Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2019)
Appeal Tribune ❚ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019 ❚ 1B Outdoors Best hikes near Brookings, Oregon A view of Vulcan Lake in its orange basin in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. PHOTOS BY ZACH URNESS/STATESMAN JOURNAL Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK For the vast majority of Oregonians, the city of Brookings takes a long time to reach. It’s a five-hour drive from much of the Willamette Valley — and even longer from Portland — to visit this town on the extreme southwest end of Oregon’s coast. But don’t let the distance dissuade you from a trip. Brookings, in combination with Gold Beach to the north, represents my favor- ite part of the Oregon Coast. The main reason is that you can access three dis- tinctly different regions: Oregon’s only collection of old-growth redwoods, the utterly unique Kalmiopsis Wilderness and what’s arguably the most beautiful stretch of coast. Just driving U.S. Highway 101 be- tween Brookings and Gold Beach is an experience to behold. But let’s stick to hikes. Here are my 7 favorite hikes near Brookings, including a mix of easy and more challenging op- tions. Honorable mention: Harris Beach One of Oregon’s great state parks of- fers everything you could want in a fam- ily camping experience: nice campsites, yurt rentals and a stunning ocean beach. Located just north of town, Harris Beach features a nice collection of short family-friendly hikes — mostly near the campground — to the beach and through the coastal forest. It’s well worth a stop here for an easy day trip — or better yet, camping. Directions/coordinates: Drive just north of Brookings to the park’s entry. Coordinates: 42.0655479,- 124.3060599. Oregon Redwoods Trail The first of the two trails among old- growth redwoods, this 1.8 mile hike of- fers a quieter experience and a fun back- story. In 1988, the U.S. Forest Service planned two timber sales for this grove. The sale included plans to cut about 300 trees, resulting in a whopping 3 million board feet. A story in the Register-Guard newspaper outraged Oregon’s populace, and eventually resulted in the sale being canceled. Today, a trail explores this once-con- demned grove of redwoods on a path cut in preparation of the timber sale. From the trailhead, the path begins among unimpressive Douglas firs. After 0.4 miles, the trail reaches a junction in the first grove of redwoods. Stay right at all junctions, and in a short while you’ll reach a hollowed-out redwood you can walk inside. The trail reaches a second redwood grove at mile 1.3 and the best grove at mile 1.5. Savor each step before looping back the to the trailhead. Directions: From Brookings, drive south on Highway 101 for five miles. Turn left on Winchuck Road (following signs for Oregon Redwoods Trail) for 1.5 miles, then turn right across a bridge onto Peavine Ridge Road for 4 miles of somewhat bumpy gravel road to the trailhead. The route has many signs pointing people in the correct direction. See HIKES, Page 2B Middle schoolers are a tough audience Fishing Henry Miller Guest columnist A recent speaking engagement at the Salem Creekside Rotary Club reminded me about a 1945 quote attributed to Winston Churchill about then-British Prime Minister Clement Attlee: “Attlee is a modest little man who has a great deal to be modest about.” Call me Clement. Speaking, you see, is not my forte. As several people have noted, I have a face made for radio … and a voice best suited to writing. Yours truly suffers from an affliction when speaking to a roomful of strangers that I call “balloon tongue.” It’s a temporary speech impediment in the throes of which everything comes out as if you’re talking through a mouth- ful of dry saltines smothered in marsh- mallow fluff. The timbre, tone, pitch and volume of my delivery has been charitably de- scribed as “strained voice of terrified hostage delivered over a sketchy con- nection.” It turned out that my first speaking engagement after three years of being ignored in retirement was a relatively painless gig. The Creekside Rotarians were an af- fable, thankfully manageable group of about a dozen attentive listeners. My wife, Kay, knowing about my trepidation of public speaking, asks me why I persist in getting back on the balky bronco. To which I reply that it’s because of something that the late, great columnist Jerry Easterling once told me about his willingness to speak to any and all groups. Paraphrasing: “Henry,” he said. “I do it because after they hear me, every time they read one of my columns, they’ll hear it in my voice.” Which upon further reflection might not be that much of a bonus. Jerry, a longtime auctioneer, had a pleasant voice as relaxing as honey- laced chamomile tea and as comfortable as a well-worn pair of kid gloves. Mine is more along the lines of pea gravel in a blender on the puree setting. RE: Churchill’s alleged description of Clement Attlee’s abilities. I related a story at the Rotary Club about one of my first efforts at commu- nity outreach as a guest speaker at Mill City Middle School. My vision was to share my love of the printed word and the unbridled plea- sures of conveying it to others with a roomful of prospective journalists or, dare I say it, award-winning authors. Note to self about speaking to mid- dle-schoolers: If it’s just before lunch, or the dismissal buzzer, they’re going to be See MILLER, Page 2B Anybody have a clue what these are? Not the dollar, silly, that’s for size perspective. These ginormous, flapjack-colored mushrooms were on the trail into Woodmansee Park when Harry and I took a walk there. HENRY MILLER / SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL
