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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2015)
o a s t a fl L fi f e B e s t foo t fo rwa rd C S t o r y b y D A N H A A G A u t h o r C o n n fi e S o p e r fi n v fi t e s h fi k e r s t o s t a r t ’ E x p fl o r fi n g t h e O r e g o n C o a s t T r a fi fl ’ r egon au tho r Conn fi e Sop e r ’ s n ew book , “Exp flo r fing Th e O r egon Co a s t T r a fi fl , ” w an t s to h e flp co a s t a fl h fik e r s pu t th e fi r b e s t foo t fo rw a rd . T o do th a t , a book fl aun ch w fi fl fl b e h e fld a t 7 p .m . Thu r sd ay , Aug . 6 a t th e Ho f fm an C en t e r fo r th e A r t s fin M an z an fi t a . Th e book fi s a c e fl eb r a t fion o f w and e r fing pu rpo s e fu fl fly and an ab so rb fing m fix o f O r egon Co a s t h fi s to ry and g eog r aphy . I t t ak e s c a r e to g fiv e h fik e r s m e t fi cu flou s no t e s and m ap s on 40 con s e cu t fiv e d ay h fik e s . “ I t ’ s a gu fid e fo r p eop fl e who w an t to h fik e th e who fl e th fing , b eg finn fing a t th e Co - flumb fi a R fiv e r to th e C a fl fi fo r - n fi a bo rd e r , ” Sop e r s a fid . In a fl fl , th e OCT s t r e t ch e s n e a r fly 400 m fi fl e s . S u bm fi t t e d p h o t o b y T r a v W fi fl fl fi am s H av fing h fik ed th e O r egon C o n n fi e S o p e r ’ s n ew b o o k , “ E x p fl o r fi n g t h e O r e g o n C o a s t T r a fi fl , ” s e r v e s a s t h e fi r s t p r a c t fi c a fl t r a fi fl g u fi d e f o r t h e e n t fi r e Co a s t T r a fi fl (OCT ) fin s e c t fion s O C T , o u t fl fi n fi n g fi n d e t a fi fl 4 0 d a y h fi k e s , s t a r t fi n g a t F o r t S t e v e n s S t a t e P a r k a n d e n d fi n g a t t h e C a fl fi f o r n fi a b o r d e r . tw fi c e , Sop e r know s h e r sub j e c t m a t t e r w e fl fl . Sh e s e fl f -pub fl fi sh ed th e book and c a fl fl s fi t a “v e ry p e r - Sop e r u r g e s u s fing c au t fion . b e a ch e s . Wh en r e s e a r ch fing th e b fi fl fl fo r h e r son a fl wo rk . ” “P eop fl e h av e to d e c fid e book , Sop e r t r av e fl ed to o th e r s t a t e s and com - Sop e r ’ s r s t t r ek r an ov e r a wh e th e r th ey a r e w fi fl fl fing to p a r ed th e fi r b e a ch po fl fi c fi e s . “T ex a s w a s fin t e r - s t r e t ch o f th r e e summ e r s . A s sh e w a flk a flong th e h fighw ay , ” e s t fing b e c au s e O r egon ’ s B e a ch B fi fl fl w a s b a s ed m ad e no t e s and took pho to s , sh e h e s a fi d . o n fl e g fi s fl a t fi o n p a s s e d t h e r e , ” s h e s a fi d . O n a t r fi p o s t o h p d e t t fi m b u S , k o o fo rmu fl a t ed p fl an s fo r a d e t a fi fl ed A c c u r a t e d fi r e c t fi o n s t o M a fi n e , h o w e v e r , S o p e r f o u n d t h a t fl a w s d a t - b w e n r e t h n e s e r fl p fl fi d & c r w u e p o o fl C t a e S ” gu fid e . “Wh en I go t mo r e s e r fiou s C a n b e a n fi s s u e . T h e t r a fi fl , fi n g b a c k t o c o fl o n fi a fl t fi m e s a fl fl o w e d f o r p e o p fl e fi , n fl fi n a o r T t s a o n C o g e r . e O . 