The North Coast times-eagle., December 10, 1982, Page 2, Image 2

P a g e 2_
T H E N O R T H C O A S T T I M E S E A G L E , F R ID A Y , 10 D E C E M B E R ]9ft
U P S P A S T IC R O C K
by A r t h u r H o n e y m a n
T he ro ck s e v e r a l s h o rt y a rd s e a s t and a
f r a c tio n n o r th o f H a y s ta c k R o ck a t C an n o n
B e a c h o n th e n o r t h c o a s t o f O r e g o n m a y a l r e a d y
h a v e a n a m e , b u t its ja g s ju ttin g o u t e v e r y w h e r e
h a v e c a u s e d m e to c a l l it S p a s t i c R o c k . T h i s
n a m e m a y o r m a y n o t b e a n a t h e m a to th e s e n ­
s i b i l i t i e s o f l o c a l r e s i d e n t s a n d h i s t o r i a n s . T h is
i s t h e s t o r y o f h o w , o n th e t w e n t y - f i r s t o f M a y ,
1 9 8 2 . I w a s b a c k p a c k e d to th e t o p o f t h a t p r e c i ­
p i t o u s s t r u c t u r e o f n a t u r e . It w a s a s h o r t b u t
m e a n i n g f u l a n d e x h i l e r a t i n g b r u s h w ith d a n g e r ;
a s in g le s lip , a w ro n g s te p , c o u ld p lu m m e t u s
to d e a t h , b e lo w , w h e r e t h e e a r t h m e r g e s w ith
th e s e a .
S te v e n , a f r ie n d a n d e x - s t u d e n t of m in e , a n d I
l e f t O s b u r n 's G r o c e r y w ith a b a g o f p u r c h a s e s a n d
h e a d e d f o r th e b e a c h . I u s u a l l y g e n e r a t e s u b t l e
s id e g la n c e s no m a t te r w h e re I a m o r w h at I
d o b e c a u s e I h a v e c e r e b r a l p a ls y . T h is tim e
w a s no e x c e p tio n ; in a d e v e r te n tly , I w a s a g a in
in th e l i m e l i g h t a s S t e v e n b a l a n c e d m y w h e e l ­
c h a i r b a c k o n to i t s r e a r w h e e l s , b a g o f g r o c e r ­
i e s in m y l a p , a n d m a n i p u l a t e d u s o n to th e
b e a c h v i a a p a th f r o m a c a r v e d w h a le g a z e b o
a t th e n o r t h e n d o f th e d o w n to w n a r e a . It m u s t
h a v e p r e s e n t e d q u i t e a s p e c t a c l e f o r th e a v e r ­
a g e i n e x p e r i e n c e d e y e to b e h o ld a m a n in a
w h e e lc h a ir b e in g h u r tl e d th r o u g h th e lo o s e
s a n d a t a s p e e d w h ic h b o g g le s th e m in d . T h e
u n d e n i a b l e p r o w e s s o f S t e v e n e n a b l e d u s to
m a k e a r a p id tr a n s itio n fro m so ft d ry b e a ch
to h a r d w a t e r l a d e n a n d p a c k e d s u r f a c e , a l l o w ­
in g h i m to w h ip ( r a t h e r t h a n to d r a g ) m e a lo n g
t h e e d g e o f t h e P a c i f i c O c e a n w ith a v e l o c i t y
h i t h e r t o u n k n o w n to m e . N e e d l e s s to m e n t i o n
t o t h o s e w h o t h r i v e on a d v e n t u r e , I e x u l t e d in
th is f a s t - m o v i n g a c tio n a lo n g th e w e s t e r n e d g e
o f th e A m e r i c a n f r o n t i e r .
