Description:

The Oregon Coast Trail (OCT) is scenic and diverse and best experienced on foot. Mark is organizing a series of section hikes to explore the OCT. You are welcome to join all the walks or any that strike your fancy. Please note, OCT trips should be considered as exploratory; flexibility is a must. All of the section hikes are intended to be enjoyed with a daypack, and always return to a central location for tent camping, showers, etc. Trips focus on beach walking, utilizing lesser-traveled side roads and trails. Hiking next to Hwy 101 will be avoided as much as possible. To maximize beach time, and minimize highway walking, we will be car shuttling between start and end locations as needed on the trip.

This trip is a 3-day, 19-mile section hike of the OCT between Waldport and the Heceta Head Lighthouse. We will be camping at the Cape Perpetua Campground.

Signup and Payment:
A) Online signup will open Saturday, May 9, 2020.
B) Within 5 days of signing up, mail a check for $28 payable to the Obsidians and send to Mark Hougardy, 418 Heritage Oak Dr, Eugene, OR 97405. This covers the campground fee, firewood, and the trip fee.
C) The payment is non-refundable unless someone takes your place.

SCHEDULE:
Day 1: Sunday - We walk 7 miles on the beach. We depart Eugene and drive to Yachats to drop off our shuttle car. Then we continue onto the Governor Patterson Memorial State Recreation Site in Waldport and walk back on the sand to Yachats. In the late afternoon, we drive to the Cape Perpetua Campground. We have that evening to explore Cape Perpetua.
Day 2: Monday - In the morning we’ll spend a little time down at the beach seeing the sights. I the late morning we will drive a short way to Yachats and hike Amanda's Trail to the overlook at Cape Perpetua then back to the campground. The trail is 6 miles with 500 feet of elevation. The campground does not have showers so we'll have to clean up as best we can. That evening let's dine at a Yachats restaurant (we'll have to see what is open).

Day 3: Tuesday - 6 miles of beach and trail walking with a 300-foot elevation gain. We break camp and drive as a group 9 miles south. We are skipping small beach sections or areas that are too remote or tight for hiking. We could start at the Ocean Beach Picnic Area, but because of limited space and tides, we will start at Murial Ponser Memorial State Scenic Overlook. Leaving from Murial Ponser we venture south on the sand, past the Washburne rest area, to the Hobbit Trail and continue over to the Heceta Head Lighthouse. We end our walk at the nearby parking area under the picturesque Cape Creek Bridge. In the late afternoon, we return to Eugene.