Oregon Coast TR

**Buster Highmen** · 08-09-2004, 11:59 AM

Last Wednesday, I loaded the family into the silver sled and rolled out on my first Great American Family Vacation.

We wound our way down out of the Puget Sond foot hills out on the the pebbled timewarp of the Western Washington freeways. An indeterminant amount of time later, we exited the concrete ribbon at Kelso and stopped in the burgeoning timber town of Rainier for nursing, snaques, water and stretching legs of varying dimensions. Rainier is a tired little town, trimmed with tattered, lite beer soaked flannel on the Oregon side of the Columbia. Classy? No, but of character, no doubt.

Reloading the sled, we pointed South out of Rainier into the Oregon Coast range, a jagged, pubescent cropping of squat mountains with summits of no more than 3500 or so. The little shoulderless state highway rolled and turned, much to the delight of my 3 year old. We passed log truck after log truck, but little vistas showed out over the mossy twists of the "tippy hills". It's truely a pretty area, despite the scorched earth of the logged swaths. One after another, we'd swoop down from a little pass down into a gorgeous little valley of fern laden farms, bright streams and verdant fields and then up again into another torqued summit road. There were tiny whitewashed churches stolen from New England postcards and miniscule weathered fishing shacks down in the craw of the rivers. One view presented a flaoting shack, perhaps a sauna, draped with nubile mermaids sunning themselves. We passed through Mist, Jewell and finally Elsie before getting to the main Portland to Coast pipeline, Oregon state Highway 26. And taking a wrong turn. 20 miles later, in my blinding brilliance, I figured out we were headed towards stumptown, rather than the coast. So after a quick about face and a stop for ice cream and nursing, it was westward ho once again.

After nearly 5 hours, we slid into Cannon Beach and checked into the Tolovana Inn. Not particularly upscale, but on the beach with a pool, sauna and jacuzzi, we managed to scam an ocean view room for less than $100/night. After unloading the nubblers, sacks of goo and untold ethereum, we wobbled over to the nearby pub for dinner. The Warren House pub is just across ythe street from the Tolovana and had fantastic food and great beer. Their Duck Head ale is delicious. They have a smoked seafood platter for $13 that's enough to feed 2. It consists of each of 4-6 big smoked scallops, oysters, prawns as well as a decent sized slab f pepper smoked salmon. So while my wife and I are munching down on this sumptuous feast and staring deeply into each others tired eyes on the deck, wind in our hair, our 3 year old's vampiric consumption of apple juice and quesidillas redlined and he began to projectile vomit, splattering the nearby cougars who had been eyeing us with stream after stream of the day's input. Another parental ending to an all to brief romantic interlude. I bought the cougars a couple of drinks after they moved a few tables away and we went on cheerily enjoying the evening's repast amid helping the staff clean the deck of kiddie hurl. I was proud to see my son picking up my slack in ralphing department.

We strolled back to the room and then swept out onto the beach for a sunset walk in the breeze.

Over the next days we spent a lot of time on the beach building sand castles, picking strange objects out of our daughter's 11 month old mouth, lustily eyeing one another and eating really good food. We hit the Mango Cafe in Cannon Beach and it just rooled: tasty house pinot noir, duck maigret, scallops and tuna and friendly waitstaff. On Friday, a baler storm blew in, pasting everything with a classic Oregon Coast winter storm, a welcome respite from August heat. I bought a kite for my son, his first and we tried flying it in the storm, but it was too crazy out. That afternoon, we were the only ones on the beach aside from some loony high school kids. Even the surfers had retreated to some hipster bong shack.

Saturday, we left late and bombed into Portland to roosted at the Heathman. Friends came and we had the massive gourmando dinner of more duck, scallops and quail, foie gras, 2 bottles of burgundy, plooping out early in the family heap.

Sunday, we met more old friemds for breakfast and then made the highlight of my son's trip.

On of our august Maggotry is a fireman in Portland who was kind enough to extend an offer to us for a tour of the firehouse. My son was beside himself witrh anticipation. Big into firetrucks, bulldozers, cranes and all things mechanical, he was ranting about this endlessly. Of course walking up to the firestation, he became subdued with awe and trepidation. But we got the full tour. The height of the experience was getting to ride in the front seat of the new firetruck. It took a bit of coaxing to get him in and the danger of his big blue eyes falling out was imminent, but we did it and he loved it. Kudos and thanks to that maggot.

