Our good luck with the weather finally ran out at Cape Blanco. As we were setting up, the guy on the radio repeatedly warned his listeners that rain was expected for “the next 10 days”. I wanted to fish, but the weather hosed me!
Cape Blanco is the farthest west point along the Oregon coast. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was closed to tours, but the amazing view is always available. There was easy access to two rivers with king salmon runs that peak in late November. We got one of the few campsites that allowed decent TV reception. The cell phone signal was weak but reliable. We had water and electric, but no place to dump our tanks. Thankfully we were comfortable because it took serious motivation to brave the weather!
The first night we were treated to a great sunset…
The Cape Blanco Lighthouse is in the upper right corner.
And then the weather got nasty…
Morning of 18 Nov. It rained and blew all night as the cold front moved inland. The cloud pattern off the WA and OR coasts indicates cold air. Those clouds are strong showers. Sunny breaks between showers are a nice, but brief reprieve.
The closest town was Port Orford, about 8 miles south of our home for the week. After being cooped up for about 24 hours, we headed into town to get propane and food. “Battle Rock” is on the south end of Port Orford. It was the site of a battle between nine white settlers and over 100 Qua-to-mah Indians in 1851. It wasn’t easy for Arleen to get out there, but my little mountain goat pulled it off!
And then the sea got angry. Check this out:
High Surf Advisory (Oregon)
Nov 16, at 14:53 PST
Nov 16, at 23:00 PST
A HIGH SURF ADVISORY MEANS THAT HIGH SURF WILL AFFECT BEACHES IN THE ADVISORY AREA...PRODUCING RIP CURRENTS AND LOCALIZED BEACH EROSION.
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THURSDAY TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEDFORD HAS ISSUED A HIGH SURF ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THURSDAY TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY. * WAVES AND SURF...NORTHWEST SWELL AT 17 FEET THURSDAY AFTERNOON WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 22 FEET FRIDAY MORNING WITH BREAKER HEIGHTS INCREASING TO 22 TO 27 FEET. * TIMING...REACHING ADVISORY LEVELS THURSDAY AFTERNOON...PEAKING FRIDAY MORNING...THEN DECREASING BELOW ADVISORY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
Curry County Coast; South Central Oregon Coast
So what do you do when a high surf advisory is issued for the Oregon Coast? Go watch the surf of course! There is probably no better place to watch than Shore Acres. As forecast, the waves were enormous. The sun even made a few brief appearances and highlighted contrast between the dark ocean water, frothy white waves, patches of blue sky, storm clouds, and waves exploding on the rocks. The temperature was in the low 40s. The winds were 20-30mph and the air was thick with salt spray. It didn’t take long for the camera lens to get coated and for us to turn into popsicles, but we got a few good pictures and video. Of course the pictures didn’t capture the power and scale of Mother Nature. Imagine standing on that point 30 or 40 feet above the ocean when a wave explodes on a rock and water shoots another 30 or 40 feet above your head. The crashing noise drowns out all other sounds and a cloud of spray temporarily makes everything hazy like a dream. It was awesome!
See the people standing on the point?
After watching the waves at Shore Acres, we went to Bandon. Good Mexican food with a good view of the harbor were a welcomed treat. We also stocked up on locally made goodies at “Cranberry Sweets” in Old Bandon. We really liked the view from Coquille Point and the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge…
Where We Got Our Mail:
Post office in Sixes, Oregon
We came to Cape Blanco to fish the Sixes and Elk Rivers. Temperatures in the 40s, winds 20-40mph, and a couple inches of horizontal rain made it very difficult. In fact, the Sixes River was “blown out” most of the week. The tea colored, fast moving water was nearly over its banks. A local fisherman told us “don’t waste your time”. That’s too bad because the Sixes looks quite floatable. We could launch the kayaks in the State Park near the Hughes House and easily go either upstream or downstream in normal conditions. We did fish the Sixes for a couple of hours but it was half-hearted with minimal confidence. The same local fisherman told us that the Elk River would drop and clear quicker than the Sixes. He was right. By Sunday, our only good weather day of the week, the Elk was in great shape. Unfortunately, the good weather on Sunday ensured all the salmon fishermen within 50 miles would give it a shot. There were a bunch of folks out fishing! We saw a couple of fresh king salmon caught, but we didn’t get any bites. We only fished a few hours the entire week. Maybe I’m getting old. A little bad weather wouldn’t have stopped me a few years ago! We didn’t get to know these these rivers too well, but they look very promising. If we ever come back, maybe Mother Nature will give us a break?!?
The Sixes River…The weather was miserable. Hiking down to the mouth of the Elk River.
The mouth of the Elk River…tide is coming in. The fishing hole at the mouth of the Elk River.
The seal (just above and to my left) was keeping a close eye on me.
The Elk River near the hatchery. Most people launch here to float the river.
Next we go 35 miles south to Gold Beach. It’s our last stop in Oregon. Mother Nature is expected to unleash more fury. Check out this weather forecast:
[11/21] Monday 52º
Rain. High near 52. Breezy, with a south wind between 25 and 28 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
[11/21] Monday Night 51º
Rain. Low around 51. Windy, with a south wind between 31 and 36 mph, with gusts as high as 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
[11/22] Tuesday 55º
Rain. High near 55. Windy, with a south wind around 34 and 43 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
[11/22] Tuesday Night 50º
Rain. Low around 50. Windy, with a south wind between 33 and 36 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
[11/23] Wednesday 49º
Rain. High near 49. Breezy, with a south wind between 34 and 37 mph, with gusts as high as 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
[11/23] Wednesday Night 45º
Rain. Low around 45. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
[11/24] Thanksgiving Day 54º
Showers. Cloudy, with a high near 54.
[11/24] Thursday Night 42º
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.
[11/25] Friday 51º
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51.
[11/25] Friday Night 47º
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
[11/26] Saturday 55º
A chance of showers. Cloudy and breezy, with a high near 55.
[11/26] Saturday Night 45º
Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 45.
[11/27] Sunday 53º
Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 53.
We are not looking forward to those winds! I’ve never seen so many “100%’s” in a weather forecast…Hopefully the sun will make an appearance or two!
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