loved all the joyful people, especially children and dogs, but I felt wildly overstimulated. Too little stimulation my first beach walk, too much my second!  

The high today was 93 - hot as Arizona and more humid. Putting my feet in that icy cold ocean water was unadulterated joy. 

 

But to be fair, I started my walk before sunrise and there was just enough action - seagulls, fisherman, teenagers (up early or late? I wasn't sure.). Photo 3 show the dawn light on the ocean as I walked Seaside Beach. 

 

I have way too many beautiful photos to make choices. And the day is cooling down and though I've done my laundry and recharged my phone I still want to go out for dinner - and decide whether to stay two nights or take off early tomorrow morning so I can get around humbug and hug points while the tide is low. I could camp tomorrow on the beach - though it would be kinder and gentler to take another rest day here. 

After Seaside Beach (about 2 miles) I hiked up and over Tillamook Head (a little over 1200 ft) and down. My next trail section was impassable because of rock slides so I walked the Ecola Bay State Park road. Not a good day for a road walk. So many cars bumper to bumper trying to get to the already full beach. But the forest itself - old growth rain forest - was enchanting both over Tillamook and on the road. 

Photo 4 is a view from the Tillamook hike. Photo 5 is the look in my eyes when I took it (the camera happened to have accidentally turned to a selfie and I was struck by how much my eyes showed my love for the beauty.)

 

 

 Photo 6 is one of those everything is illuminated moments and photo 7 is a collage of wild flowers (doesn't wild irises, just the words, sound exciting without even having to see them?) and a frog. 

 

 

There is so much more I want to show you and reflect on with you but I am also tired and want to get a little dinner and get to sleep, especially in case I decide to hike early tomorrow. But even if I don't. It was a long beautiful day and I thank you for sharing it with me even though I couldn't share it as eloquently as I wish that I could. 

See you tomorrow - and we will discover whether this river will move or be still. 





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