Big Storm

Monday night, we had a very intense storm with high wind, 4.5 inches of rain, and an almost 10 hour power outage.  The winds on the coast were gusting to 79 m.p.h. on the Yaquina Bridge and 90 m.p.h. at Cape Foulweather.  They were less strong here, but howled eerily. Our river jumped several feet in depth and we had numerous red alder trees snapped or uprooted by the wind. So far we've had 26.6 inches of rain since I got my rain gauge on October 6, with 10.9 inches of that falling this month.

 Water rose to heights "the likes of which we've never seen".

 The large big leaf maple trunk and limbs that fell into the river last March are now gone - moved about 100 feet down the river.

 That broken off alder in the middle of the picture happens to project over one of our main trails. I think we'll need a professional to get that one down.

 Our lower woodshed took a beating. The tree leaning on the right side of it broke off a rafter and tore the metal roofing.

The waterfall didn't have as far to fall!

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Gail spotted this Red-breasted Sapsucker drilling on one of our spruce trees, yesterday. It allowed us to get quite close, and remained on this tree for at least a half hour.

 This sapsucker drills rows of holes that fill with sap and trap insects. The bird eats both.

Red-breasted Sapsucker at work.

Drive to Depoe Bay

Yesterday, we drove up to Depoe Bay, about a 90 minute drive north. The day was sunny, but in the forties on the coast, with a very strong offshore wind.  When we hit Yachats, we could see there was a serious swell running, 10 to 15 feet according to Surfline.  After stopping in Newport for an eye appointment, we continued north about 10 miles to The Devil's Punch Bowl.

 The scene at The Punch Bowl.  The bowl itself was not that dramatic while we were there.

Three miles up the road is The Lookout at Cape Foulweather.  Originally built as a tourist stop in the thirties, it was also used in WWII as a military observation post.

 We came into Depoe Bay when the high tide was peaking and the Spouting Horn was going off.  We got a big kick out of this for quite awhile! Spray was shooting clear onto the 101.

 Ocean swells compress water and air in a rock crevice that has a hole on top, and with the right surge and tide you get quite a geyser.

 Looking out across Depoe Bay to the headland. Those are some very big waves out there!

 That she blows!

We couldn't help ourselves - another selfie.

We went up the coast to Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area. We hiked a short trail that was unremarkable except for this very large Amanita muscaria.

Another trail led down to a little beach and Rabbit Rock.

 Rabbit Rock and surf - telephoto shot.

Not a day for tide-pooling!

 Depoe Bay Harbor is the so called "Smallest Navigable Harbor in the World".  That is the Highway 101 bridge going over the harbor entrance.

 The harbor...

...and the very sketchy looking entrance.  This is the site where McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) takes the mental patients out for a fishing trip in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".  We didn't see any boats coming or going on this day.

Surfers call this type of wave a "slab break" because the swell hits a shallow ledge of rock, jacks up, and throws out to make a very hollow wave.  This wave was breaking out from and to the left of the harbor entrance.  I wonder if it is ever ridden.

Out in the bay we saw at least two gray whales feeding in the area.