Touring the Clatsop area

Seeing the Sights

Oregon's unusually rainy season causing flooding and landslides has been missing us at Fort Stevens and hanging south of us. Most of our first two weeks were dry except short periods of mist or rain in the mornings. This gave us plenty of time to get out and enjoy our walks and bike rides. People don't worry about the rain here. They just make sure their clothes are adequate. Waterproof boots are a good things, tennis shoes not so much.

We have explored some interesting places on our plentiful time off and learn a thing or two along the way.

Columbia River Maritime Museum

Stories of the legendary Columbia River Bar, one of the most dangerous passages in the world, are in the Columbia River Maritime Museum.  We learned about the extreme forces at work along the Columbia River Bar with waves that can exceed 40 feet in height during the most severe winter storms.

Our volunteer Oregon State Park Pass provides us free admission to several museums even if it is a private museum like the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

We had never heard of a lighthouse ship until we boarded the Columbia which is part of the museum but on the river.

In 1892 the Columbia River Lightship Station became the first active lightship on the west coast. A wooden-hulled vessel housed two coal-fired boilers, which produced steam for a twelve-inch fog whistle. Three oil lamp lenses, used to alert vessels at night, topped the ship's two masts. The ship had no engine for propulsion, but had sails in case the anchor chain, which held the vessel at a position roughly five miles west of the Columbia River's mouth, broke.

As we boarded the Lightship, the docent happened to be retired from the Coast Guard. We visited with him about his service and the ship. He talked a bit about the jetties and their effect on the river and shipping.

The Coast Guard has a strong presence with ships based in Astoria. The helicopters that we hear combing the beaches are in Warrenton on this side of the bridge from Astoria. 

Two years after being ripped away by the Japanese tsunami of 2011, this 20 foot fishing boat floated upright from the Japanese island of Honshu to the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington. The owner of the 20-foot boat was contacted and said he did not want the vessel to be returned. Instead, he donated the boat to the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

We like to watch from the riverwalk or a restaurant as the tugboats guided the barges up the river. Astoria and Longview only have one port each, leaving the barges lined up on the river awaiting their turn to load or unload. Often we can see 10-12 within view anchored.

Blue Scorcher Bakery and Café turned out to be a favorite for us when we ventured into Astoria. But the food trucks have some amazing looking food that we will have to try next time we return to town.

Riding 20 miles on the backroads on our bikes through the farm land was a great way to spend a morning.

It is good to have warm bike clothes on damp mornings.

Fort Clatsop

Fort Clatsop was the winter encampment for Lewis and Clark's Unit in 1806. Daily costumed programs and activities are scheduled during the summer months. We enjoyed the quiet morning as we walked around the fort replica and museum before anyone else arrived.

The river trail was a nice 2 mile walk along the river as we watched the river otters and water fowl.

Netul River

Salt Works

It doesn't take long as we drive into Seaside to understand that it is a frequently visited tourist town. The long boardwalk along the ocean is beautiful. But the narrow streets make driving in our big truck tricky. Parking and walking through the downtown is a best bet. I can't imagine how busy it must be in the summer.

While in Seaside, we made a 15 minute stop at the mini National Park Salt Works, short but an important part of the Lewis and Clark history.

Much of the Lewis and Clark Corps' stay on the North Coast was spent securing food for the winter and provisions for the trip home. By the time they reached the lower Columbia River region, they had run out of valuable salt for seasoning food and preserving meat.

Meat preservation was a matter of life or death for the Corps. Spoiled elk meat could make the Corps sick, and without meat for the return home, weakened with hunger.

To make salt, the Corps had to find rocks to build a furnace, wood to burn, ocean water to boil, fresh water to drink and game animals. Nearby rivers weren't salty enough, but a site 15 miles southwest of Fort Clatsop proved perfect. 

Five men traveled to the beach site, built the camp and set five kettles to boiling, 24 hours a day, to produce salt, 3 ½ bushels or about 28 gallons of "Excellent, fine, strong & white" salt.

South Jetty

One of our hikes was along the South Jetty where the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean meet. It was a calm day and the waves were still pretty choppy. In the distance, we could see the ships heading out to sea. No whales today.

Our campsite is behind a hill a mile from the beach is surrounded by trees and bushes which cuts down on the wind. We can hear the rough surf and wind on the ocean from our home when it is windy. A father told us that the wind on the beach was so strong that he had to hang onto his son so he wouldn't blow away.

In our staff meetings, (yes, we have meetings but they provide cheesecake) they keep reminding us about tsunamis and what we do if we feel an earthquake. Head for the hills. The tsunami alarm in Warrenton is a horn on the top of a truck that also sounds its horn when the local high school football team scores a touch down. But no one was sure if that is still protocol since the guy that drives it may have died.  hmmmm. Maybe a guy with a lantern on a horse or elk is the new alarm. We will go with feel an earthquake, run.

The host ranger arranged for us to arrive March 28th and provided us with a campsite so we could rest up before beginning our duties, another unexpected benefit. Our time at Fort Stevens is passing quickly as we near our halfway point. We are glad we jumped in and gave this volunteering a shot. Starting in the slow season was a good idea also. The weekends get busy but that's not a bad thing. By Sunday afternoon, we are back to just a few campers scattered about. I am sure that is going to change soon with the Crab and Wine Festival in Astoria at the end of April. We have been warned.