This adventure started out as an unsupported effort, however, I lost my focus on the beach walk out of Manzanita and completely forgot about my exit for the hwy road walk around Nehalem Bay. I did look at FarOut, albeit absentmindedly, confirmed I was still on the redline, but didn’t realized what that actually meant until I rounded the southern end of the Nehalem Spit and saw the dingy from Jetty Fisheries doing a drop off/pick up of hikers. To maintain the integrity of my unsupported attempt, I would be looking at 4.6mi of retracing my steps on the beach plus 9.2mi of road walk around the bay. The time was 1p and the added 5.5-6hrs of correcting my mistake didn’t feel worth it so I made the quick decision to ferry across. While this action ultimately changed my attempt to self supported, it remained a personal challenge to see my initial intentions through and continue on as if unsupported. From Jetty Fisheries, I would reach Crissey Fields on my own two feet, accepting no external support (ie ferries) and only carrying the food/gear I started with.
I had no external assistance in the logistics or navigation of this adventure, including the readings of the tide charts. That said, I didn’t go after this with a tide schedule strategy that I would have to closely adhere to and match pace for, rather, I just prioritized following the beach and main route as the tides would allow based on my pace of the day and found alternate routes when needed. As Nick Fowler said, we’re out here to try to do the most direct, fastest route possible, I would just add that I also kept safety in the forefront of my priorities during this attempt because mitigating risks, especially as a solo female, will be a huge part of forward momentum in this endeavor.
Although I crossed the OR/CA border first on 101, my elapsed time includes the time spent waiting for a safe window to access the beach which is the true Southern Terminus of the OCT.
371.07mi : 8 days 23 hours 51 mins 29 seconds
8/10/2024 36.02mi
Fort Stevens 6:40:31a - Oswald West State Park 9:46:02p
Reached Seaside before lunch and Cannon Beach by dinner. Timed the tides perfectly with Silver Point and Lion Rock, however, Hug Point made me nervous so I road walked 101 and knew I made the right call when I got to the beach access at the trailhead. I was able to make it around Point Meriweather and found a stealth spot in Oswald West State Park.
8/11/2024 35.43mi
Oswald West State Park 5:00:33a - Tillamook River 9:11:47p
Woke up very wet, which felt par for the course. I hiked this section in 2020 and remember it being like a rainforest. Surrounded by clouds, I reached Neahkahnie by mid morning and boogied down to Manzanita where blue skies would greet me. I think that’s why I went full space cadet and forgot about my exit from the redline to road walk around the bay. It was such a beautiful day and I found myself distracted watching all the kids fly kites and dogs chase balls. Obviously it was disappointing realizing what I’d done, but I made a decision and just kept moving South, albeit now self supported. The Jetty Fisheries ferry had me across the bay in under 10mins and I was in Garibaldi by midafternoon where I afforded myself a break to dry out my gear on the sundrenched rocks. Turning a blind eye to the marina offering a ferry across Tillamook Bay, I kept marching South along 101 and found myself crossing the Tillamook River by sundown. Here I was met with a road sign that indicated a bridge was out 2.3mi ahead on the redline so I found a stealth spot for the night while I researched what route to take the next day.
8/12/2024 33.66mi
Tillamook River 4:25:33a - Neskowin 7:04:45p
FarOut had no recent comments from other hikers about this roadblock so I decided my alternate would be taking Netarts Hwy (131) to Whiskey Creek Rd and meet back up with the redline, unfortunately bypassing Cape Meares. I found solace in knowing I still had Cape Lookout coming up, however, a park ranger found me in the day use area with bad news: the trail was closed due to dangerous conditions. I thanked him for the intel before I made the trek over to the trailhead and took the road up and over. The silver lining in this day of mishaps was making perfect timing of the tides at Sand Creek. It never reached above my knees and felt pretty good on my feet. This next stretch towards Cape Kiwanda made me a little anxious with all the erosion and sinkholes so I opted to take Cape Kiwanda Drive into Pacific City. I merged onto 101, found sand again at Winema Beach and followed that into Neskowin for the night.
8/13/2024 41.8mi
Neskowin 4:31:29a - South Beach State Park 9:03:06p
Had issues charging my headlamp the night before so I decided to forgo the densely forested Cascade Head in favor of 101 so I could strategize how much of my headlamp and flashlight I could get by with in the predawn hours. I was reunited with the beach in Lincoln City and found myself in Depoe Bay by midafternoon where I had really high hopes of seeing a whale, but no such luck. It turned into a hot afternoon that required a lot of sock changes to keep my feet happy so I opted to stick to the road and avoid the sand. It was still a scenic road walk along the beaches and I even got to watch sunset on the Yaquina Bay Bridge.
8/14/2024 37.36mi
South Beach State Park 4:35:30a - Heceta Head 9:00:59p
Got some predawn miles along Beverly and Ona Beach before jumping back on 101. South of Seal Rock is a gated community with several No Trespassing, Private Road, and No Beach Access signs so I skirted Holly Beach on the 101 into Bayshore and onward into Yachats as the temps rose and I wanted to continue prioritizing the happiness of my feet. I was really looking forward to some dirt miles as I reached Cape Perpetua. Stopped to visit the Amanda Statue before climbing up to Cape Perpetua Lookout my midafternoon where I finally saw my whale! Returned to 101 and found myself at Heceta Head by last light.
