Up early,
but this far north and this time of year,
seems even earlier still,
and time to pack up for the long trip south.
Farewell to the
Converse Cabin --
with its views of the Pacific,
plus Netarts Spit / Bay / Ridge,
framing Three Arch Rocks --
and
also
Tom, Tisha, Aubrey, and
Claire.
Off we go again,
south,
connecting
with
Three Capes Loop,
heading towards Lookout,
beyond Sandlake,
into Pacific City,
brief views of Haystack-Kiwanda,
intersecting with 101,
our conduit for much of the way homeward... Lincoln County,
up against the Coast, a warning light appears on the dashboard,
so we are obliged to stop in Newport, just beyond the storied Arts Center, where Mice Suite No. 2 was premiered back in the 90's.
A long wait, but the Toyota people diagnose it as a catalytic converter problem that may pose no immediate threat, unless the warning beacon comes on again.
So, with that only semi-conforting bit of news,
we continue: one mile, two, four, eight --
looks OK so far...
towards Yachats,
up and over Cape Perpetua,
zipping past Devil's Churn.
Into
Lane
County,
more
views
of
the
churning
depths
approaching
Heceta Head,
then
heading
inland
towards
Florence,
Umpqua
River,
Reedsport,
Oregon
Dunes,
Haynes
Inlet,
Coos
Bay,
almost back to the
ocean near Bannon,
at last so at Port Orford,
the sun in fine fettle,
the glorious southern
Oregonian shores,
nipping
behind
Humbug Mountain and the
mysterious (stream-captured? or soon to be?) Dry Creek,
multiple
offshore
rocks
towards
dogging
around
Gold
Beach,
Kissing
Rock,
more
impressive
prominences
on
either
side
of
Meyers
Creek
and
Pistol
River
to
Oregon's warmest
(definitely compartively)
coastal realm at
Brookings,
then at last over the
border,
back into
divine California
at
Smith River.
Crescent
pressing
on
and
over into
State and National Redwood Parklands,
views of more marine stacks,
dark-moony
Klamath River from Del Norte into
Humboldt County.
Thinking it over, hundreds of miles to go in darkness, with a semi-certain vehicle, we deem it wise to stop for the night in Eureka.
We have found it, on the 41st day of fall back home, high up 3 to 57 (Netarts, 50; Eureka, 53) -- .13 additional precip, 4.9 total since July 1...
