Saturday, June 06, 2009

Pacific Northwest - Day 5

I picked up a hitchhiker on the highway south of Seaside. "Did you pass me yesterday?," he asked, as he settled into the passenger seat. "I remember this little blue car." He was right, I had passed him, but was on my way to the hostel and couldn't stop. This time I did.

We exchanged names, but I forgot his a minute after he told me (as I am wont to do). He looked to be in his late thirties, unshaven, and not exactly smelling of flowers. As we drove down the highway he noticed my bags and clothes strewn about the back seat. "What's your journey?" he asked. I told him and he told me he was headed to Northern California to try and study Botany. For a while we talked about plants. Then about the towns we passed between stretches of wet, green forest and the ocean.

"How long does it usually take?" I asked him. "Before a car will pick you up, I mean."
"Sometimes right away. Sometimes as much as a day or two." He said.

I dropped him off at Pacific City, an hour or so later. As he got out into the drizzling rain, I handed him a twenty. "I could use this," he said. "God bless you."

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It kept raining. I sat in a parking lot at Cape Kiwanda hoping it would let up. The wind was strong and waves were crashing against the shore. A large sand dune led to the top of the cape. My friend Jessi had told me I needed to hike to the top, that the view was straight out of a postcard. It kept raining. Sorry, Jessi.

I headed north again, taking the route off the highway, nearest the shore. There was a turn off near another cape with some hiking trails. I put on my jacket, pulled up my hood, and started the 5 mile hike in spite of the rain. As soon as I entered the forest along the cape, I was blanketed in fog. The tall, mossy trees kept the rain mostly in check, and I could hear the surf breaking against the cliff, but couldn't see it. About a mile in, the trail reached the rim of the cliff, and the fog suddenly let up and I sucked in my breath. The ocean was a jewel, frothing along the cove a couple hundred feet below. I kept my eyes on it, tramping through mud and puddles before the trees closed up like a velvet green curtain with the occasional torn patch offering peeks. The trail finally ended at the edge of the cape, dropping off sharply to the water, seagulls circling far below. The wind was howling. I edged my way under the safety barrier, out onto the end of the rocks. It felt a little like falling, with the wind full force against my face and arms. I gripped the rock and clenched my teeth. I was scared sick. That's why I did it.
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Not only is Tillamook awesome because of the cheese, the city isn't so bad either. I can't imagine what it'd be like to live there, or any of the surrounding towns. I guess all the amazing forest and coastline would become mundane after a while, but it certainty wasn't to me. I took the Tillamook Cheese factory tour and enjoyed a bunch of free samples. Extra Sharp Chedder = yes.

Next stop was Canon Beach, best known for Haystack Rock – a giant monolith just off the shore with tide pools leading up to it. I saw a lot of rocks like this on my drive, but one so up close, beautiful and towering... double yes.

I'm staying at the Seaside hostel again for tonight. I strolled the boardwalk at sunset which was bustling with people. There were swing sets right on the beach. Swing sets on the beach! Triple yes.

And I'm beat. Goodnight blog.




6 comments:

jowo said...

wunderbar photos and commentary. My hitchhiking experience from Provo to Idaho Falls back in '68 never included getting a ride w/ a 20-something California kid, mostly just old men driving to and fro for work assignments, and one wild truck of hell-raisers that we passed on. Good for you for helping out the wanderer.

Valerie said...

So glad you're having so much fun! But I'm going to have to get big sisterly on you: BE CAREFUL!! We just had a sweet women here in San Diego get a little too close to the edge of the cliff at our local beach, lose her footing and fall to her death. Next time I read about you doing such things, I'll have to plug my ears and sing la-la-la-la. Oh, wait, that doesn't work. I mean I'll cover my eyes and pretend you wrote, "I stayed WAY FAR from the edge. Like RIDICULOUSLY FAR. I'm talking "the kind of far away one stays from the edge when one has a paranoid older sister with a weak nervous system."

Jer said...

Joyce: What was in Idaho Falls that you needed to hitch hike to?

Val: Did I say cliff? Um, I meant gently rising slope.

Courtney said...

LOL. I love that Val is so concerned about the cliff and no words on picking up a hitchhiker. Please be careful! You are loved and wanted to be around for many more years dear friend :-)

TJ said...

swing sets on the beach are awesome. did you swing?

Jer said...

of course.