8/15/2024 40.75mi
Heceta Head 4:31:08a - Winchester Bay 9:27:40p
I prioritized getting to the tunnel as early as possible in the morning to avoid sharing it with any vehicles and I succeeded. It was a wet and dreary morning so I took advantage of getting some beach miles towards Florence. The overcast weather cleared up to blue skies and I pressed my luck in the dunes, but had to bail as I found my feet slipping and could tell hotspots or worse would surely come if I continued in the sand. Made an uneventful road walk all the way to Winchester.
8/16/2024 52.9mi
Winchester Bay 3:32:06a - Bullards State Park 10:45:07p
Nervous about my feet with more dunes up ahead and the likely potential timing of reaching the Tenmile Creek crossing near high tide of 5’, I started my day on the road and that’s pretty much the gist of the whole day. A handful of North Bend/Coos Bay locals that I interacted with warned me about traveling solo in the area and to be extra cautious of the Seven Devils area. Wanting to get somewhere I felt somewhat safe for the night, I pushed to Bullards.
8/17/2024 36.45mi
Bullards State Park 5:01:05a - Pacific High School 3:01:10p
Pacific High School 5:44:24p - Humbug Mountain 10:39:55p
Storms forecasted for the day meant I would not risk fording New River or the Sixes alone or find myself trying to escape Cape Blanco in a bushwhack bailout to Airport Rd so a 101 alternate it would be. I made it to Langlois before the big rains hit and found shelter at Pacific High School for a few hours to let some weather pass. The rain let up and I made it to Port Orford only for the weather to return, this time with thunder and lightning. I waited out the weather again at Battle Rock and when it faded to a light rain, I decided to push on for Humbug. It returned to a steady rain within the hour and I ended up a sopping mess at Humbug, but grateful to find dry shelter for the night.
8/18-19/2024 56.7mi
Humbug Mountain 6:17:21a - Welcome to CA sign 4:18:45a - Crissey Field State Park 6:32a
I woke up determined I had spent my last night on the OCT and was ready to try for my first 24hr challenge, if that’s what it would take to get to Crissey Fields. Coming from the foothills of Mt Rainier, I really wanted to see coastal elk and behold! Just before Arizona Beach I saw my herd. The SSE winds were strong today, evident by the whitecaps on the water, so it was decided I was looking at a long day of pavement to keep a solid pace to finish this while also keeping my feet happy by avoiding the sand and continue the frequency of sock changes. I took a break at the Kissing Rock and got out on the sand just to feel it out, but even with freshish socks, it was a no go because I was also getting pushback from the wind. Dusk came just before Arch Point and I found it best to just stick to 101 through the night to avoid navigational error, any trail damage from the heavy rains the night before and/or draining my headlamp/flashlight. The night was pretty uneventful until just past Lone Ranch Beach where an interaction left me on edge for the rest of my OCT experience. Two vehicles SB on 101 came to a screeching halt when they saw me on the left shoulder. The first vehicle skidded to a stop, hitting the guardrail on the passenger side. The car behind it narrowly missed hitting the other by swerving left and stopping in the middle of the road, straddling the double yellow line. The passenger from the first vehicle, a woman, got out hooting and hollering and moved in front of the headlights where she danced and yelled “do you want a shot?” I politely declined and she then yelled at someone to “turn it up, I love this song!” She continued to dance and sing while I didn’t miss a step trying to distance myself from this situation. I turned my phone off airplane mode and prayed for a signal to call my boyfriend who knew I was hiking through the night. I also prepped my InReach for SOS. She yelled again to ask if I wanted a shot and I return the same polite no. I wasn’t getting cell service so I turned the selfie video mode on and started recording so I could keep an eye on them and also have evidence this wasn’t a hallucination. I knew there was a road up ahead for a community college so I focused on getting there and out of sight until they dispersed. Once at the road, I turned all my lights off and dipped into a hiding spot in the brush and finally connected with Josh on the phone who stayed with me until I crossed the Chetco. I hadn’t seen the vehicles again or anything else unsettling and figured I could manage the final miles alone. I also figured 101 would be safer than the side roads of the OCT and more well lit. Anxiety washed over me as I ended up seeing those vehicles and people again at the first traffic light after the bridge where they pulled into the Chevron to get what I presume was more alcohol. I sat and waited across the street behind a dumpster until I could confirm which way they were headed, again, taking video to ensure I wasn’t hallucinating. Twenty minutes later they turned NB onto 101 and I picked up the pace for Crissey Fields. I reached the Winchuck by 4a so my biggest goal of making a sub 9 day push was in the bag so it wasn’t pertinent I get to the Southern Terminus on the beach right away. Instead I opted for the Welcome to California sign just up ahead for a selfie. In front of the sign was a car parked alongside a towable camping trailer. With my headlamp off as a courtesy to the occupants in either the car or trailer, I stood waiting for a car to pass and illuminate me to take my selfie. After my third take, the occupants came out of the trailer and started playfully roughhousing? Then they sparked up tasers so I took that as my cue to leave immediately and quickly walked back towards the bridge and completely avoided the Southern Terminus on the beach. Maybe I could ford the Winchuck. I got to the other side and it turns out, no, I would not be fording the Winchuck. It was far too wide, too dark and too cold with the wind. I sat wrapped in my quilt eating the last of my snacks until the sky started to lighten before I made my move. The clouds were a soft pink and the sky a baby blue as I found the opening in the tree line to reveal the beach where I would find the finish line. My chest heaved as I was overcome with a wave of emotion I wasn’t expecting, but this moment was more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined and I’m so proud of my decision making that got me safely to this end. Looking forward to exploring this coastline again, but from the comforts of a cozy conversion van.