Bastendorff Bog Trail

Herein lies a tale of two hikes. Accordingly, I tried to find a quote from Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" that I could meld to a hiking metaphor but alas, none seemed to fit. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" Nah! Anyway, this is a two-hike blog entry because I hiked the Bastendorff Bog Trail two weekends in a row: once to scout the route and once to lead the Friends of the Umpqua on the actual hike. 

Lots of secret beaches on this part of the Oregon coast

Oregon had been pummeled by a series of snow storms and that made for an interesting drive over to the coast on both weekends. Where there was shade on the highway, ice was guaranteed to scare the daylights out of drivers. Snow was everywhere and the small town of Camas Valley in the Coast Range looked like some kind of ski resort. It was a slow drive on the first trip out which became even slower on Seven Devils Road which was dangerously slippery on its hilly curves. The following weekend, the snow had melted but the ice remained and if anything, the windy road had gotten icier. As my Jeep danced around on the treacherous road with me working the steering wheel back and forth like a NASCAR race driver, I couldn't help but notice all conversation in my car ceased, not sure why that was. However, despite the icy road conditions on both weekends, the weather was gloriously sunny but cold. One out of two is not bad, unless it's your grade on a calculus pop quiz. 

You can't handle the freedom!

On the scout trip, I was accompanied by Luna the Hiking Dog, and I slipped off her leash and let her run on the beach in 27 degree weather. After a 45 minute chase with much yelling and screaming on my part, I finally caught her and she remained leashed for the duration of the day. Luna simply could not handle the freedom, just like my wife.  In case you are wondering, I typed that with Dollie out of the room, I'm pretty brave that way. Anyway, once the recalcitrant dog was properly leashed, we hiked the length of Bastendorff Beach to a secluded cove.

I know just how that seaweed feels

When I had hiked here with the South Coast Striders a year ago, a rope-aided descent down a muddy track took us from the shoreline cliffs down to the cove. I tried to go up but the muddy track was now an icy track and when Luna could not get traction even with her natural crampons and 4-wheel drive, we backtracked to the kinder and gentler trail above the Bastendorff Beach campground.

Secluded cove

At the south end of Bastendorff Beach is Yoakam Point, a geological finger poking the soft blue underbelly of the Pacific Ocean. The views from the point are pretty awesome and I enjoyed looking at Bastendorff Beach arcing to the Coos Bay jetty while Luna enjoyed treats and a pat on the head. To the south was Gregory Point (an island, really) with Cape Arago Lighthouse reposing on top.

Snow?  Really? On the coast?

From Yoakam Point, we crossed Cape Arago Highway and entered a coastal forest comprised of spruce with a healthy undergrowth consisting mostly of salal and coastal huckleberry. There still was snow here and there on the ground. While the patches of snow were as weak and thin as jailhouse soup, it still was somewhat jarring to see snow on the coast, that hardly ever happens. Also jarring in a way, was the temperature. While the beach and point were fairly chilly, walking in the forest was like walking inside an icebox. It was much colder under the trees although Luna did not seem to mind. I did.

Boardwalk that wants to hurt me

We arrived at Sunset Bay Campground by skating across a slick and icy boardwalk that really wanted to hurt us. The campground roads were almost too icy to walk on, with traction fleeting and ephemeral. I called it good there and headed back, glad to return to Roseburg while there still remained some daylight.

Rachel ponders the mystery of life

A week later, 11 of us braved Seven Devils Road and set out onto the beach strand at Bastendorff Beach. The sand was frozen and was like concrete in the shady parts but the day would warm up to nearly 50 degrees. It felt like spring!

The tip of Yoakam Point

I was bringing up the rear of the group and John was in front and since he had never been on this route before, we wandered aimlessly (until I caught up to him) through the unofficial maze of trails atop Yoakam Point. Generally, we followed the edge of the coastal cliffs but once we hit the homes and back yards above Lighthouse Beach, we backtracked to the proper route with me in front this time. On the plus side, we wound up enjoying views of a coastal segment none of us had ever seen before.

Sunset Bay, from the longer hike

The boardwalk at Sunset Bay Campground was not icy any more but was still dangerously slippery. We all crossed safely by taking mincing little baby steps. After eating lunch with a nice view of Sunset Bay, we split up into two groups as some hikers wanted to get some extra mileage in and some were happy with the basic 7 mile route. Us long-loopers continued on the coastal trail and enjoyed views of the spectacular coastline in the Cape Arago area. On a clifftop section of trail with nice views to Shore Acres, Sunset Bay, the Cape Arago Lighthouse, and Qochyax Island, we turned around and headed back.

This is how we get down!

Edwin, Lane, and I were the only takers on the rope-aided descent down the muddy track to the secret cove. The only problem was, the rope was no longer there and some use of hands was required to make the descent without involuntarily sliding down to the bottom. From there, it was the mile long walk along the beach under a sinking sun. Thus ends our tale of two hikes and "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done" Nope, Charles Dickens just doesn't have any good quotes for hiking blogs!

