Casing Oregon: January 2017

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Mount Tabor: A Case History

The midwife called it "Mt. Labor." She sent us to ascend and descend the 200+ stairs of Mt. Tabor in hopes of encouraging our overdue baby (now our photographer) to make his entry into this world. With my husband by my side on that chill January afternoon, I proceeded to the end of SE 69th Avenue to trek uphill and down.

Photographers, it seems, cannot be hurried, but the stairs of Mt. Tabor had their part in his birth soon afterward.

We moved away from Portland when our son was small, and he recently observed that he had never actually seen Mt. Tabor; his view on that winter day had been somewhat obscured. So it was that he and I returned to the end of 69th Avenue on a chill January afternoon to observe his twenty-second birthday. Side by side, we climbed the stairs once again.

This 197-acre park is a Portland landmark, a tree-covered hill situated in a mostly-level residential southeast neighborhood. It is, in fact, a volcano, dormant but not necessarily extinct. It is part of the Boring Lava Field, named for the nearby town, not for the level of interest it generates. Put simply, Mt. Tabor was formed when a small amount of magma squeezed up through a fracture in the earth's crust; in fact, part of the cinder cone can still be seen inside the park.

Portland's connection with this hill officially began in 1888 when part of it was designated as a park. Over the years, city reservoirs were built on the hillsides and additional parcels of land were added. Specimen trees planted over 100 years ago still flourish in the rich volcanic soil. Our stairs were built in 1914, paved roads were laid down, and the growing population enjoyed their weekends in this pretty park. In the 1930s, visitors could rent horses to ride on the trails, and an old soapbox derby track remains on the slope above the reservoirs.

Reservoir 5 and the soapbox derby track

In recent years the reservoirs have been retired from the Portland water system, but they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The horses are long gone, of course, but bicycle riders build their stamina on the park's roads and trails, grimacing on the way up and grinning on the way down. Families with packs of children dodge joyous dogs and wiry runners. Once a year, the old track is cleared for the PDX Adult Soap Box Derby, now in its twentieth year. Stop by on August 19th to watch the fun, details will be updated on the event's website and Facebook page. Mt. Tabor truly is a place for everyone.

Reservoir 6

On our chill January afternoon, the roads and trails were busy and the frozen reservoirs lay silently in colors of jade and black pearl. Hardy songbirds flitted among the vintage shrubbery as we crested our 200+ stairs and wandered through the park. Pathways ranged from pavement to slippery mud, and great branches of century-old trees lay torn in the grass, victims of ice and snow. The reservoirs' historic gatehouses watched over their pools, their turreted tops suggesting that hidden archers waited to defend the water supply.

Cut-away section of the cinder cone

Visitors to Mt. Tabor will find paths, roads, a tennis court, a basketball court, a children's play area, an amphitheater, an off-leash dog park, and a covered picnic area. They will find wildlife, 57 species of trees, and excellent views of the city. They will also find the remains of the volcano's cinder cone, which looms over...the basketball court. Never mind, its proximity to the parking lot makes the cone accessible to everyone. In fact, a surprising amount of this urban volcano is accessible (see the city's site). This park also gets my vote for Most Picturesque Restrooms, as well as Most Helpful Volunteers.

Before your visit, check out the Friends of Mt. Tabor Park's website. This excellent resource has information on everything you could want to know, from how to identify trees to how to adopt a park bench. Our stairway is only one small entrance. As seen on this map, Mt. Tabor is an easy place to find; in fact, it is visible from miles away.

Of course, the photographer lingered long in this bit of urban forest, just as he did 22 years before. The park invited us to stay and remember a part of Portland's history that had become part of our family's history, as well.

Reservoir 5

Reservoir 6

Cinder Cone

Picnic Area

Perhaps the world's most charming restroom

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Newport's Lighthouse, and the Other Newport Lighthouse

Yaquina Head Lighthouse stands proudly on its bluff high above the sea, an iconic symbol of the town of Newport, Oregon. Visitors to the central coast sometimes seek out the "Newport lighthouse" only to find themselves confronted with a small, homelike building tucked into a grove of trees, facing southward over Yaquina Bay and miles of sand. While it is a lovely little facility, it likely doesn't resemble the lighthouse depicted on the "Newport, Oregon"
T-shirt they just bought on the bayfront.

