Kindness of Strangers

The Kindness of Strangers

Every day of this trip holds surprises.

Throughout this section we push the limits of how much beauty and goodness we can soak in. After our wintery first two days, the weather turns sunny and wonderful. Ocean breezes keep the temperature refreshingly cool and the visibility stretches for miles. We look back up the coast and see the southern jetty of the Columbia River and marvel at how far we've come. The beaches tick off the map one by one. Sunset Beach, Del Ray Beach where we tuck our tents against the dunes and awake to a windless, sunny day. To exit Gearhart we need to maneuver around a large inlet and  a man crabbing or maybe just a crabby man points us in the wrong direction so we end up wandering through the grassy hills trying to find an outlet to take us to Hwy 101. Before long a kind woman walking a big poodle comes along and stops to tell us how to maneuver our way up to the road. In neighboring Seaside, a sweet older couple brings us bottled water as we unload our backpacks onto the picnic tables of a small park, asks about our journey then wishes us safe travels. This small kindness buoys our spirits and we sit for a while to cook oatmeal, make tea, and down a liter of water. Several passing locals direct us to the trail at Tillamook Head just around the corner and down the road, assuring us that the hiker camp is close by--it isn't, but the trail that winds it's way through the tall Sitka pines soothes us with beauty and bird song. The small-bodied, big-voiced pacific wrens sing to us as we climb. An unfamiliar bird call that sounds like a traffic cop's whistle rings through the tree tops all around us (we later identify it as a varied thrush). Lynn lays out her gear in one of the lean-tos while we pitch our tent nearby in an opening where gigantic ferns dwarf our tent, creating an enchanted emerald forest coziness. In the morning we hike the cliff edge trail down to Ecola State Park enjoying spectacular views of the crashing waves below and of the Tillamook Head Light House. A sign informs us that the out of commission light house is now privately owned and will, for a price, house the urn of your cremated remains in perpetuity--FYI in case you don't already have a plan. 

A big rest stop!

At the base of Tillamook Head the mountain trail empties onto a grassy knoll. We drop our packs onto a table amidst several families flying colorful kites and picnicking at Ecola Point. The day is postcard beautiful, cool and sunny. A bald eagle careens through the surrounding trees, tagging their tops with his beak and playing in the breeze. A woman about our age sees our backpacks and comes over to tell us of her derailed attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. We encourage her to try again or try another long trek like the Colorado Trail instead. A few minutes later she comes back to offer us half a tray of cinnamon rolls which we devour, with deep gratitude, in seconds. 

No camping on the beach in Cannon Beach so we follow a tip from our guidebook and locate the Seaside Ranch RV Park on the north edge of downtown. The woman in the office suggests some good places to eat and only charges us for one site for our two tents. The campground borders a creek lined with blackberry bushes and shade trees that protect a wide grassy field where we park our tents. We take showers which oddly enough are designed for women five feet tall or less, a feature that we laugh about and wonder who would do such a thing. We love that from our camp we can bop into downtown Cannon Beach with just a short walk. First, we check out the fish and chips at Tom's Seafood and then wander through the rest of downtown. Cannon Beach has a great feel, laid back and friendly. After a stop at the market for potato chips and cottage cheese, a favorite rest stop treat, we walk back to camp to stretch out on the grass and relax. One thing about traveling on foot is that even after hiking for miles to get somewhere, your feet are your only transportation  to see the sights. An evening walk down on the beach to Haystack Rock finishes us off and we're ready to zip in for the night.  

Haystack Rock/Cannon Beach, OR

In the morning, we break camp and head to the bakery for a cup of coffee. Other folks waiting with us for the shop to open chat about things not to miss as we continue our southbound journey. We loved this little town and linger over our refills before starting our trek down the beach. The misty air feels soft on our faces and we talk of how different the air feels compared to Colorado's dryness. A man with a birding scope pointed toward Haystack Rock offers us a look at the tufted puffins nesting on the big rock face and we eagerly accept. We each take a few moments to observe the orange-beaked birds while the man shares some puffin facts with us. Heading down the beach, we talk about the kindness of strangers and wonder what this new day will bring