Sunset at Hug Point

Since being foiled by fog at Cape Meares, capturing a coastal sunset became high on my "gotta-do-it" list.

Low tide

One sunny Saturday, I rushed through my weekly cleaning and shopping chores, finishing in time to catch the setting sun.

Steep cliff with trees clinging on for dear life

Grabbing camera and tripod, I jumped into my car.  In my haste, I forgot to check the tide tables before leaving home.  No worries - a quick check on my smartphone while gassing up revealed the day's low tide coinciding with sunset.  Sweet!

Interesting water patterns

Wanting to head somewhere close, I chose Hug Point as my destination.  I've visited this beach numerous times, and love it's interesting cliffs and plentiful tidepools.  Located an hour's drive from my front door was a plus.

Cliff reflections

Arriving about an hour before dusk gave me time to wander the beach.  The sun's low rays illuminated adjacent sandstone cliffs a lovely golden brown.  Their reflections in wet sand were mighty nice!

A lone kite flyer

I was far from lonely.  A sunny winter's day brought out the people.  Beach-walkers, kids splashing in the water, dogs chasing balls, hippies sitting around a campfire - even one lady flying a kite.

Interesting cliff erosion

The tall cliffs lining this beach were very interesting. Wind and waves had scoured the rock into unique shapes.  Mother Nature's artwork!

The ocean beyond Hug Point

Hug Point has a fascinating history.  It's beach was used as a wagon road during the early 1900's.  High tides made the beach around this headland impassible, and even at low tide, wagons had to "hug" the adjacent cliffs to pass by.  Finally, tired of waiting on tides, settlers blasted a ledge into the adjacent rock.  This narrow road still exists, providing modern-day beach walkers a dry path.

Colorful tidepool life

But this day, thanks to the low tide, one could walk all the way around Hug Point on sand.  Previous visits had been at high tide, so it was great to finally see this headland's beach.

Alien anemones

At the base of Hug Point's rocky cliffs were tidepools.  Tucked into rocky crevasses, one had to look closely to spot sea creatures.

Another seastar

But the few tidepools I found sported lots of colorful fauna.  Images of bright orange and purple seastars and eerie blue-green anemones all found homes on my memory card.

Blue light on the beach as the sun goes down

Wandering around the tidepools, I realized the light was beginning to change.  The cliffs lost their golden glow as the sun began to sink towards the horizon.

Setting sun illuminates the waves

But golden tones were taking over the clouds and sky above the sea.

Sinking below the clouds

Although not the most outstanding sunset I've ever seen, it still lit up the sky nicely.

Layers of color

Fading light created layers of color on the waves and across the sand.

Blues and pinks reflection on sand

As light left the sky, it momentarily glowed a rosy pink.  The wet sand reflected this lovely shade quite nicely.  Coupled with blue hues from the water, a colorful farewell to the day.

Day's final light

Good night from the Oregon coast!


Sharing with:  Our World Tuesday and Wednesday Around the World.

Call of the Coast

Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, and rain was in the forecast.

But the coast was calling.......

Bear is ready for the beach!

I'd been itching for a trip to the beach.  I enjoy walking along it's broad, sandy expanses, checking out tidepool creatures.  I love photographing Oregon's scenic rocky cliffs and picturesque rocks out in the sea.

Blustery seascape

But I really didn't want to drive all the way out there only to get caught in a downpour.  The weather on the coast can be 180 degrees different from what's happening in Portland.  Was I willing to take the chance?  After mulling it over all morning, I decided to go anyway - rain be damned!

Lots of crab shells in the sand

Of course, I couldn't visit the coast without bringing my dog.  Even though he's slowing down in his old age, Bear has a blast running in the sand, and sniffing everything in sight.  What dog doesn't love a trip to the beach?

Bear smells the sea air

Although the clouds threatened to dump any minute, I managed to complete the hour's drive to the coast with only a couple of brief sprinkles.  Pulling into Arcadia Beach, conditions were dry for the moment.

Abandoned crab shell

I unloaded Bear and he gleefully commenced romping through the sand.  Although low tide was still a few hours away, I noticed there were already several crab shells and broken sand dollars littering the waterline.  My first photo subjects!

North end of Hug Point sports lots of green lichen

At the south end of Arcadia Beach lies a rocky headland that juts out into the ocean.  Called Hug Point, it got it's name from early settlers that used this beach as a wagon road.  At low tide, travelers had to "hug" the steep cliffs in order to pass.  In the early 19th century, locals blasted a road into the rock of Hug Point, just above the waves.

Crab legs, anyone?

As Bear and I approached Hug Point, I noticed numerous empty crab shells littering the beach.  It appeared they were left over from a huge crab feed.

Colorful anemone

At low tide, the area adjacent to Hug Point is a great place to find tidepools.  As the tide was starting to go out, I did notice a couple of interesting ones, with some colorful anemone.