W ith in m i n u t e s a f t e r o u r d e p a r t u r e f r o m th e
to w n o f C a n n o n B e a c h i t s e l f , w e m a d e t r a c k s
a l o n g O r e g o n 's p u b l i c l y o w n e d c o a s t a l s a n d s
a p p r o x i m a t e l y o n e - f o u r t h o f a m i l e s o u t h o f th e
a b o v e m e n tio n e d w h a le -g a z e b o b e n e a th p a r tly
s u n n y s k ie s . T he in c o m in g tid e s w e r e s t i l l a
lo n g w a y o u t a n d t h e b e a c h w a s l i t t e r e d w ith
tin y f r a g m e n t s o f w a s h e d a n d d i s i n h e r i t e d s e a
s h e l l s w h ic h , h a d th e s u n b e e n s h i n i n g , w o u ld
h a v e g l i t t e r e d a s h in in g m o s a ic of d iv e r s a n d
v a r i e g a t e d c o l o r s . S p a c e , th o u g h t a n d t i m e
m e r g e d ; t h e n o t i o n t h a t I r e a l l y o u g h t to c o l l e c t
a fe w o f th e s e g l i t t e r i n g b e a u tie s f o r m y b e lo v e d
w if e p a s s e d t h r o u g h m y m i n d , b u t th e t h o u g h t
w a s a s f le e tin g a s th e m o m e n t w h ile w e s k i m ­
m e d o v e r th e s o ft s u r f a c e o f th e f a s t t r a n s f o r m ­
in g o c e a n f l o o r . S t e v e n 's f e e t w e r e p o u n d in g
i n t o th e s a n d ; m y h e a r t p o u n d e d w h i l e m y m in d
b e a t a n e x u l t a n t r a c e w ith , a g a i n s t , a n d f o r
t im e . T h e c o o l a i r r u s h e d a g a in s t m y f a c e . S till
e d th e b a s e o f th e r o c k , d i s p l a y i n g a w r i t e r ' s
l a c k o f f a i t h in n o n - v e r b a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n , I
s tu p id ly e m b a r r a s s e d m y s e lf by a s k in g S te v e n
to b a c k p a c k m e u p t h a t s y m b o l i c m o u n t a i n .
He re s p o n d e d s lig h tly d is a p p o in te d th a t he h a d
a l r e a d y p l a n n e d t h a t c o u r s e o f a c t i o n . W h en w e
c a m e upon a m y ria d of s m a ll b o u ld e rs s u r r o u n d ­
in g t h e b a s e o f o u r p r o p o s e d c l i m b i n g s t r u c t u r e ,
th e s m a l l f r o n t w h e e l s o f m y v e h i c l e w e r e g e n ­
t l y a l l o w e d to t o u c h th e s o f t l y p a c k e d b e a c h ,
a n d v a g u e ly r e m i n i s c e n t of a n a ir p l a n e l o w e r ­
in g i t s l a n d i n g g e a r o n to a r u n w a y , s l i d to a
s t o p . A lth o u g h S t e v e n h a d e x e r t e d t r e m e n d o u s
a m o u n ts of e n e rg y , he w as n o t b r e a th le s s - I
w as,
*
HAYSTACK ROCK
Oz
g r a s p i n g m y b a g o f g r o c e r i e s , I f e l t , in c o n t r a s t ,
t h e w a r m t h o f th e r e c e n t l y a c q u i r e d c o n t a i n e r
o f W i l l i e 's C h i l i s o o t h i n g a s i n g l e s p o t o n t h e
i n s i d e o f m y l e f t t h ig h .
S im ila r a d v e n tu re s by m e h av e b e e n in flu e n ­
c e d b y th e p a r t a k i n g o f d r u g s u p o n m y c e r e b r a l
p r o c e s s ; n o t s o w ith t h i s o n e , h o w e v e r . I s a v
th is , a ls o , b e c a u s e a ll of m y s e n s e s w e re h e ig h t­
e n e d to a n u n u s u a l p r o p o r t i o n b y m e a n s o f
a d r e n a l i n p u m p in g t h r o u g h m y s y s t e m , t h u s
e n h a n c in g a n d s h a r p e n in g m y p e r c e p ti o n s to a
s e e m in g ly w e ll-h o n e d e d g e . I s a y th is , a ls o , b e ­
c a u s e , h o w e v e r s tr a n g e it m a y s e e m , S te v e n
a n d I w e r e d r a w n a s i f p r e d e s t i n e d to t h a t
r o c k w ith f u l l k n o w l e d g e t h a t w e w o u ld c l i m b
i t . It w a s in t h e w in d t h a t w e d o s o , f o r , j u s t a s
t h e w in d d o e s n o t s p e a k to c o m m u n i c a t e , w e
a ls o h a d n o t v e r b a liz e d o u r in te n tio n s o r d e s ir e
to g r a p p l e w ith th e s h e e r s i d e s o f t h a t s t o n e a t
th e e d g e o f th e o c e a n ; th e y w e r e c o m m u n ic a te d