6 g h u t g n , A y fi r a o d fl s p r x u E h T abou t w r fi t fing th e book , I r e a fl fi z ed I “ o v e r s e e n b y O r e g o n S t a t e t o b u y fl a n d a fl fl t h e w a y d o w n t o fl o w t fi d e fl fi n e s . n o a t fi n a z n a M n fi s k o o f B a e w a s go fing to h av e to h fik e fi t ag a fin , ” L P a r k s , p a t c h e s t o g e t h e r S t fi fl fl fin e f f e c t tod ay , M a fin e ’ s sh e s a fid . m a n y fl o c a fl t r a fi fl s . I t c a n fl e a d t o c o n f u s fi o n w h e n b e a ch fl aw s a r e th e po fl a r oppo - Sh e add ed th a t th e flog fi s t fi c s o f p fl ann fing to t r y fi n g t o d e t e rm fi n e fi f y o u a r e a c t u a fl fl y o n t h e OCT . s fi t e o f O r egon ’ s . “ I don ’ t w an t h fik e th e OCT p fl ay ed a hug e p a r t fin h e r d e c fi - “Wh en you ’ r e fin E co fl a o r O sw a fld W e s t , to s ay I took ou r b e a ch e s fo r s fion to p a r s e th e book fin to a s e r fi e s o f d ay t r fip s you ’ r e on th e s e flo c a fl t r a fi fl s and m figh t no t r e - g r an t ed , bu t I c e r t a fin fly b e c am e r a th e r th an on e flong t r ek . a fl fi z e fi t ’ s p a r t o f th e OCT , ” sh e s a fid . Fo r a c cu - mo r e aw a r e , ” Sop e r s a fid . “ I s t ru c tu r ed th e book a s a s e r fi e s o f d ay r a cy , Sop e r bough t a GPS fo r h e r s e cond t r fip Sop e r ’ s book fi s a fl fiv e w fi th h fik e s , b e c au s e th a t ’ s how I h fik ed fi t , ” Sop - and h fi r ed som eon e to c r e a t e m ap s fo r th e book s to r fi e s f rom O r egon ’ s p a s t and e r s a fid . “W e h ad to gu r e ou t wh e r e to s t a r t , f rom th e d a t a sh e co fl fl e c t ed . sh e found th a t a sp e c t o f h e r wh e r e to s top , wh a t ’ s a com fo r t ab fl e d fi s t an c e . Lu ck fi fly , mu ch o f th e t r a fi fl fi s e a s fi fly r e cog - jou rn ey mo s t r ew a rd fing . Sh e Y ou c an ’ t ju s t s t a r t and s top anywh e r e you n fi z ab fl e . Th e OCT r e a fl fly sh fin e s wh en s e en sp en t a con s fid e r ab fl e amoun t o f w an t you h av e to gu r e ou t wh e r e th e r e a r e f rom on e o f O r egon ’ s g r e a t e s t n a tu r a fl a s s e t s , t fim e r e s e a r ch fing t r a fi fl h fi s to ry a c c e s s po fin t s . ” fi t s b e a ch e s . w fi th th e a s s fi s t an c e o f th e O r e - Though sh e e s t fim a t e s sh e avo fid ed abou t 10 “Th e t r a fi fl t ak e s adv an t ag e o f a fl fl th e b e a ch - gon H fi s to r fi c a fl So c fi e ty . p e r c en t o f th e t r a fi fl , th a t w a s by d e s fign . Th e r e e s , ” Sop e r s a fid . “Abou t h a fl f o f th e en t fi r e t r a fi fl “ I t ’ s a w a flk th rough h fi s to ry ev e ry d ay , ” a r e a f ew g ap s fin th e t r a fi fl th a t w and e r on to fi s on th e b e a ch . ” s t d ay you p a s s th e Sop e r s a fid . “Th e v e ry r n a r row h fighw ay shou fld e r s . Sop e r fi s ad am an t A s sh e w a flk ed b e a ch s e c t fion s o f th e t r a fi fl , P e t e r I r ed a fl e w r e ck . I w a s ab fl e to flook a t o fld th a t t ry fing to en joy th e OCT wh fi fl e avo fid fing Sop e r d ev e flop ed a s t rong fin t e r e s t fin th e h fi s to ry pho to s o f th e sh fip wh en fi t r s t g round