What a Year! We have spent the past year on the Oregon Coast and have visited Mt St Helens, Olympic, Mt Rainier, and Glacier National Parks! I’ve selected some images to recap where we have been and what we have seen in the past year. We will miss the Oregon Coast, but can’t wait to find out what 2017 has in store for us!

 

 

These falls have been on my “list” since we have been on the Oregon coast, I am happy we had the chance to visit them before concluding our time here. These falls are located east of Coos Bay, deep in the Coast Range. We visited late fall after the winter rains had taken hold. We were there on a day of intermittent showers with bursts of sunshine. We had hoped to get a workout here, but got a nice walk instead. The trails are not very long and were a gentle grade, though there were some downed trees to climb over. Unfortunately, the memory card in my camera malfunctioned and I was only able to capture a few images while here.

I love how lush it is here in the winter. A drive through the coast range can seem as if you are in a fantasy world, if you let your imagination go. The fallen leaves reveal the gnarly branches of Maples, covered thick with moss. The rocky slopes are adorned with moss, ferns, and seasonal waterfalls. The Firs, Cedars, and Spruce all seem to rejoice at the return of the near constant rain and the rivers flow wildly. Clouds linger in the mountains, almost seeming to get stuck in the forests. Cows and sheep graze on vivid winter grasses that thrive in soggy lowlands. I feel fortunate to have spent this time on the Oregon Coast and will not soon forget it.