w ith o u t la n g u a g e . N o n e th e le s s , a s w e a p p r o a c h -
-
■HIM
NEEDLES
Oz
In w r i t i n g t h i s e s s a y , I a m r e a l i z i n g th e
w i s d o m o f e x p l a i n i n g t h a t I w o u ld n o t b e s o
t r u s t i n g o r r e c k l e s s w ith j u s t a n y o n e . I v a lu e
m y l i f e f a r to o m u c h f o r t h a t . E v e r y r i s k t h a t
I ta k e is m o r e o r l e s s c a lc u la te d . B y n a tu r e
I a m c a u t i o u s , a l m o s t c o w a r d l y , e s p e c i a l l y w ith
r e g a r d to m y p h y s ic a l w e ll- b e in g . I c o n s ta n tly
c h a s t i s e o r g o a d m y s e l f i n t o a c t i o n in l i e u o f
w a i t i n g f o r th e a c t i o n to c o m e to m e . I f i r s t
m e t S te v e n , th e n a g e f o u r te e n , s o m e s e v e n a n d
a h a lf y e a r s ag o w hen I ta u g h t a t a h ig h s c h o o l
in P o r t l a n d . A f e w m o n th s l a t e r , on a s c h o o l
f ie ld t r i p , h is s k in n y a n d e x tr e m e l y w i r y f r a m e
b a c k - p a c k e d m e w ith a g i l i t y o v e r n u m e r o u s
c o a s t a l o b s t a c l e s o f s e v e r a l k in d s a n d s h a p e s ,
i n c l u d i n g : d r i f t w o o d , u n d e r g r o w t h in th e f o r e s t s ,
a n d c l i f f s o v e r l o o k i n g th e P a c i f i c , e t c . N a t u r a l l y
I t e s t e d h im f i r s t . G r a d u a lly , a s tim e p a s s e d ,
I c a m e to t r u s t S te v e n a n d to r e l y on h is e v e r
in c r e a s in g m u s c u la r s tr e n g th , s ta m in a an d
m o u n t a i n g o a t c l i m b i n g a g i l i t y . I d o n 't t r u s t
j u s t a n y b o d y , n o m a t te r how s tr o n g o r w e ll-
m e a i n i n g . O n th e o t h e r h a n d , b e c a u s e o f m y
d i s a b i li ty , I a m f o r c e d to d e p e n d on d if f e r e n t
p e o p le f o r d i f f e r e n t n e e d s , i n c l u d i n g a d v e n t u r e .
S t e v e n l e f t m e b e h in d to s c o u t t h e l a y o f t h e
l a n d . H e v i r t u a l l y r a n u p th e a l m o s t p e r p e n d i c ­
u l a r s i d e o f t h e r o c k , s t o o d a t th e t o p f o r a n
i n s t a n t a n d g a z e d in th e d i r e c t i o n o f th e o c e a n ,
p i v o t e d , a n d r a n b a c k d o w n t h e w a l l to m e .
B a c k fa c in g m e , h e s q u a tte d on h is h a u n c h e s ,
w i t h in r e a c h o f m y k n e e s . I r e a c h e d m y s p a s ti c
bony a r m s a ro u n d h is t o r s o r ig h t b e n e a th h is
n e c k a n d p u l l e d m y s e l f f o r w a r d o n to h i s b a c k
in a s u d d e n l u r c h . I w a s m o u n t e d o n h i s s h o u l ­
d e r s in a p i g g y b a c k p o s i t i o n ; m y t h i g h s s q u e ­
e z e d h i m in a g e n t l e b u t f i r m s c i s s o r s g r i p .
A t th e r i s k o f s e e m i n g l i k e a n a u t h o r i t y o n th e
s u b j e c t , S t e v e n h a s th e p e r f e c t p h y s i q u e a n d
s h a p e w ith w h ic h to p i g g y b a c k m e , e x t r e m e l y
s t r o n g a n d s l e n d e r . I a m c o m f o r t a b l e on h i s
b a c k . H e b o u n c e d m e in to p r o p e r p o s i t i o n .
A f t e r w e (w e w e r e w e l d e d a s o n e s t r u c t u r e
in m o t i o n ) l e a p t f r o m b o u l d e r to b o u l d e r , w e
b e g a n o u r a s c e n t. E x c ite m e n t b u b b le d o v e r
i n s i d e m e , in s t r a i n e d a n t i c i p a t i o n . T h e c l i m b
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TIMES EA6LE
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THE
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RESTAURANT WILL CLOSE
DECEMBER 19,1982 AND
REOPEN JANUARY 22.1983
Michael Paul McCusker
E ditor & Publisher
L.*-'
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Michael Hurst, CommExPed
George G rummelt. Typesetter
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