Welcome to my home. Finally got myself out of bed early enough to take a long overdue trip down to the coast and hike a couple trails that had been on my radar for some time now. The rain could not be held back, in typical Oregon fashion, and I made the small mistake of wearing a new pair of white shoes that are now sitting back at home half covered in mud. Despite the unfortunate fate of my shoes, I found myself walking amongst the beauty that I have backed for so long. For years I have told anyone that will listen that I believe the beaches of the Oregon Coast to be some of the most beautiful in the world. Sure they don’t have the constant sunshine and turquoise waters that you can find elsewhere, but the jagged cliffs, choppy waves, and incredibly awful weather make the entire coast feel like a completely different world.
Of course, there can also be beautiful days out at the coast. Despite the well-known perception of rainy and gloomy Oregon, there are a couple days of sun per year and I have spent my fair share of time enjoying the beaches during those days as well. I just find this particular coastline lends more to bundling up in two sweatshirts and my biggest rainjacket and trekking out through the overgrown trails to find the views on the other side. Maybe shouldn’t be the first on your list if you’re looking for a tan, but not much rivals the atmosphere out there.
Photo 1: Cannon Beach - Haystack Rock
Photo 2: Elk Flats Trail
Photos 3 & 4: Cape Falcon Trail
I took some time this past summer to join my friends on a trip to Oahu, the only island in Hawaii I have visited so far. This is the place where I took my first ever surf lesson (and also where I got my first ever injury by coral), where I went snorkeling for the first time, and where I discovered that there was somewhere that the weather could be more wild than Portland. The first photo is taken from one of the premier bodysurfing beaches in Hawaii. We seemed to be the only ones there that were hanging around for the view. A couple of us wandered out to the water and quickly learned why they don’t recommend beginners go anywhere near that beach. Luckily, I have completed one third of a lifegaurding class so I was properly equipped to handle the waves.
Not pictured here is one of the more terrifying and beautiful hikes that I have ever been on in my life. Our group decided at the beginning of our trip that we were going to try to go on a couple more serious hikes while we were there. We found a ten mile trail on Alltrails and after reading many of its glowing reviews, decided that we most likely would not survive it. Now I’m going to skip a lot of the middle of the story and get to the part where we ended up 4 miles into this hike and told ourselves we couldn’t turn back. If you are at all familiar with the very famous and very illegal Stairway to Heaven, our hike was the much less famous and much more legal back way of getting to the top of those stairs. One thing I most certainly only need to do once.
Photo 1: Makapuu Beach
Photo 2: Koko Head Trail
Photo 3: Lanikai Beach
Photo 4: Waikiki
I have been paying visits to Central Oregon for much of my life, whether it be for family get-togethers, reunions, or just to get some skiing in when the snow is good. It almost feels like this place has become a second home for me. I founded my skiing skills through my runs down Dilly-Dally Alley, I’ve had way too many milkshakes from Goody’s, and nothing can take away my memories of getting back from a long day at the mountain and laying down in front of the fireplace. As years have gone on, I’ve spent more time getting to know the different areas of Central Oregon. I have had cross country races through parks where I used to go tubing in the summer, I’ve gone cliff jumping into waterfalls, and I’ve chased the sunset on mopeds.
I will give a fair warning to anyone wanting to travel down to Central Oregon that checking the forecast is a must. Going over the passes (especially in a two-wheel drive car with no chains on) can be quite the unenjoyable experience if you get caught in a snowstorm, as I recently was. As it just so turns out, the snow does a pretty good job at covering the lines on the road, and if there are no other cars out there with you, it can become quite the sketchy experience. To those reading, please do not worry, I have mastered the skill of aiming straight and hoping for the best and I made it out unscathed.
Photos 1, 2, & 4: Brasada Ranch
Photo 3: Steelhead Falls