Sun and Fog

I set out this morning in search of a good view of the Thomas Creek Bridge (the highest in Oregon) as well as a portion of the Oregon Coast Trail that supposedly leads down the cliff to China Beach, which appears to be long and broad and lovely. Yes, the fog was just burning off but I had faith that by the time I arrived, I'd have great views. Not so! I had a lovely walk through woods and meadows and reached the bridge (which, in all honesty, I could have reached in 5 minutes by walking down the highway from my car, but that would take away all the fun and I was frankly disappointed to end up right beside the highway. I'd hoped to find myself nearer the bottom, with a more spectacular view). Unfortunately this is all I could see of it. It's not a very long bridge, but at 345 feet above the water, it's impressive. I'm still in search of a way to get to the base of it, but there is time for that.

The trail branched off often and disappeared often and there are no signs, so while I came to some high bluffs that must surely have spectacular views, including one point where the trail stopped almost without warning at the edge of a steep bluff, I only glimpsed water and surf once. Even though the sun broke through in rays here and there, none of it penetrated the coast or the water below, for the most part. More wild iris than I think I've ever seen in one place inhabited the meadows here in great numbers.

All in all, I must have walked for about an hour and never found a trail that might lead to the beach. But -- just as I neared the parking lot upon my return to my car I saw that a trail branched off to the right and that one has good potential for reaching China Beach. I didn't follow it because by now, Mother Nature had made it clear that she was in no hurry to lift the fog from the coastal views and beaches I sought. It was a lovely walk, nevertheless. Here are a few more photos.

This is my favorite of the bunch, and it's right off the highway.

This one, I believe, was just beyond the bridge.

This one is way out on the edge of a high bluff and looks more as if it belongs in the deep south than the southern Oregon Coast!

One thing I learned from this morning's adventure is that one should never assume Mother Nature is going to cooperate fully in the time frame you expect. In the future, I'll not only check the port webcam, but I'll actually pay attention to what it shows me. What a concept! Lovely, lovely, walk -- even without seeing the water.