jbagley
Well Known Member
My wife and I did this as an overnight camping trip last weekend, but it could easily be done as a day trip.
Cape Blanco has been on my list for a little while. It's the Western most point in the State of Oregon. Just south of Coos Bay, it juts out into the pacific a few miles with an impressive array of cliffs, rocks and sandy beaches. It's also home to the oldest active lighthouse in Oregon.
We got a leisurely start on Saturday morning, packed and managed to depart around 11am before it got too hot in the Williamette Valley. Conditions were severe clear so we went straight out to the coast. Pulled the power back around Pacific City to a nice economy cruise just burning 5-6GPH and relaxed watching the beaches roll by a few thousand feet below. No need to rush on this trip.
On the way checking out the scenic Oregon coast:
Even at a low power setting sipping fuel, we had a nice tail wind and made Cape Blanco in very good time. The airport had kindof a deserted feel to it. There was a Bonanza on the ramp that might have been there a while and one airport bum throwing sticks for his dog. Definitely not the usual buzz of activity you find at an airport close to Portland! A very welcome change of pace.
Good runway, paved taxi-ways, and nice tie downs at 5S6:
Sullivan's hiking guide lists 4 hikes in this area and there are two trail heads at the airport. Floras Lake and Blacklock Point. Which could also be done as a loop.
You can either walk off the north end of the runway to find two trail heads, or down the road that parallels the runway. We took the left fork (west) to Blacklock point. It's a relatively short walk (2 miles or so) to the point with almost no elevation gain or loss.
Arriving at Blacklock Point:
After lunch, we walked around the area a bit taking pictures. Really a spectacular place and not another soul around.
We setup camp in a protected area with a view of the ocean, ate dinner and were treated to a nice sunset:
We woke up the next morning to Fog. Lots of Fog. Thick looking Fog. This was in the forecast and was suppose to burn off by 10am so I wasn't worried. However, after getting an updated forecast of worsening conditions later in the day we decided to pack up and head back to the airport right after breakfast.
Maybe we got lucky? The airport was clear, blue skies all around except a small patch of low hanging stuff near the end of the runway. We had hiked out of the fog bank and the airport was sitting right on the edge. We departed without delay.
Fog at the airport.
For anyone looking for something a bit adventurous but still really accessible, this is a great destination.
Cape Blanco has been on my list for a little while. It's the Western most point in the State of Oregon. Just south of Coos Bay, it juts out into the pacific a few miles with an impressive array of cliffs, rocks and sandy beaches. It's also home to the oldest active lighthouse in Oregon.
We got a leisurely start on Saturday morning, packed and managed to depart around 11am before it got too hot in the Williamette Valley. Conditions were severe clear so we went straight out to the coast. Pulled the power back around Pacific City to a nice economy cruise just burning 5-6GPH and relaxed watching the beaches roll by a few thousand feet below. No need to rush on this trip.
On the way checking out the scenic Oregon coast:
Even at a low power setting sipping fuel, we had a nice tail wind and made Cape Blanco in very good time. The airport had kindof a deserted feel to it. There was a Bonanza on the ramp that might have been there a while and one airport bum throwing sticks for his dog. Definitely not the usual buzz of activity you find at an airport close to Portland! A very welcome change of pace.
Good runway, paved taxi-ways, and nice tie downs at 5S6:
Sullivan's hiking guide lists 4 hikes in this area and there are two trail heads at the airport. Floras Lake and Blacklock Point. Which could also be done as a loop.
You can either walk off the north end of the runway to find two trail heads, or down the road that parallels the runway. We took the left fork (west) to Blacklock point. It's a relatively short walk (2 miles or so) to the point with almost no elevation gain or loss.
Arriving at Blacklock Point:
After lunch, we walked around the area a bit taking pictures. Really a spectacular place and not another soul around.
We setup camp in a protected area with a view of the ocean, ate dinner and were treated to a nice sunset:
We woke up the next morning to Fog. Lots of Fog. Thick looking Fog. This was in the forecast and was suppose to burn off by 10am so I wasn't worried. However, after getting an updated forecast of worsening conditions later in the day we decided to pack up and head back to the airport right after breakfast.
Maybe we got lucky? The airport was clear, blue skies all around except a small patch of low hanging stuff near the end of the runway. We had hiked out of the fog bank and the airport was sitting right on the edge. We departed without delay.
Fog at the airport.
For anyone looking for something a bit adventurous but still really accessible, this is a great destination.
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