Donna and I wanted to make one last trip along the coast near Tillamook and Pacific City about 60 miles west of Hillsboro.
At the Tillamook Forest Center you get a good idea of the local forest, products, early settlers but more important...just what happened to 550 square miles of old growth that burnt to the ground. Every six years, like clockwork in the 30's and 40's, the forest burned hundreds of thousands of acres during the summer months. The stark image of the forest at that time seemed like it would never recover but 20 years of planting pines removed all scars that we might of seen.
The center built an exact replica of a fire watch tower. It was cool but I don't think I would last to long at that job because of it's height...not to my liking.
Donna has always been more comfortable in tall buildings then I, which is why I couldn't wait to get down from the tower.
These steam donkeys were a big help in getting logs to a stacking area but were also very damaging to the forest.
A few miles south of Tillamook is the Elks RV park and about 50 acres that all look like this. I asked the host if these were cultivated fields and he assured me that they are not...all natural.
This is the entrance to Netarts bay, a great clamming and crabbing spot. Three Arches National Wildlife Refuge is only accessible by boat. Go to the link if you want to know the gruesome history of the rocks.
Here was a large group of seals claiming a spot on the sandbar, which since it was going to low tide was growing more acreage as we watched.
Donna looks out over Dory Beach in Pacific City, one of our favorite places to sit with a beer while just looking out to sea.
This is a small creek called "Fan Creek" on a dirt road we traveled back to the Willamette Valley from the Pacific Ocean. We saw many log jams that had cut ends on the trunks so I have to assume it is from an old forestry logging operations that somehow let the wood get away. The creek was posted as a "flash flood" area so maybe that caused the lumber to choke the little waterway.
Even when we hit the asphalt roads the forest can turn a sunny day...very dark.
These purple bells seem to be all over the coastal mountains.
You really do have to watch your step while walking in this damp climate, I find slugs everywhere. The slugs up here are very different than the slimy slugs in L.A. where I grew up. These large slugs come in different colors and some are spotted.
Back in Hillsboro on a warm sunny day Donna finds a water park where Riley can play.
Watching a 4 year old play is exhausting work!
When was the last time "you" had this much fun from water squirting out of the ground?
Next stop should be Walla Walla and Pendleton.
2 comments:
Some great shots in there!
I would have spent a lot of time climbing around on those log in the river jam
I would of thought about that 20 years ago but as a overweight, 65 year old?...not a chance! :-)
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