We left the firestation and rallied back North in high temps to arrive back in the foothills and home. Finally after the nubblers were asleep, we had some time to ourselves.

**basom** · 08-09-2004, 12:09 PM

you ever go to Oswald West? that is by far my favorite place on the oregon coast.

nice write up, thanks for giving me a leetle beach time this monday afternoon.

**Keoni** · 08-09-2004, 12:10 PM

Cannon Beach ROOOLS for sure.
Did you get a chance to stop(roadside) around the Jewell/Mist area and check out the elk?

**Buster Highmen** · 08-09-2004, 12:13 PM

Originally posted by basom
you ever go to Oswald West? that is by far my favorite place on the oregon coast.

Yeah, our friends have a place in Manzanita, so we trundle between CB and Mz often. But I've only been down to the beach there twice and not up the trails much. These days, stubby legs limit the exploration, at least for a little while.

**Woodsy** · 08-09-2004, 12:14 PM

wowzers & tooled,
that rooled.
glad ya got some get away B!

**The AD** · 08-09-2004, 12:14 PM

In a normal trip report I'd be asking "where are the pictures?" With Buster's you don't need any. His writing provides all the imagery you need.

**Buster Highmen** · 08-09-2004, 12:15 PM

Originally posted by Keoni
Did you get a chance to stop(roadside) around the Jewell/Mist area and check out the elk?

No, we were headed for the beach that day, but that area is so gorgeous. I'd like to hang in some old steelheaders shack on the river for a few drizzly days though fishing and bonging .

**Game Over** · 08-09-2004, 12:16 PM

Nice. Ive peen planning on making the hour drive over to the cool marine air. After reading this I think it will now be sooner rather than later. I bet that little storm was nice, the 50 degree temps here were pure heaven....but it was 97 yesterday and suposed to be 95 today.

**basom** · 08-09-2004, 12:17 PM

But I've only been down to the beach there twice and not up the trails much. These days, stubby legs limit the exploration, at least for a little while.

the trail out to the point on walkers right is a nice walk, and once you get out on the bluff the view looking back at the beach and the surf is pretty awsome.
good place to settle down with some cappers and a box of wine, and watch the sun go down. you can sleep out there too

**tonghands** · 08-09-2004, 12:31 PM

Nice work. Gorge has shut down windwise for a few days now so I did the Coast this weekend as well. Had a stoked windsurfing and surfing weekend. Love the coast, just wish it were closer to the mountains.

**Game Over** · 08-09-2004, 12:36 PM

Wasnt the end scene of Goonies filmed at Cannon Beach?

I like it up there, just kinda far for Eugene peeps. My fam always goes to Yahats. The section of 101 south of Yahats to Florence is rad, wilderness area to the east and mostly undeveloped, gnarly coastline the whole way.

**hop** · 08-09-2004, 01:00 PM

Originally posted by basom
you ever go to Oswald West? that is by far my favorite place on the oregon coast.

bringing back the LC memories!

**basom** · 08-09-2004, 01:07 PM

GO PIOS!

edit: this board is awsome. how cool is it to be reuinted with a guy you spent a few semesters hanging out with, and one intense woofer course rooming with, a guy you watched begin the change from alpine to tele at a tender age, and find out he's spancered and all slutty and shit seven years later.

i'll tell you how cool it is: its very cool.

**iceman** · 08-09-2004, 01:18 PM

wow, so you and hop go back, but you didn't realize who each other were on here? Pretty cool indeed.

**basom** · 08-09-2004, 01:25 PM

i figured it out from telepatchs website about a month ago.
i was all: "holy fucking shit mang!"

**hop** · 08-09-2004, 02:15 PM

Yep, basom and I go waaaay back to the very beginnings of my ski existance! When I met him I had barely a season of skiing under my belt. Funny. And his cousin sort-of-stole my sort-of-girlfriend at the time in MT, then one Thanksgiving break when I went to call her I ended up talking to basom on the phone ("hey hop, I think I'm hanging out with your friend Sarah here...").

