Cascade Head in January

What a glorious week on the Oregon Coast. Hard to believe it is the middle of the winter. We have had a LOT of rain in the last month, but it has let up for a few days and the sun has come out and it is like 60 degrees in the sand at Lincoln city. 

My partner and I like to stay a few days in January in Lincoln city at the Inn at Spanish Head. It has great views and great beach access and there are plenty of things to do around the area.

Yesterday, for instance, we went down to a local glass blowing establishment and did a little class where we each to to participate (close up) in the creation of a glass bauble of our own personal choice and design. It was great fun and they turned out great.

Today, we decided to get some exercise so we drove 20 minutes north to the Salmon River, parked our car at a nice county park and then hiked 2 miles up the hill to Cascade Head. This is a medium intensity hike through forests of giant Sitka and across creek beds filled with thimbleberry, constantly climbing until you get up to the grass and scrub covered headland. But I get ahead of myself.

The land we are hiking is mainly owned by the Nature Conservancy. They maintain the trail and the signage and invite people to come up and see the sights. Just stay on the trail.  

From the trail head parking lot, which is also the parking lot for the local boat ramp, the trail follows the road (but NOT on the road) going out along Cascade Head.  I have visited this park and Cascade head before, but not for a hike. I have paddled down the Salmon river from the boat launch to the ocean a few times. Cascade head is a big rise of land that extends a good quarter mile out into the ocean from the main shoreline. The river runs down its south side. You can read about a fun paddle trip here.

Today, we are walking. As I said, the trail follows the road for about a half mile, going along just below the road often on little wooden bridges that let you avoid the worst of the boggy area down here at the bottom of the headland. After a bit we come to where the trail leaves the road,  there is a big wooden sign there. Don't try to drive the road to the sign, there isn't any parking allowed out there, you really need to park back at the trailhead. It is very well signed.

Now the trail gets a bit challenging. It goes up very fast for a few hundred yards. Lots of wood plank steps and giant Sitka Spruce roots to climb up and over. Big steps. But after 10 or so minutes things settle down a bit and then you are just hiking through these beautiful old growth trees as you wind you way up the side of the headland. There are a lot of creeks running up there. A lot of water. The big trees don't grow in the creek ravines and these have instead filled up with thimbleberry (which is just bare sticks this time of year). The ravines are forded by very nice aluminum and composite bridges. They are around 40 foot long and there are 4 or 5 of them. Just another sign of how well maintained this trail is and how much personal money has been donated for care and maintenance of the trail. 

Sitka Grove

At around the mile mark we came out of the trees and are on the headland itself.  This part of the trail is facing south, so we have a great view of the Salmon River and the dunes at the river mouth, along with a clear run down the beach. I am pretty sure I can make out the rocks that stick out into the ocean where our hotel is built (perhaps 10 miles away). 

The Trail goes up there to the top. We did not.

Looking South

Three Rocks (it is called that)

There are a few other people on the trail, but not many on this Tuesday in late January. We don't make it all the way to the top, but call it quits at the Low Viewpoint. We are around 1200 feet up and have a lovely view. We sit down and bird watch for awhile. There is one bird, looks like a small hawk, that is doing this hunting method that involves flapping its wings quickly and hovering for 10 or so seconds before zooming down to attack something. I think it must be a sparrow hawk or perhaps a kestrel. We watch a couple of these guys off down below us on the still green hills and eat our snack. 

Probably a Red Tail Hawk

A young Kestrel

Some Old Bird

Up the trail come these 2 older gentlemen (like my age). The one in the lead has 2 sets of binoculars. I figure they are bird guys. So I ask, "Hey, are you guys out bird watching?"

The lead guys says "Well, sort of".

I describe the bird we are watching. He says "That is a small falcon called a Kestrel". Then he pulls up and says, "You want to know the rest of the story?"

well, sure we do.

Turns out these guys are retired Biologists that spent their carriers working to monitor and save the peregrine falcon. They are up here today, with permission from the conservancy, to hike out in a restricted area to do a count of the local peregrines. Evidently since DDT has been outlawed, the Peregrine Falcon has made a great comeback along the Pacific Coast and now maintains a nest in just about every available habitat along the coast.  My Partner and I saw a couple of them over the summer down south at Cape Arago!! (Let me find a picture). 

(I am still looking for the picture)

People are very communicative and friendly out on the trails. I wonder how much of that is the loneliness and lack of social interaction that has been caused by the Covid Pandemic?

While the bird biologists were there the local raptors decided to come out and do a show. We saw 2 adult bald eagles, a Juvenile bald eagle, a red tailed hawk, and 2 of the Kestrels. Oh, and a crow. This is a different kind of bird watching for me, because we are up above all of the birds and looking down on them, with the ocean often in the background.

Then we went back down the hill. I would like to report that my reconstructed knee, with the complete knee replacement, is doing really well going down the hill even with those huge step downs. I think the PT and the one legged squats must be doing me some good.