Cape Perpetua, Day Two

(This is a continuation of my early May trip to the Central Oregon Coast.  If you missed my post about Day One you can catch up here.)

Oh, the life of a photographer (or in my case a "photographer-wannabe.")  After being up late the previous night capturing sunset, the predawn alarm was a rude intrusion.  But I didn't want to miss a chance at good light and the possibility of catching a nice sunrise, so I drug my sleepy self out of bed.

Uninspiring sunrise

Luckily it was only a short 20-minute drive from the state park where I'd spent the night to Cape Perpetua.  Arriving with plenty of time before daybreak, I entertained myself by scanning the sky for signs of sunrise hues.  Sadly that day didn't deliver in the color department.  A few faint pink clouds hung in the western sky but sunrise itself was hugely uninspiring.  Oh well, as photographers say, you always need to show up.  You don't know if you don't go!

Morning light illuminated waves

Because the Cape Perpetua area has a wall of high cliffs and hills directly to the east, it takes quite awhile for the sun to rise over these obstacles and shine onto the ocean and beach below.  So even though sunrise was shortly after 5 am, the light didn't start reaching the shoreline until well after 7.  When small shafts of sunlight started finally began to illuminate the waves below, it was such a beautiful sight I tried to capture the scene with my long lens.

Beautiful beach at Yachats

But finally around 8 o'clock I got tired and cold from sitting out in the elements. I decided to take a break and drive into the nearby town of Yachats to visit my favorite coffee stand.

Sea pink flowers

Hot beverage in hand, I drove over to Yachat's charming little beach.  By now the morning sun had risen over the eastern hills and was coloring the beach a nice shade of blue.  A man and his dog were taking a morning romp through the driftwood.  I captured a few images of a patch of unique clover-like flowers called "Sea pink" blooming nearby.  An idyllic way to spend a half hour.

Spouting wave back at Cape Perpetua

However, Cape Perpetua was calling, so back I went.  By now the sun had traveled far enough over the imposing hills that the entire shoreline and ocean were nicely illuminated.  It was low tide so I got brave and climbed down the high bluff to the rocky shelf that comprised the shoreline.  I briefly considered venturing out to the edge of Thor's Well - the desire to capture a new angle of the well temporarily overtaking common sense.  But memories of the previous night's seawater-soaked photographer brought me back to reality.  An image wasn't worth risking dousing my expensive camera equipment (or myself!)

Unique waves next to Thor's Well

I took a short stroll along the base of the bluff.  There was some nice light on the rough rock formations and the bright green algae made good photo material.  But I wasn't real keen on being so close to the crashing waves, and decided to retreat back uphill.

Thor's Well draining

Walking along the trail midway up the bluff I came upon a nice viewpoint of Thor's Well.  The sun's angle lit the surrounding tidepools into a deep shade of blue.  A perfect place for photographs!  Slipping on my zoom lens, I sat at my high perch for the next two hours, capturing image after image of splashing waves.

Water bubbling up in the well

Water would bubble up inside the hole of Thor's Well every time a wave hit the shore.  If I was lucky a column of water would come roaring out of the opening.  Most columns barely cleared the well.  But occasionally the spouting water reached great heights, sometimes shooting well above the rocky shore.  If this happened I felt like I'd won the jackpot.

Another stupid person runs from the waves

But the classic photographic capture of Thor's Well wasn't the waves towering from it's round hole.  No, it was the rivulets of water streaming down into the well's bottom after the waves retreated.  That's what I was aspiring to capture.  The image below was my best attempt.  Later, looking at other images on the internet, I realized that next time I need to slow my shutter speed to produce a more silky look of the moving water.  Lesson learned - before visiting a site, research other photographer's shots to get ideas.

Classic Thor's Well image

Although I had the place to myself for quite awhile, as the day wore on I began to see more and more people on the trail and noticed a few not-so-bright souls venturing out towards Thor's Well.  Luckily no mishaps this time either, but I was entertained by a few dumb folks who got too close to the well's edge, only to hastily retreat from an unexpected monster wave.

Heceta Head Lighthouse from the highway

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the nice light I'd been capturing started to fade away.  High noon isn't a great time for photography, so I finally packed away the camera and headed back to my yurt for lunch.

