We got an incredibly early start from Floras Lake – up at 5am. We needed to cross the Sixes River before high tide, and every minute we delayed, the worse the crossing would be. So naturally this was the day we got turned around as we tried to cross Blacklock Point.

Luckily, we moved quickly and discovered the error and the crossing was okay. I was glad the water was low, however. I did manage to lose my buff in the crossing – it was beautiful and I loved it. It’s not my trip for gear retention…! Meanwhile, the distant Cape Blanco Lighthouse grew ever closer in the distance.

We ascended from the beach and got to enjoy Cape Blanco before crowds arrived. For a moment we were the westernmost people in Oregon.

We hiked an awesome ridgetop trail with jaw dropping views. It was probably my favorite mile of the whole trip.

We camped at the Cape Blanco hiker biker site and in the morning we again got up at 5am to tackle one last river crossing.

The Elk River was, I think, the toughest crossing we’ve had. It was only knee-deep but the current was wild.

We crossed safely, watched seals and seagulls, and continued on toward Port Orford.

We took an extended break in town before getting back on the beach. With views like this, it was hard to leave.

Something about southern Oregon beaches feels more interactive than the north.

It was really a varied day. After hiking on the beach, we climbed through woods, ran into our trail angel Jeff from a couple days ago (what are the chances?!), did a quick jaunt on the road to get to an abandoned highway (so cool) and arrived at Humbug Mountain for the night.