I’ve been trying to get out more in order to break the monotony of being stuck inside all day. This ended up almost getting me in big trouble, which I’ll get into later. But I decided to take a hike along the coast, a hike I had taken many months ago.
I drove an hour and a half from Portland to get to the trail. When I got there I found out the the trail, like the rest of the national park that it is a part of was closed. So here is where I did something bad. I hiked anyway, which, I was later informed is trespassing. I didn’t create a public health hazard or anything since I was the only person on the trail, which, in my mind, made sense. Goes to show, one can rationalize anything, given the proper reward.
It’s a great trail. It has a lot of vertical gain because you are climbing a mountain. But the trail changes terrain a lot and has wonderful natural landscapes. It also has an amazing view at the end.
Now, on my way back I thought I had gotten away with it. But, arriving back at my car I found two Ranger Dudes waiting for me. They had every right to give me a ticket ($1200 for first offense) and they informed me of such. But I apologized and they busted it down to a warning. So, I’m definitely NOT doing that again. They also pointed me to an online resource to find out if trails are open or not. So, thank you Oregon Park Rangers for your leniency. Here is the link they gave me so you won’t risk the same mistake I made.
This looks like a beautiful place!