Hiking in Oregon: A Visit Home

May 17, 2016

ast week I was lucky enough to get away and take a trip home to visit my parents in Portland Oregon. I was so happy to be there for Mother’s day! We got to see the city a bit, drink amazing craft beer and see family and friends. The highlight of the trip? Getting to take Josh out on our family’s favorite hike; The Bayocean Spit Loop Trail.

The trail is an amazing mix of forest and beach, with quickly changing landscapes and ecosystems. I knew it was like nothing Josh had seen before, so I immediately made plans to head to Tillamook for the day.

We began our hike along the old railroad track (now a wide road) taking us towards the forest. The views of the bay are beautiful, with lots of wildlife to see. We saw so many Loons and even a bald eagle!

We started down a narrow trail off the main road of the hike, noticing immediately the change in the trees. There was now sand beneath our feet. The wind block from the trees crated an eerie stillness. All you could hear were the crunching of our shoes on the sandy path, and the sweet chirping of the birds that surrounded us. It was magical.

As we reached the end of the path, we could hear the wind whipping on the wide desolate beach. When we finally exited the woods we were met with a huge gust of wind, pummeling sand into our faces. You could see the wind picking up the loose sand and blowing it along the beach. The grains hovering inches above the ground, pricking our ankles and filling our shoes with sand.

As we walked our footprints were immediately covered by the flying sand. All this movement created beautiful formations and afternoon shadows, that Josh was lucky enough to capture.

Later that day we drove near Cape Meares to catch an amazing sunset. Josh got some great shots of Pyramid Rock. Maybe an inspiration for a new collection? Who knows…