Ancient wagon road at Hug Point

Bear and I scrambled up the slippery rocks onto the ancient wagon road.  The views above the crashing waves were quite nice.  But we were also exposed to the wind's strong fury, so I made my passage quick.

Interesting anemone

On the south end of Hug Point were a few more tidepools, with more spiky anemones.  I also spied one that had a bunch of colorful sea stars, as well as a bumper crop of neon-green anemones.

Bear patiently waits for me to cross Hug Point

There were lots of people on the beach south of Hug Point.  A large parking area, with easy beach access helps draw the crowds.  There are also numerous caves and a hidden waterfall here.  About the time Bear and I reached this area, the clouds decided to let loose.

Colorful tidepool

I ducked inside a cave, hoping to wait out the shower.  It was a long walk back to the car, and I didn't really want to get any wetter than necessary.  I lingered inside the cave for a good 10 minutes, but the rain gave no sign up letting up.  I realized it was going to be a soggy return trip.

Looking south from Hug Point

So I stuffed my camera under my rain jacket, and began hoofing it back.  Over Hug Point once more, past crowds of people heading the opposite direction.  Although many visitors appeared to be seeking shelter, there were still quite a few die-hards playing on the beach, not bothered at all by the precip.  Yep - I'd say they were true Oregonians!

Sand dollar pieces

After a wet, miserable walk to the car (taking very few photos, both due to the rain, and the dreary lighting) I decided a hot drink was in order.  I drove south to the nearby town of Manzanita, hoping to score some tea.  While driving around, looking for a coffee shop, I happened upon a scenic local road paralleling the beach.  The vegetation growing between the beach and this road was so lush and green I just had to stop for some photographs.  If it wasn't raining so hard, I would've taken camera and tripod out onto the sand and captured Neahkahnie Mountain's foggy hulk. 

Fog-shrouded Neahkahnie Mountain

Although I didn't quite beat the rain, I'm still glad I decided to come to the coast.  There's something soothing about walking along the sand, breathing the salt air, and listening to crashing waves.  Kind of resets my attitude.

Hot tea in hand, and smelly wet dog in the back, I pointed my car towards home with a smile on my face.  But I'll be back......the coast is calling again.


Sharing with:  Our World Tuesday. and Wednesday Around the World.

New Year's Day on the Beach

I always spend New Year's Day on the slopes.  I had every intention of continuing this tradition January 1st, 2014.  I even skipped the evening's festivities, and went to bed before midnight, in order to be well rested for my ski day.

Happy New Year!

But the lack of moisture that's plagued the PNW continued through the holidays.  When my alarm rang the next morning, my enthusiasm for sliding on rocky slopes and icy snow had waned.  I decided to bag my trip and sleep in.

Bear takes in the salt air

Now I had an entire day with no agenda.  Not wanting to waste a holiday sitting around home, I needed to formulate a plan B.  Then the beach beckoned......

Time for the pups to play

I love photographing the Oregon coast.  And it had been awhile since I'd visited.  Grabbing my camera gear and the dog, I pointed my car west.

Pawprints in the sand

The shoreline just south of Cannon Beach is my favorite part of the coast.  For today's trip, I decided to visit Arcadia Beach.  Sandwiched between Cannon Beach and Hug Point, it was a perfect choice for an afternoon's ramble.

Foamy waves

I'm lucky to live a mere hour's drive from the coast.  In no time at all, I was pulling into Arcadia Beach's tiny parking lot. 

A BIG splash!

My dog Bear also loves the beach.  Once I was stopped, he instantly rocketed out of my car.  Bear got onto the sand and ran forever.  Then he sniffed everything in sight, and made friends with a couple other dogs.

Shell pieces

I, on the other hand, was busy with my camera.  There were a myriad of photo subjects to capture!

Beach scenery

Although high tide covered much the beach, other things caught my eye.  I noticed waves crashing on some rocks offshore, creating large, frothy splashes.  It took a little time and patience to capture one of the bigger swells, but I was rewarded when a giant wave hit, creating an enormous white fountain.

Lone rock

Bear and I slowly ambled down the soft sand, heading towards Hug Point.  It took me awhile, as there were many distractions.  Such as this lone rock, staring out to sea.

Half a sand dollar

And this partial sand dollar buried in the beach (does that make it a half-dollar?)

Splashing waves at Hug Point

Finally, I reached the rocky outcrop and basalt shelf of Hug Point.  The shelf  is an old wagon road, blasted out of the rock.  At the turn of the century, people used the beaches as roads.  The shelf enabled travel across Hug Point during high tide.  I visited the other side of Hug Point last May, and blogged about it here.

Hungry shorebirds

There's a bunch of tidepools full of sea creatures at Hug Point's base.  I noticed a huge flock of little birds pecking around in these tidepools. There must've been something really good to eat in those tidepools, because the birds were not deterred by anything.  Even when waves flooded the beach, the flock stayed put.  Made for easy photo subjects.

