Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

Ok, with a name like Cape Disappointment, how can you NOT go see what this place is all about? Hiking trails, two lighthouses, a beautiful coastal drive, ocean views, a trail to a secluded cove. I’m here to tell you that there is nothing disappointing in this state park. Well…the parking lots could be bigger. But then it would be more crowded, so never mind.

My friend Google led me along the coast of Baker Bay on the east side of the Long Beach peninsula. The views of the sun reflecting off the still water with what looked like tree trunks sticking up from the bottom; small islands covered in tall trees and dark vegetation; long, rocky jetties; an ocean liner; and the road ahead covered by a canopy of lichen-covered branches; all were a sure sign that I was going to love this place.

I arrived at the park store to pay for my day pass and headed up the hill to the parking lot for the lighthouse trail and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. The lot might have had 30 spaces and was packed. Fortunately, I saw some brake lights and was patient enough to wait for the car to pull out. Grabbing my gear, I headed out onto the trail.

Every once in a while, I feel a little silly heading out on an easy trail with my heavy boots and my hiking backpack. Especially when there is a little human running up and down the trail in rain boots. Today I was happy to have them. The sun was out, the temperature was warm (it’s the Pacific North West. In winter. 45 degrees is warm.), and the trail was still covered in mud. Yay for heavy boots!

The vegetation was lush and green. The trail was lined with giant ferns. The deciduous trees, with their bare branches and exposed roots, were covered in a layer of moss. There were dryer areas where bushes were holding onto their yellow and orange-colored leaves. The entire trail was somewhat of a surprise.

The trail meandered up and down hills, into the forest and back out to the coast, and brought me to a sign that read “Deadman’s”. Now, I had done research before heading out onto this trail and I don’t recall anything about a dead man or a crypt or a cemetery or anything of the sort. But here was the sign. Deadman’s … something. But there were people coming toward me from the other side, so I figured it must be safe to proceed. And it was.

It turns out that the little, secluded cove I was looking forward to exploring was called “Deadman’s Cove”. Odd that the name didn’t show up on the map (turns out I just didn’t zoom in far enough for the name to pop up). Anyway… I headed down the steep and narrow trail to a small landing next to a tree. I remembered that there was supposed to be a tiny island with a single tree growing on it, but I couldn’t see it from where I was standing. I thought about continuing down the even steeper trail and joining the dozen-or-so people with their children and dogs on the driftwood-covered shore. But crowds aren’t my thing when I’m on a trail. And my brain was telling me that my short legs were not going to like the muddy hike back up the steep slope. So I continued on toward the lighthouse.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast. Since it is still being maintained the path to the structure is actually a paved road, which made the uphill hike a little bit easier. But it was still uphill. So, I stopped to take in all the sights along the way. Fortunately, there was a lot to see.

As I arrived at the top of the road where the landscape opened up to an inviting field of grass on the right, a raised, concrete platform on the left (later I learned that these platforms once supported three large cannons), and a beautiful, weathered lighthouse straight ahead. I walked around the perimeter of the grassy area so I could get a view of the lighthouse and the attached living quarters. Built nearly 200 years ago, the structure is truly amazing.

…and the views!!

I stood there for quite a while, moving slowly, from spot to spot along the fence, listening to the waves crash along the cliffs and the jetty below, and soaking up the warmth of the sun as I watched her rays reflect off of the ocean below. I love my mountain, but the Pacific is where I feel at home.

Ready to get out onto the next trail, I headed back down the hill. We all know I like out-and-back trails because they allow you to see everything from a different direction. I got a better view of the cement bunker on the side of the road where, instead of using paint for graffiti, someone wrote messages in the moss. Creative, that’s for sure. I also had the opportunity to sit down on a bench and see the tiny little island in Deadman’s Cove. It was wonderful listening to the waves crash against the rocky opening and watching as giant tree trunks that had been turned into driftwood were being washed up on the shore. I could have sat there for hours, but I decided to move on so someone else could enjoy the view.

Heading back the way I came, I paused to admire the view above the Coast Guard building toward the bay, looked at trees covered in vines spiraling all the way up from the ground, providing shelter to hundreds of birds flitting in and out of the green leaves, and stopped to inspect tree roots from a giant tree reaching out toward a smaller tree, as if they were holding hands. Those roots were so interesting to me, above ground and still reaching. I wonder how long that big tree had to reach out before it touched the little one. I guess, like everything in life, it took as long as it took. Divine Timing. What a great reminder.