Nov 8 – Pistol River, OR
Cape Sebastian, OR
The Oregon coast is wild as you approach the California border, isolated stretches of state park and forest backed by the start of a low mountain range. The fall time change had shortened my day, but after a few days of insistent coastal rain, I was happy to sit and lunch in the sunshine. Trouble was, a couple hours later, the sun threatened to set without leaving me a good place to stay.
I climbed up and over Cape Sebastian, following the coastal path along the headland to a small cove where two or three surfers played in the big waves. I intended to camp beside the Pistol River and walked quickly along the beach in the fading light. I walked the final mile in pitch dark, forced to run across the narrow highway bridge to avoid being blindsided by early evening high speed traffic. I considered camping under the bridge, but instead found a secluded place in the dunes away from the highway noise. It was quiet darkness from 5:30: I cooked dinner under a clear sky and left my tentfly open to stargaze from my sleeping bag.
