Blue Goose ~ Day 33

July 3, 2014 ~ Newport, OR to Florence, OR

It was a short ride down the coast from Newport to Florence where I was to meet the SODAs.

Heermann's Gulls and Brown Pelican on the Siuslaw River at Florence, OR

I got there early and hung out on the south jetty (of the Siuslaw River) and watched Pigeon Guillemots and Heermann's Gulls and crab fishermen, who would haul up their cages, quickly pick through the catch, discarding most of it, attracting gulls and pelicans. The non-commerical daily limit of these Dungeness crabs is 12 males of at least 5.75 inches. They are easy to catch and who doesn't like Dungeness....Many of the Oregon rivers emptying into the Pacific have large bays and long jetties on the north and south protecting the harbors. Wherever the public has access to beaches or jetties, there is a list of rules, emphasizing the inherent dangers of the ocean...like "Deadly Waves At Any Time" and about a dozen other warnings.

The Pacific is not a gentle benign place but it is dramatic and stunningly beautiful. There is always a breeze and often significant wind; the sun shines fiercely, and when it doesn't, fog and mist, drizzle and rain shorten and obscure the views. Foghorns and bird cries and waves crashing....It's romantic for the passersby...the thousands of people who travel the coast via bicycle or in cars or RVs. There are hundreds of view points and pullouts for photographers, for beach access for surfing or poking about in the rocks and tide pools or just for hanging out. For those who work on the ocean though, there are always risks.

The road to the south jetty is a lot like the road to the Ludington State Park in Michigan with massive sand dunes between the road and the ocean.  Here though the river is on the other side of the road, flowing west but also subject to the tides which change four times in 24 hours. So one has to be aware of these forces on the rivers and bays.

I sat there for a couple of hours before driving about five miles to Woahink Lake where I met the SODAs and spent the next several days.