First, a mea culpa is in order. This beautiful hike from downtown Yachats to the top of Cape Perpetua was much longer than advertised: 10.2 miles roundtrip with 2,000 feet of gain instead of the more modest listing of 7.5 miles with 900 feet of gain. Leader has done this trail several times, but never with a GPS to measure cumulative gain, and published trail sources varied. Fortunately, we had a gorgeous day and fabulous views to enhance our long day. Everyone was a true Chemek (i.e., good sports and wicked strong hikers).
We hiked along the Oregon Coast Trail through Yachats, then crossed Hwy 101 to continue on the Amanda Trail, which climbs through old growth forest and crosses several creeks to the summit. One small creek had a huge suspension bridge across it, because its mild behavior in the summer changes to a raging torrent in the winter. This third bridge put in by the Forest Service is built to last. We visited the stone shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corp at the summit, but opted to lunch outside to better enjoy the views. Sightings during the day included several whales feeding close to shore, harbor seals in the bay, and a peregrine falcon and sea birds. Most of us were so tired and hungry when we got back to Yachats that we hiked right into the Drift Inn for dinner. Good sports included Blanka Truneckova, Nancy Rockwell, Rick Cooper, Elly Collier, Eileen Harder, Sherry McConnell, and leader Roz Shirack.
