CoastWalk Oregon 2022 participants walk past the iconic Wreck of the Peter Iredale on the beach.
For this year’s CoastWalk Oregon 2022, held Sept. 9 to 11, North Coast Land Conservancy’s signature hiking and fundraising event returned to the northernmost stretch of the Oregon Coast Trail from Astoria to Seaside.
Roughly 80 participants and 10 volunteers trekked Oregon’s longest beach, sampled the Fort to Sea Trail’s western end, and ascended Tillamook Head in Ecola State Park—but that’s just the beginning of this year’s story.
The event took more than 400 hours of staff and volunteer time (from 36 volunteers!) and couldn’t have happened without support from local municipalities and sponsors, with whom NCLC is grateful to partner.
“Mother Nature was working with us Friday for a gorgeous day on the beach,” NCLC Development Director Kassia Nye says. On Saturday, she adds, participants gained some elevation on Tillamook Head “but were likely glad for the tree cover on the 80-plus-degree day.”
CoastWalkers speak with the Salt Makers on the Seaside Beach on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Also on Saturday, the Lewis and Clark Salt Makers program, presented by the Seaside Museum and Historical Society, was happening simultaneously on the beach in Seaside. Members of the Pacific Northwest Living Historians were recreating a taste of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s winter in present-day Seaside. Local geologist Tom Horning shared highlights of coastal sand and rock formations.
“There were whale sightings, a pelican feeding frenzy, sand dollars, shipwrecks, an iconic bridge crossing, temperate rainforest trails, wetlands, boardwalks, and a general sense of falling further in love with our amazing Oregon Coast,” Kassia says.
Volunteers are an integral part of making this event happen. Some of them put first aid kits together; some were prepared with HAM radios in case of emergency; some offered naturalistic insights; others made sure no one was lost or missed the bus back.
“It was a collaborative effort to produce this event—all to support conservation of unique and important North Coast habitat,” Kassia says.
NCLC is already in the process of planning CoastWalk Oregon 2023, which will take place Sept. 22 to 24. Route to be determined. Keep an eye on the CoastWalk Oregon website for updates in the coming months.
Walking the Oregon Coast Trail on Sunday, Sept. 11. Photo by Jon Tullis
Thank you to our 2022 sponsors:
These include the City of Seaside, the City of Cannon Beach, the City of Gearhart, Hallmark Resort & Spa, Saltline Hotel, Seashore on the Beach, Ashore Hotel, Astoria Co-op, Sea Level Cafe + Bakery, Unfurl Manzanita, Fresh Foods, Coaster Construction, Lum’s Auto Center, Gearhart Fire Department, Coastal Women Ham Operators (WHO), Grizzlies Brand, and Tillamook Coast Visitors Association.
Comments