Peninsula Trail / Trask River 8/27

[pdxgene]

Normally I wouldn't drive 80 miles out to the coast range to hike a one mile trail. And every other time I've gone here I've added a few more hikes and made a full day of it. But I went with one specific goal in mind today. All the times I've come here I've always wanted to get pictures of the horseshoe bend in the Trask River at the tip of the Peninsula. With the lowish water and rain in the forecast, today had to be the day.. The light kinda sucked, though it looks better now at home. And you can't get high enough up the hill on the other side to really get a great shot (the state parks people sent me a map a few years ago of the property boundaries on the far side of the river so no trespassing was involved. really.. ). But it was well worth it. I'll go a bit out of order to lead with what my goal was more or less for the day..


Back to the beginning.. there's a loop trail junction about a 100 yds in.. Left goes down first, right goes up.. pick your poison..


I went up. Looking back on the trail. It's steeper than it looks..


Steps help..


There are some monster sized nurse logs on this trail..


My backpack and pole for a bit of scale on this one..


Here's one of a few picnic tables at the tip of the Peninsula. The entire area is day use only, no camping..


Even now with very little water there's a few steps crossing the Trask where it's knee deep and moving fast.. But having just crossed and looking upstream..


Ack! Bugs!


Last of the riverside wildflowers..


The edge of the Peninsula, surrounded on both sides by the Trask River... (bonus blue sky and reflections included.. )




The champion of the nurse logs, it's hard to even get a good angle it's so big..




A bit closer look..


Some big live trees too. Camera on the ground doesn't always quite work but close enough to give you the idea..


Bright blue sky over the Trask River, it sure was nice to see that for a change. Towards the coast itself it looked much more hazy.




The black things in the 'water' are alive..


Fortunately buried in what is to them, a deep canyon..


Tough day for wildlife viewing... Slideshow here http://picasaweb.google.com/pdxgene/PeninsulaTrail2

I've probably been here half a dozen times and never seen another hiker. Occasionally a fly fisher on the river. If the leaves all just don't burn and die there'll be some nice colors here. Farmland and forest line the drive, no visible clear cuts even though it's the Coast Range.