Bullards Beach State Park

Getting Oregonized

18 years ago, we snowshoed up Vail Pass and married ourselves. That was a perfect start to our unconventional life. It was a happy anniversary to us!

After agreeing to camp host on Oregon's coast for the month March, we were informed that we would need to arrive 10-14 days early to quarantine since we were coming from out of state. That had us arriving February 18th. What in the heck! Winter on the coast can be quite stormy and had been this year. But we got lucky and arrived in time for the mild weather to arrive. Other than a few days, the storms off the Pacific Ocean would split and go around Bandon. There is only a 15 degree difference 

between winter and summer on Oregon's coast. As long as the highs were in the low 50s and the sun was shining, it was pleasant for a bike ride.

We had a couple of bike riding options while camp hosting on Oregon's coast. The Beach Loop and return through the cranberry bogs or North Bank Lane along the Coquille River through

farm country.

The Beach Loop overlooks Coquille Lighthouse.

A stop for a light lunch at Bandon Brewery got chilly while sitting outside in the ocean breeze, making our teeth chatter on the last three miles home. We managed to have take away 

at several food trail restaurants along the coast.

In the winter, only 1 of the 3 loops are open for campers and usually pretty full. Part of our camp host jobs were to help clean up the other two loops. We would rake and blow a site or 

two clean each day. With 54 sites in the B loop, we would be done in time for it to open in May. 

One early morning, we heard raking and blowers in the "B" loop. The rangers at Bullards had gotten a call saying that Sunset Beach Campground would be closing due to sewer problems and it was the first Friday of spring break weeks. The rangers were out in full force, rakes in hand and equipment in tow for the challenge of opening by the end of the day to take in Sunset's refugees. We can't  have disappointed campers. Everyone pitched in.

Before

After

Most days we walk the 1.25 miles to the beach and pick up any trash we see along the way, before starting our daily duties.

These very small pieces of plastic can be seen along the entire beach.

Pearls Trail

Another path for a morning walk runs from the middle loop of the campground for a walk on the boardwalk. 

We rarely saw a car while riding along the Coquille River.

At low tide we visit the tide pools and high tide watch for migrating whales in the distance.

We are finishing up our final day of hosting but will stay a few more days to get our second vaccine before heading to warmer pastures.

Back at the Coast

Bandon, Oregon

Driving the winding roads of the Coast Mountains can be wearing. The sky was cloudy and wind blowing as we arrived on the coast which left us wondering why we had left the sunshine in the mountains. A good night of sleep and little sunshine can change a person's perspective. 

Bullard's Beach has a robust volunteer program with  several interpretive hosts for the Snowy Plover, tufted puffins and lighthouse along with Jr Ranger Program. Many hosts love their jobs and return year after year. We attended our orientation meeting and got settled in things were looking better. 

An early negative low tide makes for good tide pooling. I checked the schedule for the "Circles in the Sand" at Face Rock State Wayside and set the alarm for the 7-9 am schedule. There were a few people already there when we arrived.

What a way to start the morning. After an hour of walking on the beach, we stopped at the local bakery before heading back to clean four yurts.

Dennie Dyke, the local sand artist started making labyrinths in the sand back in 2011. He’s built a loyal local following buoyed by tourists who travel to this stretch of the Oregon coast just to walk one of his creations.

While Dyke is the leader, he works with a team of volunteers, with whom he makes each design on the fly. It always starts out with a blank canvas of beach which varies based on the tide, the weather and the constantly shifting sands.

 

His creations are technically not labyrinths, since they have separate entrances and exits – a necessary design element when hundreds of people walk through at a time. Each dreamfield is made in the hard, wet sand of low tide, and within hours the surf naturally comes back in, washing away the beautiful work of art. In that way they’re a statement on the temporary and ever-shifting nature of life, where moments of joy can be fleeting, always leaving us in need of fresh experiences.

 He encourages people to take their worries into his dreamfields, leaving them in the center of a spiral and exiting the labyrinth with a smile.

“The ocean will take it and deal with it,” he said.

Mr. Dykes, sand artist, stopped and visited with us and many of the visitors.

Tide pooling

Anemones and Starfish

Caves at low tide

Face Rock

The electric golf carts threw us a little after the loud gators we had been using. Turn the key and press the pedal, pretty easy. Seems easy enough. The lack of any sound made us think that it wasn't running. Then we (Mike) figured it out. Turn the key and press go.

Our "job" at Bullards Beach is relief yurt host. Each morning we pick up our assignment at the little shed, get our golf carts from the assigned location, visit with other hosts while waiting for people to leave the lovely yurts. Once we finish sweeping, dusting, and disinfecting, we are free for the rest of the day. 

After finishing the yurts for the day, we headed across the bridge which has a flashing light when cyclists and walkers are on it, and headed south along the ocean. We were enjoying our ride

so much and thought how easy it was and realized that the wind was pushing us south. The return ride was more work but so much fun other than the occasional side gust that made us hang on tight. We slept well after walking the beach, cleaning yurts and bike riding.

Two thumbs up on  Bullards Beach, the fun volunteers and yurt cleaning. We will try to pace ourselves better the rest of the month.