Sunrise At The Beach

 

Looking southeast from the South Jetty

I have always been a morning person; my daily routine is to rise at 4 AM, exercise, eat breakfast, then visit the coffee shop.  Now that the days are shorter, sunrise is well after seven AM in Astoria.  This leaves lots of time to hang before it’s light enough for outside actives.

Today, I decided to take a drive to the beach and see if I could catch the sunrise.  If you are lucky enough to find a location which includes a view of the eastern sky, the results can be interesting.

An Early October Storm

 

The Pacific Ocean breaking against the jetty

 

Every morning I read the weather forecast issued for our area by the National Weather Service.  Today’s forecast included the following special weather statement: 

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1208 PM PDT SAT OCT 10 2015

...HAZARDOUS BEACH CONDITIONS ALONG THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH
AND CENTRAL OREGON COASTS TODAY...
...WINDY CONDITIONS ON THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH AND CENTRAL
OREGON COASTS TODAY...

A LARGE SOUTHWEST SWELL CONTINUES TO BUILD ALONG THE COAST THIS
MORNING...AND IS EXPECTED TO PEAK AROUND 15 FEET ON TODAY. THIS
BRINGS THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE WAVES TO BREAK OVER AREA JETTIES
WITH A SIGNIFICANT SURF TO IMPACT SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FACING
BEACHES. THESE WAVES MAY RESULT IN BEACH EROSION FOR AREAS THAT DO
NOT COMMONLY SEE IMPACT FROM INCOMING WAVES. VISITORS TO THE COAST
SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION AT AREA BEACHES AND REMAIN OFF JETTIES AND
OUT OF THE SURF ZONE...AS BREAKING WAVES CAN SWEEP PEOPLE INTO THE
WATER.

The high tide was predicted for just afternoon so I took a drive to the beach to see how the waves were developing.  When I arrived, the gusting winds made it difficult to keep my hat on, but the rain had subsided.  I climbed to the top of the South Jetty viewing platform and enjoyed the sights with several other hardy “storm watchers”.  The ocean waters were definitely angry but the waves were not exactly what I had expected.  On the other hand, I was very thankful to not be sailing in a small boat today!

The Great Philosopher

 

Today the world lost a great American philosopher, Yogi Berra.  He is probably better remembered for his sayings than his accomplishments in baseball. 

Whenever he spoke, his words were sure to be memorable.  Two of my favorite “Yogi Berraisms” are as follows:

“You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six”

“You can observe a lot by watching”

Yogi Berra 1925 - 2015

The Last Day of Summer

 

Sunrise Over Beards Hollow

I awoke this morning and realized that today was the last day of summer so it seemed fitting that an adventure was in order.  I loaded the camera and my mountain bike before dawn and headed for Washington’s Cape Disappointment State Park.

I began the day with a hike to the top of McKenzie Head.  Although the summit is only a half mile from the parking lot, the trail is rather steep.  Nothing gets the blood pumping like a non-stop hike up a steep slope.

Next, I spent time hiking around the Beards Hollow wet land and made numerous photos in the early morning light.  The nice thing about late September is that the tourists are long gone and you have the park pretty much to yourself.

To end the morning, I took and eight mile bike ride along the Discovery Trail.  The trail runs along the beach and approximates the route that Captain Clark took while exploring the area in November 1805.

The majority of the next two weeks are loaded with volunteer commitments so the next adventure will have to wait!

The Annual Ride In The Gorge

Six day a week I spend one half hour pedaling a stationary bike for exercise.  During the month of September, my daily routine is disrupted by the gym’s annual closure for maintenance.  During this time, I will ride my mountain bike in the great outdoors, provided the weather is acceptable.  If you have ever been to coastal Oregon, you know that September frequently offers some of the year’s best weather.

One of my favorite destinations for biking and sightseeing is the Columbia River Gorge and the Historic Columbia River Highway.  The highway was built between 1913 and 1922 and was the first planned scenic highway in the United States.  Today, only traces of the original narrow and winding two-lane road remain.  One five mile stretch, which runs east between Hood River and Mosier is reserved for use by hikers and bicyclists. Biking this portion of the highway offers incredible views of the Columbia River Gorge and the river far below.

The Columbia River looking north to Washington State

 

The landscape near Mosier is dominated by grass covered slopes and scattered Oak trees

 

A section of the original highway; even in the day, it must have been unnerving to meet another car head on

 

My “bike riding buddy” Dale waiting for me at the trail head

 

This is me hoping we will find a place for lunch that has lots of cold lemonade

Someone recently asked me why I would drive for nearly three hours just to take a ride on my bike.  My response was that the scenery alone is worth making the trip.  It’s also a chance to spend the day with a friend, get some exercise, and enjoy a beautiful day.

 

Strength and Character

 

 

Nothing says strength and character better than stone!

A Smokey Sunset

 

Jetty Lagoon, Fort Stevens State Park

When it’s finally over, fire season 2015 in the Pacific Northwest will be remembered as one of the most destructive and costly on record.  In Oregon and Washington alone, tens of thousand acres of brush, grass, and forest have been ravaged by fires this month alone.  In one fire, twenty-seven homes were reduced to ashes in less than an hours as the fire marched across the landscape.  One fire in Washington state this past week was responsible for the loss of three young firefighters who were working the fire lines trying to make a difference. 

The fires have also generated massive quantities of smoke, much of which has drifted east of the Cascade Range driven by winds predominately out of the west.  Yesterday, the winds shifted and some of the smoke was pushed west toward the Pacific Ocean.  While atmospheric smoke is never pleasant, it does create conditions for incredible sunsets.  I spent the hour before sunset last night and came home with this image.