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Published: August 4th 2008
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Coastal Forest Trail
My first approach to Whaleshead Beach was through this lush forest trail and down a wooded embankment. Later, I found the actual access point - a parking area near the beach a 1/4 mile up the road. Fourth of July was a day to relax and enjoy the scenery along the Oregon coast. Through a couple of friends who had made a long road trip through the area a year ago, I had heard that Whaleshead Beach - a few miles up the coast from Harris Beach - was something to check out. Since I didn't have a campsite for the night yet (I was going day by day), I packed everything up and headed out around 10:30 in the morning. I stopped by the entrance station and asked about the chance of getting a spot for another night. Nothing was open yet, but 1 - 2 PM was the time I was told to stop back; by that point, some reservations may get canceled and they might be able to get me something. The ranger also told me to check out the more primitive sites just to the east of Brookings, in the mountains. I drove out onto Forest Service land and found a few river gravel bar sites that would serve as the 'location of last resort' if something closer to the main highway couldn't be found.
I got back out on highway 101 and
headed through Brookings, past Harris Beach and on to Whaleshead. I ate lunch at the top of the first trail I found and walked down to the beach. It was a much wider and longer beach than the one I walked on at Harris Beach. The site itself was named for the large rock that is situated directly off the coast at the site. It apparently looks like a whales head; I don't see it. Maybe if I squint. I wandered for a while, climbed back to the car and drove 1/4 mile up the road to the parking area near the beach that I hadn't yet made it to. I had seen a few beaches and rocks already, but I was blowing some time until I could go back and check on the campsite situation.
I rolled back into Harris Beach just before 2 and parked at the beach parking below the camp ground. I wandered up the hill and asked about the sites. I was in luck. A cancellation had just been called in and there was indeed a site to be had. As the ranger wrote out the card, she put 36A - the exact site
Whaleshead Fog
On the Pacific Coast, the fog just hangs around. I had cleared out of about 5 hours earlier. I continued to walk around, taking a longer trail back down to the beach - one that included a nice overhanging view of the coast headed north.
Since this was supposed to be a working trip, I unloaded a notebook from the car when I returned and found a table overlooking the beach to do a little work. I tend to work best with a bit of a distraction. Frequently that has been a TV or the radio turned on to something inane - though I have found that I do get sucked into anything on the TV, including inane things. (Or especially inane things, perhaps.) The sound of the waves was cathartic as in about half an hour, I had written about 2 pages of notes, ideas, commentary, and suggestions to myself. It was a good feeling to look up and see not a wall or a computer screen, but a wide swath of ocean and soaring sea gulls.
The city of Brookings and the nearby town of Harbor were putting on a fireworks festival at the mouth of the Chetco River. I decided I'd be patriotic and
Beach Scene
Wider than Harris Beach, the beach at Whaleshead has a few (relatively) gentle slopes down. go out to find a place to watch the display. (I did wear red, white, and blue - though my red was my communist flag t-shirt, so I don't quite know what that implies.) I drove aimlessly for a while, then stumbled across an open lot just above the harbor bridge which provided a great view of the fireworks site. It appeared to be private land, but there were no postings / warning signs, etc., so I parked the car behind a tree and read for a while.
I was a bit too engrossed in the book I was reading and failed to realize that the famous Pacific fog had rolled in with a vengeance and I could no longer see the harbor. In fact, I could barely see the far side of the bridge that I was directly next to. The sun was nearly down, so I waited at the site instead of trying to seek out a new place, hoping the fog might clear out before the show started. By this point a few families had made their way to my previously quiet location. They were remarking on the change in weather as well, but they also
Surf
Oh, how I miss the ocean. stuck it out. At about 9:30 or so, we could hear what sounded like fireworks. Yet the fog was so thick, there weren't even flashes of light to be seen. A few times the base of the fog lifted off of the water to give us a few reflections of fireworks in the river but all we got was an aural presentation. It sounded like it could have been pretty good, though I have no idea if anyone actually saw it.
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