The fact is, Newport boasts not one lighthouse, but two. The modest Yaquina Bay Lighthouse was first lit on November 3, 1871. At the time, it stood 161 feet above the mouth of Yaquina Bay, shining its steady white light as far as ten miles out to sea. While it was an important aid to navigation, its shortcomings quickly became apparent. Due to its location on the south side of the hill, ships coming from the north could not see its fourth-order Fresnel lens. Its light shone only until November of 1874, replaced by the new Yaquina Head Lighthouse a few miles north. Years passed and the old building fell into decay; meanwhile, the construction of jetties at the mouth of the bay created ever-widening swaths of sand on either side of the channel. Now the lighthouse watches over the broad, rolling sands of South Beach State Park on the other side of the channel. Long past are its few short years of government service.

But today the steady white light again shines in the tower, and every afternoon the old girl's shutters are opened as visitors ascend the uneven walkway to her welcoming front porch. Now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, she is a link to Newport's history and a privately-maintained aid to navigation for boats using the bay. The charming wooden cottage that you enter is also the lighthouse, and a narrow twist of stairs leads to the base of the tower (the tower itself is closed to the public). The carefully restored rooms are furnished as they would have been when the light keeper's family called this lighthouse their home. The brick-floored basement offers a gift shop and a video on the area's history. Parking and admission are free, but donations are accepted and are used to maintain the building.

The Bay Lighthouse is located in a bluffside State Park at the north end of Newport's Yaquina Bay Bridge. This park offers excellent views of the bridge and jetties, as well as picnic tables, restrooms, and a long trail to the now-wide beach. Driving through the park, watch for the lighthouse on the north side of the road; it stands next to a tall metal Coast Guard observation tower. Unfortunately, the historic building is not wheelchair accessible, but the park's views may be enjoyed by everyone.

To the north, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse remains an official beacon for shipping, her first-order Fresnel lens outshining her humble older sister's since August 20, 1873. Motorists heading south on Highway 101 know they're getting close to Newport when they spot its beam on a point of land that extends nearly a mile out to sea. At 93 feet in height, Yaquina Head is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon. The keepers' houses and outbuildings which once stood beside it were demolished many years ago, leaving this pristine white column standing alone high above the Pacific.

The grounds surrounding the lighthouse are now a natural area overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The rugged headland offers observation decks with views of offshore "islands," rocks where seabirds nest and harbor seals lie near the waterline. Hiking trails provide excellent photo opportunities, and a former quarry now holds a cozy interpretive center with displays explaining the site's history. Tours of the lighthouse are limited, but well worth the effort. For those able to descend the wooden stairway, a visit to the unique cobble beach is a must; each wave at high tide rolls and clatters the rounded black stones, and low tide offers excellent tidepooling (please leave the sea creatures where you find them).

To find THIS Newport lighthouse, head north out of town to the Agate Beach area. Turn at the stoplight below Izzy's restaurant and drive about a mile on a well-paved road to the lighthouse. Please note that motorists are charged a fee ($7 at this writing), but the visit is well worth it. It is also possible to leave your car at a beach access parking lot near Highway 101 and walk or cycle to the lighthouse; in fact, this is a good hike when winds are out of the north, as it is somewhat sheltered. Be careful of auto traffic, though, and stay off of the roadway where possible.

While this historic lighthouse is not accessible, the observation decks and interpretive center are available to everyone. All visitors should be prepared for coastal rains, as well as some of the strongest wind gusts on the central coast.

Beverly Beach State Park

Year-round camping is available at Beverly Beach State Park just north of Yaquina Head, or South Beach State Park just over the bridge and a little south of Yaquina Bay. Beverly Beach is known for its proximity to the beach, its fossil hunting, and its excellent hiker/biker camp. South Beach is off of Highway 101 and has somewhat longer trails through the dunes to the beach and jetty, as well as hiker/biker facilities. Both campgrounds offer the usual state park amenities, such as RV sites, yurts, firewood, and real restrooms.

So if you'd like to check out a lighthouse on your next visit to the coast, head to Newport. They've got a two-for-one deal!