Cape Disappointment State Park, aka, “Cape D”- May and June 2018

The next day we crossed back over to the Oregon side and began the final leg of our cross country journey to Cape Disappointment. The huge river flows from the very arid eastern part of the state and into the rocky gorge that eventually empties into the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Oregon. The scenery quickly changes from brown and dry, to lush and green. We drove from clear sunny skies into overcast and drizzle as we got closer to the moist coastline. At Portland, we crossed the bridge over to the Washington side to complete our journey. That afternoon, April 30^th, we arrived at our home for the next two months. We spent a day getting settled in doing laundry and buying groceries.

Heading west through the Columbia Gorge, walled in by thousands of feet of Columbia Flood Basalts

The arid Columbia Gorge, west of the Cascade Range

Barges being pushed upstream

The Gorge gets greener as it cuts through the Cascade Range

A pushboat in the lower (and greener) Columbia heading to pick up barges

The bridge at Astoria heading to Washington

Our volunteer site in lush Cape D

Our original offer from Ranger Stephen was to be roving volunteers at the North Head Lighthouse trailhead. The lighthouse had been closed for three years to be restored, and the plan was to have it closed again last summer. It was our first offer for the summer, so we agreed. We didn't want to take a chance of not getting another offer for May and June. During the winter he had informed us that plans had changed and the lighthouse would be open. We would be giving tours!

Our spectacular job site - North Head Light

The Lighthouse stairs

The lower work room and entrance, Kathleen's "office"

The entrance commander and flip-flop enforcer

Looking north from North Head

Looking South toward the jettys, the mouth of the Columbia River, and Oregon

Looking back I am so glad that we hadn't turned down the original offer, even though it wasn't exactly what we had hoped to be doing. Our two months at Cape Disappointment State Park were highlights of our nomadic life. Our second day there, we had our training with fellow volunteers Deborah and Mike. In short order we met Carol and Chris, and Emily and Lee, who shared the lighthouse tour duties with us. Four days a week we did a half day shift at the lighthouse, and spent the other three exploring the sights, sounds, smells, and food and drink of the area.

Light house tour guide in uniform

Our lighthouse duties were easy and fun. Quickly we decided that Greg would do the interpretive talk from the lantern room at the top. On busy days he rarely descended. Tours were 20 minutes including five minutes at the beginning and end to get the group of eight guests up and down the 70 steps. I stayed in the workroom at the bottom collecting fees, organizing the tour groups, answering questions and giving a small spiel while the groups waited. We each had a walkie-talkie to coordinate the tours. Otherwise we would have been yelling up and down the spiral staircase, unable to see each other. The shifts were four hours in length. The workroom at the bottom held in the cold, while the top was like a greenhouse! Greg had a fan and was allowed to open one door. I wore fleece and layers. He wore short sleeves.

Looking inland (east) from the lamp room. The small buildings are the Oil Houses, and beyond are the Keeper's Houses.

Brother Brian visiting the lamp room

One of 100 selfies up in the top!

Looking up

Looking down

The weather changed from day to day. Some days were warm with blue skies. Other days we had rain squalls or fog. Often days were very windy and cold. But, the basalt bluffs never changed. The waves continued to roll in from out across the Pacific, some days calmly, other days violently. This stretch of the coastline was named the Graveyard of the Pacific for the winds, fog, storms, and difficulty for ships to enter the shifting sandbars of the entrance to the Columbia River. Our shifts were filled with the beauty of the sea, the blooming wildflowers, and visits from bald eagles, seals, sealions, and orca whales. Our guests where thrilled to see the beauty and actually be in a lighthouse. We especially enjoyed the mid-westerners who had never seen the ocean before.

Fog might last for minutes or days

Salal in bloom

Hiking back uphill at the end of another hard day at the office

Original lighthouse plans

Foxglove

The light house keepers residences

The park itself had a beautiful wide beach, rocky bluffs, hiking trails, two lighthouses, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, the original spot where Lewis and Clark found the Pacific, and remnants of the various military installations that had been there since the Civil War.

The Coast Guard practicing cliff and water rescues next to the light house

North Head Light House from Benson Beach

The original North Head lens, now at the Lewis & Clark center

Looking south from the Light House

We explored the park and ranged up and down the Long Beach Peninsula north of the park. There we found small beach towns on the Pacific Ocean and Willapa Bay, hiked the state park and wildlife refuge at the northern tip, and sampled some restaurants.

Historic buildings in Oysterville on Willapa Bay

Oyster shells from ongoing fisheries

Scotch Broom in bloom everywhere!

Cranberry Bogs

The mudflats of Willapa Bay

Hiking through the wildlife refuge

The closest town was Ilwaco to the east of the park. There we explored the nice local museum and learned more about the history of the immediate area.

The Ilwaco Museum

The local railroad served the tourist and oyster industry for decades

One of the old rescue boats

Long Beach was quite the destination!

Dugout canoe

Several other days we drove the huge, high bridge across the mouth of the Columbia River to Astoria, Oregon. We visited restaurants and brewpubs, walked the waterfront, watched the huge freighters coming in and toured the excellent Columbia River Maritime Museum. What we learned there helped to augment our lighthouse tour knowledge.

Fort George Brewery

Heading to dinner at Bridgewater with friends Deborah and Mike

Why is it named Bridgewater?

Our anniversary dinner of Bosnian Roast Lamb

We had a fabulous traditional Bosnian feast here

Checking out the Astoria Brewery

The second North Head lens, now at the Columbia Maritime Museum

A Japanese fishing boat from the Fukushima tsunami, which washed up on Benson Beach at Cape D

Lunch at the Blue Scorcher in Astoria

My brother Brian visited for a few days. We explored Astoria, the Long Beach Peninsula, and drove to Mt St Helen's to see the crater and do some hiking. Susan, my childhood friend flew in from Virginia, stayed with us in the Airstream and we spent a few days back at Mt St Helen's, walking around Astoria, and traveling down the Oregon Coast for a day.

Mount St. Helens emerging from the clouds

Huge trees snapped off by the Mount St. Helens eruption

Ponds remain in the chaotic terrain of the mudflow

Bear scratches

Hiking the ashflow

Mount St. Helens in the sun!

Tailgating with Susan at the Johnson Ridge Volcanic Observatory

The Mount St Helens blast zone

The light at Cape Mears, Oregon

Looking across the Columbia from Astoria

The Oregon Coast

Tillamook ice cream at TILLAMOOK!

More of the Oregon coast

Dinner in Astoria at Baked Alaska

Sue in the North Head lamp room

We also took a weekend and drove to Eugene, Oregon to visit our niece, Ann and her husband, John. It was a rainy weekend, but we managed to visit the Eugene Saturday market, explore a few restaurants, do a tasting of Sweet Cheeks wine, and watch Ann dance (with a sword!) at the Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene.

Shopping for hot pepper sauce at the Eugene Saturday Market

Wine tasting with Ann and John

Saturday Market score!

Check out the sword!

Our two months flew by, and we were sad to leave Cape D. We felt appreciated by Ranger Stephen, who had given us excellent training to begin with, and were going to miss our new volunteer friends. The beauty of the park and the surrounding area fed our souls and refreshed us. Volunteering there never felt like a chore. It felt like a privilege to become a part of the history of that beautiful lighthouse.

 

Our natural bug zapper! The tree swallows lived all around us.

Our neighbor saying goodbye!