Northern Oregon coast can withstand storms worth watching

CANNON BEACH, Ore. — The evening sky is gunmetal gray, while lemony clouds soak up the last rays of the sun before it slips down below the Pacific horizon. Basalt rock formations jut up out of the churning water, all awkward and jagged. The most prominent is Haystack Rock, at 235 feet high the third-largest coastal monolith in the world.

We walk along the beach, the sands whizzing by at ankle height giving the ground a time-lapse photography effect. Seems more like the "Star Wars" planet Tatooine. But I am not Princess Leia, Dave is not Han Solo, and Lucy the Beagly Mutt isn't R2D2.

We are at Cannon Beach, on Oregon's northern coast. We've come for a weekend of storm watching, attracted by stories of 30-foot waves that relentlessly smash down on the shore, fueled by high winds blowing in from the ocean. In the winter, that's the main attraction around these parts.

"There's nothing like being bundled up, pelted with rain and going home to the fire," says Charleen Strauch from the Cannon Beach Chamber Information Center. "Mother Nature itself puts on the best show."

Lewis and Clark stood under the same sky when they visited in 1806. They'd heard that local Indians had a beached whale, and the expedition party needed oil and blubber. They made a deal for gallons of oil and 350 pounds of fat, and left a name for the nearby creek and surrounding area: Ecola, from an Indian word for whale.

The name has survived for the creek and the park, but on July 1, 1846, The Shark, a 300-foot Navy schooner, didn't survive its journey out of the Columbia River. In its demolition, one of the iron cannons washed up on the beach, and in 1922, residents petitioned to change the name to Cannon Beach.

Today, a little more than 1,500 people make their home here. They graciously share their long stretches of beach, quaint artsy shops and heart-stopping sunsets with the tourists who pass through in a thick, steady river during the summer, filling up the hotels that line the shore for miles. There's a thriving arts scene, with galleries filled with works inspired by the local scenery.

A gnarled coastal tree, sculpted by the fury of nature's winds, is backlit by morning rays of the sun at Cannon Beach. GEORGE VETTER

Diana Smith from Shoreline has managed to find her way back here time after time. On a recent weekend morning she roamed the beach, as she has since her now-grown children were little. "It hasn't changed in 30 years. I think it's because people retire here and it's unlikely to change," she said.

She watched her dog dart back and forth on the shore, tangling and tumbling with my dog, Lucy, in the way that only dogs with full reign of the beach can.

On that day, the foggy skies hadn't let down their torrential rains. But those rains have made this place famous, most notably the Columbus Day storm in 1962 and another one in December 1995.

The former was considered the most powerful non-tropical storm ever recorded in the lower-48 states. According to the National Weather Service, the storm killed 48 people and caused $235 million in property damage. Timber from the coast blew all the way to Montana in the strong gusts of wind.

There are two ingredients to a spectacular storm — wind and waves, explains Tyree Wilde, the warning coordinator for the National Weather Service's Portland office. The ultimate storms occur when a deep, low-pressure system from way out in the eastern Pacific moves up north, close to the coast. When it meets an inland high-pressure front, high winds result.

The greater the difference between the high and low pressures — called a gradient — the stronger the winds become. Big sea swells occur when winds blow over several hundred miles of ocean, picking up water along the way. As the waves move inland, however, they lose power, coming in at 20 to 30 feet by the time they crash on the shore.

Shallow tidal pools at the beach provide close proximity to a sea anemone, left, and a sunflower star, about the size of a medium pizza, among other sea creatures. GEORGE VETTER

The winds attract storm watchers — but it's also what can kill them. "A lot of people like to travel out there (to the coast) to feel the power of the ocean," says Robert Smith, beach safety education coordinator for Oregon Parks and Recreation. "Once you get out there, you're putting yourself at a big risk."

He says more than 30 people have lost their lives storm-watching in Oregon since 1990. Two years ago two young men were swept off a jetty by a wave near Florence. And powerful winds have blown people from lookout points.

And in October 2001, a sneaker wave picked up a school bus in a parking lot as students were visiting a lighthouse. The impact broke out windows on one side and jammed a log under the bus. "Be aware of that power and don't take it for granted," Smith said.

A runner and his dogs get their exercise on the wet, hard sand. GEORGE VETTER

He offered several pieces of advice for those who insist on watching nature's violence:

• Stay off driftwood piles because they often are unstable: People can fall through and become trapped under them.
• Find a lookout point from your car, hotel room or restaurant, where it's safe to watch.
• Don't get in the water. A cubic yard of saltwater weighs 2,000 pounds, so a wave traveling at 17 miles an hour can pack enough wallop to knock you out if you're hit.
• Never turn your back on the ocean.

If storms aren't your thing, there are plenty of other activities in the area.

Gray whales pass by as they migrate south to Baja, Mexico, from mid-December through February. You also can catch them on their way back up north in the spring.

The woodsy trail through Ecola State Park, which sidles along the steep cliffs of Tillamook Head, is a perfect perch from which to watch the comings and goings of the sea and the birds.

The first leg is a moderate two miles that will bring you to Indian Beach. Hearty hikers can continue on for another two miles into Seaside, the town just north of Cannon Beach. You can bring the dog, but leave it on the leash — it's a long way down, and the cliff side erodes easily. Most state parks, including this one, require a $3 day-use fee.

Mountain bikers have plenty of logging road trails they can bump up and down, around the mountains east of U.S. Route 101. For those who prefer a smoother ride, bikes are welcome on the beach (Mike's Bikes rents three-wheel recumbent cruisers if you don't want to get sand in your own gears.)

Haystack Rock looms in the background at Cannon Beach. GEORGE VETTER

And if you absolutely, positively must get in the water, you can do it in a kayak. The Nehalem Bay Kayak Co. offers tours and rentals for the Nehalem River and Nehalem Bay, but hard-core adventurers be warned: The river is rain-fed and the bay water is relatively flat, so it's more of a recreational ride than a white-water one.

If you go

Check out the Chamber of Commerce for all kinds of information on lodging, dining and events at www.cannonbeach.org or by calling 503-436-2623.

The National Weather Service's Tyree Wilde says that the best way to plan your storm-watching trip is to check the forecast (www.wrh.noaa.gov/portland) or listen for "high winds" and "large seas" on the news.

This area has a rich history. Find out about it at the Cannon Beach Historical Society, open Wednesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. ($2; $1 for ages 6-17, free for under 6), 1387 S. Spruce St.; 503-436-9301, www.cannon-beach.net/cbhs.

There are plenty of places to stay, though they fill up during popular travel periods. The pet-friendly Ocean Lodge has surfside rooms, bungalows and townhouses with fireplaces and hot tubs in every room. Breakfast is free. $179-$239. 2864 S. Pacific St.; 888-777-4047; www.theoceanlodge.com.

Cannon Beach Bakery is famous for its tall loaves of Haystack Bread in honor of the rock. 144 N. Hemlock St.; 503-436-0399.

Ecola Seafoods has great fish and chips, chowder, shrimp cocktails and other seafood entrees. 208 N. Spruce St; 503-436-9130.

For some of the finest dining on the coast, the Stephanie Inn serves an elegant five-course dinner every night (reservations required). 2740 S. Pacific St.; 800-633-3466 or 503-436-2221; www.stephanie-inn.com.

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