Equally strange was at the same time at the same school, I ended up being suite-mates with a guy I went to preschool with.

Soooo... anyone else here with Lewis and Clark College ties from '96-'97?

edit: given the amount of time we spent puffing on Blue Steel, I can't believe we passed that WFR course.

**basom** · 08-09-2004, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by hop
Yep, basom and I go waaaay back to the very beginnings of my ski existance! When I met him I had barely a season of skiing under my belt. Funny. And his cousin sort-of-stole my sort-of-girlfriend at the time in MT, then one Thanksgiving break when I went to call her I ended up talking to basom on the phone ("hey hop, I think I'm hanging out with your friend Sarah here...").

holy shit, too funny. i had forgotten about that. i think they might be engaged now dude.

and you were a huge gaper back then. how can i have 15 more years of skiing under my belt than you and not have any industry hook ups? i guess i suck.

and its amazing anything ever happend at all due to that god forsaken bong. wtf was that instructors name with the mullet and the cock and balls that kept popping out of his short shorts when he put his foot up on the table during lectures? what a fruitcake, now that i think about it... being wicked baked may not have been the worst thing in the world.

sorry buster for all this memory lane shit.

**hop** · 08-09-2004, 02:31 PM

Originally posted by basom
holy shit, too funny. i had forgotten about that. i think they might be engaged now dude.

[/SIZE]

are you fucking shitting me??!?!?!?!?!?! That's too much! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh!
[whisper] I still am a huge gaper. That's the big secret....[/end whisper]

**iceman** · 08-09-2004, 02:34 PM

It's also kinda funny 'cause there was an article about the Wallowas (which btw is a hang-out of Buster's) in Powder a while back, and hop was in it and I remember his name 'cause it's kinda unusual, so I coulda told you if I'd somehow thougfht of it.

okay, not funny, exactly.

**basom** · 08-09-2004, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by hop
[whisper] I still am a huge gaper. That's the big secret....[/end whisper]

*basom quickly packs bags to head out to bellingham where sponcerships flow like wine and the women flock like the salmon of capistrano*

seriously, i'm so stoked to get out there this year so you can show me exactly how much i suck.

edit: not spoonerships, do you see me eating jello here?

**hop** · 08-09-2004, 02:48 PM

Come prepared for the full tour. Which may or may not include: the couch of champions (which has hosted at one point or another): Teamdirt (guest of me), Telepath (guest of WC), myself (guest of WC), among other famous and not-so-famous ripping traveller types; meeting the infamous Butterball (try not to be bowled over by his radness or his suby); playing the "what country are you from" game with MBS, before realizing he's from Washington; and finally, a night at the Beaver Inn and/or Ranch Room. Three person $34.00cdn bill/Vancouver sushi fieldtrip a possibility as well.

Snow quality varies. Try to get here when TD or his Canadian buddies are here, as they usually have pretty decent luck. Avoid being here when Telepath is here, as he brings warm rain.

I can't believe they're getting married

edit: oh, Buster, wasn't it you that knew Rus Hoezel? I was helping out one of his Ph.D students this summer.

**basom** · 08-09-2004, 02:54 PM

Originally posted by hop

edit: oh, Buster, wasn't it you that knew Rus Hoezel? I was helping out one of his Ph.D students this summer.

nice work bring the hijack back around. kudos.

**Buster Highmen** · 08-09-2004, 05:22 PM

Originally posted by hop
edit: oh, Buster, wasn't it you that knew Rus Hoezel? I was helping out one of his Ph.D students this summer.

Yup, byproducts of another stumptown kolidge. Where is Rus now?

**hop** · 08-09-2004, 08:33 PM

I think he's back in the UK. His student is at Durban Univ. doing Minke whale stuff but she was doing her field work from San Juan Island. He was out here to get her started in early July.

**FreakofSnow** · 08-09-2004, 10:36 PM

This line was fucking fantastic:

So while my wife and I are munching down on this sumptuous feast and staring deeply into each others tired eyes on the deck, wind in our hair, our 3 year old's vampiric consumption of apple juice and quesidillas redlined and he began to projectile vomit, splattering the nearby cougars who had been eyeing us with stream after stream of the day's input.

I almost want to make that my new signature, might be a tad long though.