Coast through conifer & alder
Glimpse of the surf reaching the headland of the Cascade Head. Scenery like this made the entire hike a fun and rewarding experience.
Winter weather forecast looked good for the Oregon Coast so off we went. We used Lincoln City as our "base camp". Monday (2.6.12) it was 60 degrees on the coast with bright blue skies and sunshine. What joy to walk the beach. I hiked the beach at Road End. I saw several people searching the gravels and sands of the beach. Later I found out that with the low tides, they were taking the opportunity to search for agates, especially the local "Newport blue/blacks".
I took a few "surf photos" on the beach hike Monday, and later stopped by a local rock shop to ask about the agates and sought after rocks of the area. For pocket change I bought two small unpolished, un tumbled (except by sea) of the Newport Blue/Black agates. I also bought some pretty polished versions for good luck talisman for my wife.
Tuesday morning (2.7.12) the clouds came in, but not rain in the morning hours. My wife and I took a wonderful day hike from the Salmon River estuary, north of Lincoln City, Oregon to the "Upper Viewpoint" of the Nature Conservancy Trail. It was a short hike, gaining 1,200 feet, but oh my the views! We really enjoyed the hike. I was wanting to hike the Harts Cove trail, but the access road is closed six month of the year to protect the habitat of the Oregon Silverspot butterfly.
The Cascade Head hike takes you through some quite unique biospheres. Aside from the spectacular views south across the Salmon River estuary (you can see the headlands of the Roads End beach, which I had hiked the day before and Devils' Lake) - - there are two wildflowers that grow on Cascade Head in the Spring (a good reason to return for us for another hike then):
1. Cascade Head catchfly [Silene douglassi var. oraria]. Sound like the name of a bird but it is a wildflower found in few other places in the world. 99% grow on Cascade Head.
2. Hairy stemmed checkermallow [Sidalcea hirtipis]. More common than the catchfly but nonetheless, rare.
As mentioned the Oregon Silverspot butterfly makes its home on Cascade Head. This butterfly is found in only five other places in the world. The host plant for these butterflies is the Blue Violet [Viola adunca]. It is the only plant the Silverspot caterpillar will feed on, so like milkweed for the Monarch butterfly, they butterfly and plant are tied together closely. No blue violets, then no Oregon Silverspots.
The adult butterfly retreat to the edging forest in the area to avoid the high winds and predation. But they return to the Blue Violet in the meadows to lay their eggs and this is where their caterpillar must make their way in life.
I hope to return to take the same hike in late April or early May and photograph some of the wildflowers, as well as take more landscape photographs of the stunning views from the trail and the Upper Viewpoint.
Not many Flickr worthy photographs, but I hope you enjoy the ones I have posted. FYI: RAIN returned to the Oregon Coast on Wednesday morning, so we headed on home.
Comments and faves
LAP75 (4 months ago | reply)
Such a beautiful view there OMT!!
Will try to get over there this year.
Janice L (4 months ago | reply)
Lovely shots. Looks like a fantastic visit to the coast.
oldmantravels (4 months ago | reply)
LAP75 - - I too have more trips planned over to the Oregon Coast. Spring for the wildflowers and summer for a try at some gray whales moving north spotting from a headland or two. Great minds think alike. PS I like your new Flickr buddy icon of the moon. Nice work "photographer of the the Palouse". OMT
oldmantravels (4 months ago | reply)
Janice - - I hope you realize how fortunate you are to live in Oregon with the mountains the eastern sage desert and the most beautiful ocean coast you could want. You also seem to have a couple of colleges, who seem to know how to win as my hapless WSU Cougars found out against the ever successful and natty attired Oregon Ducks. Thanks as always for your fun and kind comments on my photos. OMT