Colorful rock layers

Since the tide was still fairly high, I didn't venture out on Hug Point's rocky road.  I turned around and headed back to my car.  It's always amazing the things you discover on your return trip.  Such as these colorful layered rock cliffs.

Beach views

Although the cloudy skies didn't make for the greatest light, the late afternoon winter sun did supply a small streak of gold on the horizon.

Golden late afternoon sun

Which, in the right conditions, lit up the beach's sand ridges brilliantly.

My doggy and I

I came home with a tired, but happy dog, and a camera full of wonderful beach images.  A great way to spend the first day of 2014.

Although I would've rather been skiing, a day at the beach is always a good second choice. 


Sharing with:  Saturday's Critters and Weekly Top Shot and I Heart Macro.

Back to the Coast

I've caught the bug.  My last trip to the Oregon coast was so wonderful, I just had to return.  Even though the weekend forecast was less than stellar (50% chance of rain) I decided to go anyway.  That's what raingear is for.


Size matters!  Click on any photo to enjoy a larger version.

The beach at Hug Point

My original plan was to hike from Short Sand Beach to Neahkahnie Mountain and back.  But I got a late start, so the itinerary was downsized to merely trekking up the top of the bluff overlooking the beach.  Then I passed by a sign for Hug Point Wayside.  With a name like that, it was just too tempting to pass up.

The high tide line is very apparent

What a cute little beach!  The shoreline was framed by rocky headlands on both sides, with Hug Point to the north.  Hug Point got its name from the early days when people used the beach as a road to travel from town to town.  At high tide, the waves came right up to the edge of the rocks, thus one had to "hug" the cliffs to get around this point.

Bear running from the waves

Bear was so happy to be outside!  He ran and ran, up and down the beach, ears flapping and tongue hanging out in a big doggy grin.

Bear is lovin' the beach

The beach was another wonderful scenic spot.  I, of course, got busy with my camera.  Bear usually steers clear when I'm shooting photos, but for some reason today he managed to get himself into almost every frame.  And this was one of the times I really didn't want a dog in the middle of my images.

Creek outlet to the sea

I got super lucky with the weather.  Although the skies were cloudy, the rain stayed away.

Small colorful beach flowers

Cloudy skies aren't all bad.  They make for some really nice flower shots - saturated colors and no shadows.

 

Raindrops bead on the leaves

And the raindrops beading up on the bright green leaves sparkled like diamonds.

Hug Point sea cave

What a picturesque little spot!  I'm coming back here again on a nice sunny day.  Or maybe at sunset.  Or maybe both.

Unusual plant

After killing an hour or so at Hug Point, I loaded Bear back in my car and drove to the huge parking area for Oswald West State Park.  The beach here, Short Sand Beach, is very popular with surfers.  They pretty much dominated most of the vehicles in the parking lot.  I joined the parade of surfers, boards and wetsuits in tow, on the path to the water.

Short Sand Beach

The cool, cloudy weather didn't look very inviting for surfing.  But in Oregon I guess if you wait for a sunny day, you'd never get in the water.  Besides, that's what wetsuits are for.

 

Wave action art

This was another lovely, rocky shoreline.  The wave action running back and forth over small rocks made very cool patterns in the sand.  Kinda artsy isn't it?

Foxglove blooms near the beach

To reach this beach, I walked through an amazing old growth coastal forest, full of gigantic trees.  Where the forest met the sand, low bushes and flowers grew.  There was a huge patch of lovely pink foxglove blossoms that brightend up this woodsy boundary.

 

Where the forest and beach meet - a flower garden

Again, I had a blast capturing all the nice scenery on my memory card.  Bear managed to stay out of the way this time.

Lichen covered rocks

It's so easy to waste a lot of time walking the beach, snapping occasional images.  After an hour of this, I realized if I was going to have time for a hike, I needed to hit the trail.  Wandering the confusing maze of paths through the thick vegetation, I found a sign for the Oregon Coast Trail.

Walk-though tree

I don't know what it is about the trails on the coast, but so far every one of them I've hiked has been super muddy!  This path was no exception.  It didn't take long before the trail turned to muck and I was again wallowing though a soupy mess.

 

Humungeous trees

I walked for a mile or so, hoping to find the two side paths that were supposed to lead to viewpoints on top of the bluff.  But I found nothing - only dense forest, and lots of it. 

But all was not lost. I saw a bunch of neat old, huge trees. One was so large, they cut a hole through the middle, and the trail went right through it.

Cool suspension bridge

And Bear and I got to walk across this really cool suspension bridge that led us back to the parking lot. 

Although we didn't travel very far, it was fun to hang out on the beach.  There was wide open spaces for Bear to run, and lots of amazing scenes for me to photograph.  And, best of all, the rain held off until I was safely back in the car heading home.