Yesterday, we hiked Falcon Cape, a short jaunt above the beach just 15 miles south of Cannon Beach. (US-101 to Oswald West State Park. The trailhead is located at the northernmost of the park's three, paved parking areas, immediately north of Short Sand Creek.)

The last week has been full of typical Oregon-spring days. Days where the thunder clouds keep rolling through and it's alternately hot then cold outside. Days where you go run a quick errand without your jacket because it's sunny and when you turn to come back it's pouring buckets and you get soaked to the skin. Invariably, as you arrive, dripping, back where you started the sun will break through and mock you. So, we expected that for Saturday.

In fact, T. had his sights set on the Saddle Mountain hike which is rated in our Portland Hikes book (pretty good except their driving directions sometimes are lacking and they should have utilized a proof-reader) as "difficult." Saddle Mountain is a 2½ mile climb gaining in 1600 feet of elevation. The book talks about leaping over a rock crevasse or climbing down and around to avoid it. It also talked about the stunning views up top of three different mountains. So, I'm thinking (a) another damn goat trail; (b) it's gonna be cloudy and we're not going to see a thing; and (c) it's gonna be muddy and I just am not leaping a rock crevasse. And you know that T. would leap the crevasse and then pitch me crap about not wanting to do it myself.

Regardless, I nixed that hike. So, we met up with T's coworker Helen and her dog Harley and we headed West for a shorter, simpler trail. Helen and Harley are getting to be regular features around here. They're both great fun to be with. Harley is the ultimate trail dog except she sometimes gets a little barky around other dogs. This little Boston Terrior just scrambles along the trail with amazing speed, agility and energy. It's a little inspiring.

Along the trail were quite a number of gigantic, old-growth trees. Apparently, for many of these trees, their time had been up awhile ago because some of the most massive trees we saw were stumps or had fallen down and were being overtaken by mushrooms.

We saw a lot of vegetation and flowers: Trillium (in white, pink & deep purple), Colt's Foot, Salmonberry(?), Salal and thick patches of giant Clover. I wouldn't know any of this if Helen hadn't told me. I'm ignorant of flora.

The trail was pretty muddy. There were some serious bogs (favored by the Colt's Foot) going on. The scent was heavenly: a mixture of all that's green with sweet flowers and salty ocean. Nearing the top we got grand views of the beach cove below and the crasing waves. It never rained on us and the sun was more than welcome. However, it was still a little overcast preventing us from getting roasted. Perfect day for a hike.

Oswald West State Park Beach
view from atop Falcon Cape

We sat at the top overlooking the Rock at Falcon Cape and watched birds sweep the ocean with military precision for food. At one point we saw the blow spray of either a dolphin or a whale. A few minutes later we saw the back of this creature surface for a split second but not enough to tell what it was. It was probably a whale since this is the season.

How many idiots do you think have climbed out there?

The Rock at Falcon Cape
Helen(L) and I eating and watching for whales

On the way back down, we tried to take a shortcut down to the beach. We slipped and slided (okay, I did most of the sliding... twice, right on my ass) down this steep "trail" and then came out on top of some angled rocks that went down to the beach. Unfortunately, the rocks were really slippery and we couldn't figure a way to get down them without sliding on them for twenty feet. We decided that it would hurt more to lie in a broken heap at the bottom then to climb back up to the trail proper. So, we climbed back up. Go thighs.

We walked another mile or so on the trail and then took the real beach trail down to the beach. We played around on the beach. There was hardly anyone there and Harley challenged three big dogs to a game of catch-the-frisbee. It was hilarious. We looked around in some tide pools and saw some starfish and anemone and barnacles licking at the water.

Little dog with big dreams

cliche image of young couple in front of waterfall
Profound image of young couple
in front of waterfall

There were purple one's, too!
These starfish were really cool
and easily eight inches across

Completely exhausted, covered in mud, we headed towards Canon Beach and stopped at Bill's Pub (I think that's what it was called) and had a pitcher of their scrumptious beer, a red beer called The Bronze Ale. We ate like pigs and hit the road.