 |
Getting There
Originally I was heading to Dog Mountain the Gorge but when I started the drive I realized the air quality in the area was crap! The AQI on Hwy 14/Vancouver was 130+. I turned around before getting to Camas.
I looked at the AQI map and saw that only the coast had breathable air. Fuck!
I considered God's Thumb in Lincoln City but was already late to start. I knew a drive to the coast was going to take over an hour. I figured Neahkahnie Mtn was a good bet.
I stopped for gas and this awesome dog (bulldog?) brought me his toy. He put his left paw on my foot. His owner scolded him to get off my foot but the pup ignored it. I pet the dog a bit and laughed. When the fuel was pumped I followed the owner inside to pay. I apologized to the dog for not playing with him.
When I finished paying, I walked back outside to my car. Another driver arrived. The dog was already on his way to greet this new person and present this toy.
The drive was nice. No tailgaters.
I took OR-53 to Wheeler. This was easier than going all the way to Hwy 101, then south to Short Sands.
Since the North Trail was closed last year, I figured I'd head up the South side. I pulled over at the turnoff and looked at the AllTrails. There was a trail report from the day before. Woohoo.
I continued north on 101 to the trailhead parking lot and found a spot.
The Hike
Length: 4.60 mi
Elevation gain: 1,253 ft
Moving time: 1:54:15
Avg. pace: 24:51
Calories: 1,148
Total time: 1:59:43
I hadn't hiked this trail since my early days in Portland. On my blog I put April 10, 2009 but I really have no idea. It could be even longer.
The first section is steep and the views are great. I passed 6-7 other hikes on their descent.
When I got to forest section, I could see why the trail was closed for so long. There were freshly-cut logs everywhere; big trees, like 24" - 36"+ in diameter.
The route was longer than I remembered and I thought was near the Lookout several times on the trail. I felt the sunlight was waning and felt rushed.
I made it to the Lookout and got some amazing photos (see below). I only spent a few mins before setting out on my descent. I wanted to get through the forest section before the sun set.
When I got to edge of the forest, I sighed some relief to make to where I didn't have to worry about daylight, it was the home stretch.
On the switchbacks, I enjoy the views and setting sun.
So good to be back on the this trail. Success despite low quality air.
 |
| From Lookout |
 |
| Near the North Trailhead |
 |
| OR coast/Short Sands |