Time to hike!

Of course I can't visit a state park and not take a hike!  For that afternoon I'd planned to explore a "new to me" trail, one of the many that start from Carl Washburne State Park.  My plan was to take the Valley Trail until it intersected with the Heceta Head Trail.  This path would take me to the famous Heceta Head Lighthouse, my day's goal.  Of course I'd visited this lighthouse many times prior (by car) but never before hiked to it.

Ocean views from Heceta Head trail

The Valley Trail led through a thick coastal forest.  It briefly intersected with the Oregon Coast Trail and it appeared both trails followed the same path for a mile or so (the signage was kind of confusing).

Lots of birds on this cliff!

After crossing Highway 101, (a terrifying experience that involved dodging motorhomes traveling at breakneck speeds) I came to the junction of the Heceta Head and Hobbit Trails.

Peek-a-boo view of Hobbit Beach

I chose to head uphill on the Heceta Head trail.  This path zig-zagged steeply through forests lined with huge scraggly trees, their roots stretched across my trail, providing trip hazards with every step.  Let's just say there weren't many opportunities to gaze at the scenery!

Wild iris at Heceta Head

Speaking of scenery, the trail was mainly boring coastal forest.  I'd hoped for some viewpoints of the mighty Pacific below, but these were few and far between.  I did pass by a couple of peek-a-boo glimpses of the ocean through the trees, one of them of Hobbit Beach far below, the other of a steep cliff covered with dozens of seabirds.  But mostly I trudged uphill through the muggy forest, the day's heat starting to tire me.

Charming Heceta Head Lighthouse

Finally I reached the top of Heceta Head.  Although only about a mile in distance the hot uphill trudge had seemed to take forever.  But now I thankfully pranced downhill another half mile until I spotted the Heceta Head's lighthouse tower through the trees.

"I was there" selfie

One of my favorite lighthouses on the West Coast, Heceta Head is picturesquely situated on the side of  a large headland that juts far into the sea.  First illuminated in 1894, this lighthouse has been in service since that time, although it's since been electrified and automated.  The keeper's house near the base of this bluff has been turned into a successful bed and breakfast.  The entire area is under the ownership of Oregon State Parks who maintains this designated state scenic viewpoint. 

Another view of the lighthouse

Due to COVID, no tours were available and the entire lighthouse was shut tight.  But I was fortunate to have the entire place to myself for most of my 20 minute break.  More than enough time to use the facilities, have a snack, sit on a nearby bench and admire the scenery, and take some selfies.  (Gotta have proof that I was there!)

Large gnarled trees along the Heceta Head trail

When a few other groups of people began arriving I took that as my cue to start back.  The steep uphill slog to the top of the cape was as tiring as I thought it would be, but once I crested the summit, it was all downhill from there.

Hobbit Beach - it was too windy to linger 

Returning to the junction with the Hobbit Trail, I still had a bit of energy, and the name "Hobbit Beach" intrigued me, so I decided to take the half mile detour and check it out.  The short distance and proximity to Highway 101 made this trail much more popular than the trek over Heceta Head.  However, once I reached the beach, the wind was absolutely roaring.  Not keen on braving sand blowing in my face, I turned around and immediately hiked back out. 

Sunset attempt on night No. 2

My 6.5 mile romp through the coastal forest ended up taking most the afternoon.  After an early dinner back at the yurt, I packed up my camera gear for a final sunset attempt back at Cape Perpetua.  Spoiled by the previous night's great sunset, I was expecting more orange skies and golden light.

Not much sky color tonight!

Sadly it was not to be.  Thick clouds covered most of the sky.  And the wind was absolutely screaming.  I set myself up on the bluff overlook where I'd been that morning, and huddled behind a scraggly, wind-beaten tree.  Hoping the conditions would miraculously change, I held out until the bitter end. Unfortunately my only peek of the sun came as it quickly dropped between two cloud layers.  Oh well, as with this morning's sunrise attempt, you won't capture anything if you don't show up.

The sun hid behind the clouds until the last minute

It had been a wonderful two days at Cape Perpetua, and even if the weather hadn't fully cooperated, I enjoyed this spring escape to the Oregon coast.