Salt N' Pepper Revisited

A few days ago on one of the only sunny days on the southern Oregon coast the family and I embarked on a visit to Salt and Pepper beach south of Port Orford on 101.  My mom, sister and brother-in-law hadn't been yet and they needed to see such an outstanding place.

 The day couldn't have been more perfect for a December coastal day.  Trailblazing down the hillside, slipping down the mud and tripping our way through blackberry vines quickly warmed us up.  With the sun shining it felt like a perfect sunny day.

 I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is the most spectacular beach I've seen.  As you walk down the final grassy hill and look down upon the beach you can't help but feel part of a mystical place.  There are no buildings, electric lines, roads; there are no sounds other than the boom of the waves crashing on the rocks. It's as out of this world as I've been while staying right here in Oregon.

When I'm on Salt and Pepper beach a feeling of peace washes over me.  Maybe it's my brain waves syncing up with the tide.  Maybe it's the memories I have as a child splashing through the waves.  The sun rays peaking through the clouds and the glow of the blue/gray ocean balance and calm me. I want to do yoga, sleep and run when I come to this place.

It has been such a good week down in Port Orford with my family.  We haven't been all together for several years and this time has been memorable.  I wish we could all stay here for at least another week, and yet real life awaits.  My sister and bro-in-law will fly out shortly, I'll be heading to Portland and my brother off to where ever the wind takes him.  It's sad parting ways, I only hope we'll all be together sooner than it took last time.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings

To kill some restlessness and jitters last week, my brother and I decided to make the trek up Humbug Mountain. Humbug is part of the state park about 7 miles south of Port Orford. The mountain is notorious for its steep trail to the summit which is a killer both going up and coming down. We started out in the cold and dreary day. 

As we started up the trail we were taken by surprise by the out of this world misty fog and beauty.

 Environment so lush and ripe that every inch of ground is taken up by ferns, trees and plants. So fertile and untouched you expect to see saplings shoot up and grow before your very eyes.

Imagine a real life Jumanji and this is what you will see. So rich and vibrant it is only magnified by the fog and drizzle.  Lucky for us the trees provided such good coverage we barely go damp.

 By the time you reach the top your legs are like jello and the descent isn't much better for bad knees like my own, but it is all worth it in the end. Mission kill anxiety? Complete.

So Spectacular You Can See The Earth’s Curvature

It is as close to the end of the Earth you can get.  A place so enormous, so profound you can see the curve of the Earth, the swell of the see and the horizon  stretching as far as the eye can see.

The trail around the Coast Guard Hill Heads in Port Orford is the most beautiful couple miles I’ve had the privilege of seeing in all my 27 years.  Every visitor to our house, everyone of my visits home (and there have been many), every holiday, a hike on the Heads is in order. 

I am not a religious person, but these cliffs looming over the powerful Pacific ocean are a spiritual experience.  I guess I just worship at the church of the great outdoors. 

I went to the Heads on two separate occasions.  The first with my brother and the second with my mom and brother.  Both were different and both spectacular.  And in case you were wondering, these pictures are not edited.  Oh the beauty of my home state!

Hole In The Rock

A few days ago my brother J and I went exploring on the beach again.  We drove down 101 south of Port Orford about 10 miles, abruptly pulled over on the side of the rode where you will see the below view.  Hole in the rock

 I've driven by this site more times than I can count.  I used to waitress in Gold Beach and got to see these types of views for 30 minutes.  By far the most beautiful commute I've had, sure beats the A train from Harlem.

 Although I lived in Port Orford for 19 years, there are so many spots that I haven't explored mostly due to a severe case of teenage angst that did not include hiking.  I think I had hiked down to hole in the rock once about 20 years ago and wow, did I forget the view.

 Unfortunately, my camera battery was dying so I was only able to snap a few shots.  This was the type of beach that pictures don't do justice.  The rock is huge and imposing, the surrounding ocean powerful and churning.  The beach stretching on and on.  Standing by the hole in the rock you are met with the crashing waves and your feet begin to tingle as you anticipate the churning water pulling you out to sea.

 I'm not sure how that huge hole got there, but to me it seems pretty obvious.  The aliens that landed on Humbug Mt when the summit was enclosed in fog used hole in the rock as their home. Duh.

 Whatever the story, hole in the rock has just become my new go-to hike for visitors to Port Orford.

 In other news, a few days ago it snowed. In Port Orford.  And then pigs flew. Let's just say it's rare to see snow falling down at the beach.  It was fun while it lasted that hour.

Salt And Pepper Beach

It was a rainy, dark day but that didn't stop us.

In Port Orford, you have to force yourself to go out and brave the elements.  It's easy to get sucked into all day marathons of Millionaire Matchmaker with the chilly air and flood like environment outside.  

Well Wojc, my brother J and I needed to get out so we headed south on 101 a few miles and pulled over to the side of the road, walked down the highway until we found a suitable deer trail to follow and headed down.

Steep terrain, mud, creeks, rain, blackberry bushes, and tall grass couldn't stop us.  We plowed forward in search of a secluded beach.  The colors were spectacular; dark glowing rain clouds, vibrant blue ocean and green foliage.

The view of the isolated cove was out of this world.  Giant rocks, grassy fields and crashing waves gave the impression of a different world, a planet totally isolated and unaffected by development. We spent the time exploring tide pools and rocks and marveling at the black and white pebbly beach that give it its name of Salt and Pepper.

We really lucked out with the rain clouds holding off just till the end of the hike back up to the car.  The beach was one of the best I've seen, a place that you imagine only seeing in your dreams.

Lucky for Wojc, during our beach combing he found an old glass float that is an extremely rare find.  I wasn't so luck and only scored some orange plastic ones.

A Place Without Expectation

 It's mid-November and just recently it's started to feel like fall.  I've been trapped in a little bubble of sorts.  Spending the end of October and November in Lake Havasu has suspended time for me, it's always summer here.  I know that heading back to Oregon for a Thanksgiving trip is going to be a rude awakening.  I left on this extended road trip in June, just when summer was beginning and in the past five months I've been living my very own never ending summer.  In this bubble it's difficult to remember that just around the corner is December.  I don't know if it's good that time feels suspended or bad that the year is almost over without me realizing it.   The weather is cooling to a nippy 65-70 degrees during the day and compared to the very recent 95 degree days, this is cold.  It seems all of Lake Havasu is sick this week and everyone talks of the "cold" weather.  It is amazing what a 20 degree decrease will do to your body. I guess this is good preparation for my impeding move north.  Considering Port Orford is known for it's rainy days and 50 degree temperatures, I think this ease into winter is a healthier adjustment.

Enough weather talk.

Wojc and I, in an attempt to really draw out the nice weather and make the most of our last days in Arizona, headed north and went on a hike in the hills.  We had really good timing and witnessed possibly the most spectacular sunset yet.

Will everyone please visit Arizona with me every fall?  I know I sound like a broken record, but it's a truly beautiful spot.