Miles Hiked Overall: 309 (497 km)
Today I hiked 9.9 miles from Whaleshead Beach Viewpoint to Harris Beach State Park. The OCT has obtained some really nice trails in this part of Oregon. Part of the trail that was next to the highway was even paved! Yesterday and today were hiking in the Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor. It is named after Samuel Boardman who was the first Oregon State Parks Superintendent. He is largely responsible for many of the wonderful state parks on the Oregon coast as well as in other areas of the state. During his tenure as parks superintendent from 1929 to 1950 he aggressively worked to acquire land for parks, and with a limited budget he inspired many landowners to donate land or sell it for less than market value. During his time in office (he retired at age 76) the Oregon Parks expanded from 46 mostly small roadside areas comprising 4,000 acres to 181 properties comprising 66,000 acres (more than 100 square miles). He was truly a visionary and without his work many of the parks that we enjoy today would most likely be inaccessible to the public, or heavily developed.
Many flowers are still blooming here in the banana belt of Oregon.
Around midday, the rains started, and the fabulous weather streak came to an end. UGH...I guess I should just be grateful that I've had so many beautiful, sunny days. Most of today was on amazing wooded trails (this hike concludes the Samuel Boardman area, unfortunately) but when I finally got down to the beach, it was misting and the gorgeous skies were gone. This is Lone Ranch Beach.
Here I am getting on my bike to go back to the start. When I'm by myself, I have to leave the bike at the ending. Once I hike to the end, I have to bike back to my car. Yesterday, it was very unpleasant in the cold rain!
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