ed , and flog t ru ck s and RV s fi s n e fi th e r s c en fi c no r s a f e . o f th e b a t t fl e to k e ep O r egon ’ s b e a ch e s pub fl fi c . th a t w a s fun s e e fing wh a t fi t flook ed fl fik e th en An ex amp fl e fi s a g ap a t th e b a s e o f N e ah - “ I ’m f rom O r egon and I kn ew abou t th e B e a ch and w a flk fing tho s e s am e p fl a c e s tod ay . ” k ahn fi e Moun t a fin wh e r e h fik e r s mu s t w a flk B fi fl fl , bu t I go t a b r and n ew app r e c fi a t fion fo r H fik e r s c an a fl so f e e fl th e sp fi r fi t o f h fi s to - a flong bu sy U .S . H fighw ay 101 fo r 1 .25 m fi fl e s . how g r e a t th a t fi s , ” sh e s a fid . ry n e a r C ap e P e rp e tu a . Th e r e , th ey t r av e r s e Op t fion s a r e b e fing exp flo r ed how to d fiv e r t OCT Th e O r egon B e a ch B fi fl fl , p a s s ed fin 1967 , “Am and a ’ s T r a fi fl , ” n am ed fo r a wom an f rom h fik e r s o f f th e h fighw ay . Un t fi fl on e fi s found , e s t ab fl fi sh ed pub fl fi c own e r sh fip o f th e s t a t e ’ s th e Coo s Ind fi an T r fib e , Am and a D e -Cuy s . S u bm fi t t e d p h o t o b y T r a v W fi fl fl fi am s P o r t fl a n d a u t h o r C o n n fi e S o p e r h a s h fi k e d t h e e n t fi r e O C T tw fi c e . Fo r c ed to ab andon h e r d augh t e r and mov e to a r e s e rv a t fion known a s th e A fl s e a Sub ag en cy fin 1864 , th e e fld e r fly and b fl find Am and a su f f e r ed g r e a t fly du r fing th e jou rn ey . Now , a s t a tu e fl fik e - n e s s o f Am and a r e s t s a flong th e t r a fi fl and s e rv e s a s a r em find e r o f h e r s to ry . “P eop fl e fl e av e f e a th e r s , and ow e r s and b e ad s on th e s t a tu e , ” Sop e r s a fid . “Ev e ry N ew Y e a r ’ s D ay th e r e ’ s a ‘P e a c e H fik e ’ w fi th a t r ad fi t fion a fl N a - t fiv e Am e r fi c an c e r emony . I t ’ s a g r e a t s to ry o f th e t r a fi fl . ” H fik e r s know th e f e e fl fing o f b e fing su r round ed by som e - th fing fl a r g e r th an th em s e flv e s . In “A W a flk In Th e W ood s , ” B fi fl fl B ry son fi s aw ed by h fi s su r round fing s wh fi fl e h fik fing : “Th e wo r fld , you r e a fl fi z e , fi s eno rmou s fin a w ay th a t on fly you and a sm a fl fl commun fi ty of f e fl flow h fik e r s know . ” W fi th h e r book r e ady to h fi t sh e flv e s , Sop - e r hop e s fi t w fi fl fl fin sp fi r e r e ad e r s to exp flo r e th e b e au t fi fu fl , eno rmou s wo rd th a t fi s th e OCT . “Th ey don ’ t h av e to do fi t th e w ay I d fid fi t , ” sh e s a fid . “Go to som e n ew p a r t o f th e co a s t you ’v e n ev e r b e en , ev en fi f fi t ’ s ju s t fo r on e d ay . Th e r e ’ s s a t fi s f a c t fion fin ju s t do fing fi t . ” ‘ T h e t r a fi fl t a k e s a d v a n t a g e o f a fl fl t h e b e a c h e s . A b o u t h a fl f o f t h e e n t fi r e t r a fi fl fi s o n t h e b e a c h . ’ 4 | Augu s t 6 , 2 0 1 5 | co a s tw e e k end . com T h e b o o k fi s a v a fi fl a b fl e fi n b o o k s t o r e s fi n S e a s fi d e , C a n n o n B e a c h a n d M a n z a n fi t a o r a t www . d r a g o n fl y - p r e s s - p d x . c om