Bastendorff Beach, at the end of the hike

For more pictures of this hike, please visit the Flicker albums. Here is the link to the scouting trip and this is the link to the group hike.

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Bastendorff Bog Trail

I've hiked in the Cape Arago area for what seems like a million times. Despite being overly familiar, the cape is one of my favorite places and is always spectacular; be it at night, in the fog, in a torrential downpour, or on a sunny day. Unfortunately, the relatively small state parks in the area don't offer much options for hiking other than the spectacular trail along the coast. However, thanks to the South Coast Striders, a Coos Bay hiking group, I've had my horizons broadened as they've exposed me to the Perimeter Trail and now, the Bastendorff Bog Trail.

The forest needs no "sprucing" up!

The Bastendorff Bog Trail is a mile'ish long path that runs from Sunset Bay Campground to Cape Arago Highway near Yoakam Point. I've driven by the trail many times but unless you know where it is, you'd never know it was there; it's like the ninja night assassin of trails. Although the Bastendorff Bog Trail officially ends at the highway, a loose network of use-trails on the other side takes hikers to various viewpoints and beaches on and below Yoakam Point and is the answer to the age-old question "why did the hiker cross the road?"

Skunk cabbage

Approximately 30 hikers took the green flag and began ambling through Sunset Bay Campground, exchanging morning greetings with campers rubbing the smoke and sleep out of their eyes around their respective campfires. The trail officially began in the hiker and biker camp which somehow seemed appropriate enough. On a slippery footbridge, we crossed Big Creek's muddy bog replete with blooming odiferous skunk cabbage, and then began a short but brisk charge uphill through lush coastal forest.

On the Bastendorff Bog Trail

After a half mile or so on a trail flanked with dense salal and coastal huckleberry bushes waving green fronds over the trail, a loosely defined Bastendorff Bog made an appearance on the right side of the trail. Apparently, the bog is home to a population of rare and endangered western bog lily; the showy blooms would make spring a good time for a return visit. However, in February, there was not a lot going on in the bog.

A big lump of coal for Christmas

Past the bog, the trail spit us out onto Cape Arago Highway from the aforementioned hidden trailhead after a mile or so. But no worries, the hike hadn't ended yet. Across the busy highway was that collection of rough paths that wander the forested bench of Yoakam Point. Mild bushwhacking yielded intermittent open areas in the forest with the open areas providing views of the rugged Oregon coast and Cape Arago Lighthouse perched atop Gregory Point (actually an island). Below the point, an exposed seam of coal flashed back to the time when Coos Bay actually had a coal industry,

View from Yoakam Point

The actual point of  Yoakam Point is narrow and exposed and there was not room enough for 30 plus hikers on it, although we did try. In the end, we took turns and cameras were kept busy on the point. The view north was stunning as mile-long Bastendorff Beach curved gracefully before dead-ending at Coos Bay's south jetty. Directly below, waves crashed upon exposed rocky reefs and crags. Way cool.

Whee!

And then the fun started! The route led from the top of Yoakam Point down to a sheltered cove immediately below by means of a rope descent on a treacherously muddy track that even mountain goats would find too dangerous. Some of us more sure-footed hikers aided the less nimble on the way down and I'm glad to report I saw only one hiker rolling down the trail with the sole injury being that of a sprained dignity. The patient is expected to recover. It is also worthy to note that the hike organizers gave no hint of this descent until the very moment it was time to descend, thereby neatly avoiding a pre-descent mutiny.

Temporary respite after the descent

So, 30 plus hikers were milling around on the secluded and sandy cove, grateful to be done with the muddy drop, when we were informed that we now had to scramble up and over a rocky point to get to Bastendorff Beach. It was then that the phrase "kill the hike leader" was first muttered. Options were limited if one did not want to risk that scramble because the only way back was by means of a rope ascent up a treacherous muddy track that even mountain goats would find dangerous. For me, this was like being on a Richard Hike but with none of the criminal liability.

And it's not even a Richard Hike!

The scramble up and over the point was not particularly tall, but the rocks were covered with slimy green seaweed that had us yearning for a treacherously muddy track instead. But again, with help from the sure-footed, all hikers made it safely over with no injuries to dignity or any body parts. And now, it was a simple mile-plus beach walk along Bastendorff Beach until we reached the south jetty.

Incoming!

While some ate lunch, others scrambled (your merry blogster included) atop the jetty boulders to observe waves marching up Coos Bay's (the bay) entrance, seemingly intent to administer a watery smiting to Coos Bay (the city). The waves were rather robust and after a few close calls atop the jetty we promptly departed lest we receive a watery smiting ourselves.

Rocky shoal near Yoakam Point

Our egress off of Bastendorff Beach was on a rather civilized trail with a footbridge or two. The tameness of the trail raised the question of why we had to make that wild descent in the first place but on the other hand, there simply is no glory in a tame trail. So, in the end,  this 6 miler was a tasty hiking smorgasbord of coastal delights. It was nice to get a new trail experience out of the familiar paths of Cape Arago.

Standing room only on Yoakam Point

For more pictures of this hike, please visit the Flickr album.

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