Over 50 Outside 2023 Hike 32/52

(I have been diligently working on this 52 Hike Challenge and it's been a really positive experience thus far. June 13th- June 16th I had the opportunity to do a section of the Oregon Coast Trail with a friend who I know through volkswalking. We began at Depoe Bay at Ellingson St. and hiked for four days to Yachats.)

This was the last day of our section hiking. We began from the Alsi Resort where we spent the night. We had to cross the bridge into Waldport crossing the Alsea Bay. The tide was not at high tide yet, so we saw the sand and the harbor seals on the sand along the bay. We saw a young seal nursing. 

Bridge heading into Waldport

Harbor seals at low tide in the Alsea Bay

We stopped to eat breakfast at the Flounder Inn Tavern. It was a tavern and a bit of a greasy spoon but they served a decent breakfast for two hungry hikers. Of course a bit out of town we came across the Hilltop Cafe-Bistro which would have been preferable.
We again caught up with another OCT hiker who we met on the first day of our hike. That is something I did learn, that even though you are hiking alone or with someone you meet other hikers and see them off and on throughout the hike. Many a mile along the beach sections we followed in his footsteps.

We walked a bit along Hwy 101 and then got back on the beach at Governor Patterson Memorial State Park. We were on the beach all the way to Yachats. There was a heavy layer of fog for the first part of our beach walk. 
​At one of the creek crossings we saw an eagle just standing in the creek we had to cross. 

This stump appeared out of the fog. This stump started it's growth 1200 years ago but lived for 150 years. It is a California Redwood. It is one of many ghosts forest relics from the past. 
Here is a better write up about the big stump.
Mystery of Oregon's Big Stump 

We crossed a few smaller creeks emptying into the ocean and then we had to take our shoes and socks off to cross Reynolds Creek. It was over our ankles.
Soon we arrived in Yachats and I admit at this point all I could focus on was the Green Salmon coffee shop but I looked on Google and it had closed about an hour earlier. We were walking along the multi path through Yachats and I asked a young couple if they could recommend a place to get coffee. I really wanted a latte. They were not so helpful but then a few minutes later the woman caught up to us and told us about the ice-cream and candy shop across from the green Salmon. So we stopped there for coffee and ice-cream. 
We had a campsite at Cape Perpetua State Park. We had already hiked 11.6 miles for the day. We decided to try to get a ride to our campsite. We got lucky when an employee at the candy shop said he could drive us. 
This was the end of our section hike. We wanted to leave our hike on a high note. We will return and hike Cape Perpetua. For now we spent the night at the campground and finished 46 miles of hiking over 4 days. 

Our final campssite at Cape Perpetua and the map of the section of the OCT we completed (from City Strides website)