Today we're on the central Oregon coast and what better way to show you the amazing shoreline than
to come to the rocky cliffsides at high tide and really show you the power of the ocean.
So we are here at high tide to showcase three amazing features on the coast here.
So we're starting off at Cook's Chasm and first we're gonna walk down this little trail and we're
gonna see Thor's Well and the Spouting Horn. And then a little bit later we're gonna go to
another stop and go see Devil's Churn. All right. It's high tide. Let's do it.
So it's definitely very important to pay attention to signs like this. The water,
like we said, can be pretty wild. The rocks will be slippery. So especially with the kids,
we had a talk this morning and told them, use their listening ears and stay close,
hold hands. So we're going to be extra aware and cautious with the little ones today. Right guys?
All right. So we're walking down a short trail to Thor's Well which is an old sea cave where
the roof fell in and how it looks like it's this drain pipe for the ocean. At high tide the waves
can come in from the bottom of it and just erupt out the top and they make for a really spectacular
display. But it's also worth noting that it can be awfully dangerous. You can go all the way down
there and go check it out. And sometimes people do, but especially at high tide that's really not
a very good idea. It's not a good idea at all. No. Especially not with a couple of kids. I've also
heard that this particular one has been really famous for swallowing a lot of camera equipment
that people use to photograph it. And then they don't realize there's a big wave coming in
and takes it away. So we're going to try to play it safe today. We can already hear the
ocean from here. The waves smashing against the rocks, the way they're coming in looks like white
water all along here. So we're also right below Cape Perpetua which if you haven't heard of that,
it's the highest point along the Oregon Coast. The views up there are amazing
but we've actually been there before. So we will link to a video where you can see that.
Honestly Thor's Well was probably the least active feature in the area. Although it may
have been that the tide was just so high that it was mostly flooded and wasn't spouting like the
other features around it. It was still really neat to see it bubbling up and then drain as the waves
came back out. So this is truly remarkable. We're lucky that it's a nice day. It's not raining. It's
not overcast, so it's pretty and sunny. But we still have this wild water. Can you imagine what
it would be like on a not so nice day? We actually brought all of our rain gear, so rain jackets
and boots, all of those things just in case. But it's nice because we can just come down here,
watch it from afar, haven't felt any spray or anything like that. It's just amazing though.
Now we're gonna take this stairwell and check out the Spouting Horn a little bit closer because
there's a bridge here on Highway 101 as well that we've seen some of the water spray up under.
You can't really see that from up here so we're going to try to get a better view.
It's pretty amazing down here at the bottom of the stairs. We recommend that you come check
it out from here too because when the waves are really coming in it almost looks like the ocean
is higher. It's just kind of pouring in here. But there's a nice paved little area
and we feel secure here. And then you see the Spouting Horn go. And when the waves are just
right you get this amazing spray up under the bridge. It's really impressive. It's funny it
looks kind of like a foamy washing machine down here. That's kind of how I could describe it.
The other interesting thing to note is on the paved walkway down here below,
the ocean at high tide here actually comes up kind of high and for just a brief second there
made me a little bit nervous. I thought I was going to get hit with a wave. But
even with the biggest waves that have come through here we've been completely dry. At least today.
Right. Other days may be a different story. But, we didn't mention yet, we are also here sort of at
the waning end of a King Tide. So we weren't familiar with those, at least I wasn't. But
apparently they happen a couple times a year or so and they're extra high, high tides.
So we've seen Spouting Horn and Thor's Well and I don't even know what this one is called over here
but I actually think that this is the most impressive one down here. It's just spraying
water everywhere. The other neat thing is as you're walking down the trail it sounds
like thunder as the water hits the rocks. You can feel it in the ground. It just goes boom,
boom! There it goes again. And you can see some rainbows as the water spray comes over
since we have the sun shining today which is another benefit of having a nice weather day
while we're doing this. Definitely come check this out. The walk is super short down here. There's a
parking lot right at the top and this is just such a spectacular display. You can't miss this here.
So apparently there are also tide pools here if you come at low tide,
not something we can access right now. But another interesting fact is that there are piles of mussel
shells that generations of Native Americans left after they harvested them. So, very interesting.
So here at Cook's Chasm the trail is actually a loop, and it's 0.7 miles. So if you go out
to Thor's Well and the Spouting Horn you should definitely do the loop. Don't just go out and back
because you see more and then you see everything from a different perspective as well. You can't
see the Spouting Horn from here but walking along the trail we can see Thor's Well and
then our favorite part we get to continue to see. Ah can't say enough amazing things about this.
Off to our last stop. Don't go just yet. Come with us to the Devil's Churn. So it is worth mentioning
that the Devil's Churn parking lot is a fee area. It is five dollars per car or there's a number of
passes for the area that you can also use here. So leaving the Cook's Chasm area Kevin and I
both at some point or another said we should get moving. It's starting to get late.
We need to get to Devil's Churn before it's dark. We get in the truck, it's only,
it's not even 3:30. It's crazy. I guess Daylight Savings Time will do that to you
and I mean it's that time of year where it gets darker earlier anyway. It just, it feels weird.
It is getting cooler. It is getting a little more overcast. It was a little sunnier,
more blue sky earlier. But it's nowhere near evening. Come on let's go.
So another fun fact: like many of the other formations around here on the coast,
the Devil's Churn was once a sea cave that was actually carved out by the waves of the
ocean coming in until the roof collapsed. And now that's why it looks like a channel today.
It's a nice view from here. You really see how the water rises and falls. This
definitely has more of a bathtub effect with the water really churning, hence the name.
Ooh, here comes one. That should give us a good splash.
And that is exactly why you do not want to be standing anywhere near the lip of this thing.
There's plenty of other places you can get a good view. Right. Like here at the bottom
of the stairs. We can see the waves coming in. We can see it splash. That was the biggest one
we've seen yet on our way down here and since we've been standing here. Oh that was wild. That
really splashed. In fact I think it splashed where just moments before there were people
exploring that have since gone up, but... I think we'll stay a safe distance back. Agreed.
So do you have a favorite today? I think I actually liked the unnamed portion over by Thor's
Well the most. Thor's Well was really impressive. The Spouting Horn was cool but that little cutout
near it with all the huge waves splashing was probably my favorite part. I wonder if this would
have been a little more wild had we been a little bit closer to high tide because we went over
there first at the peak of high tide or just before and then saw it during the peak. This
might have taken the cake. But, I agree. I thought that one was really neat. It was
just really splashing. I also really loved where the water went past the Spouting Horn
and shot up under the bridge. That was just really picturesque. I liked that. I think another really
impressive part of it is just the sound that it makes. It literally sounds like thunder. All of
it was neat. All of it was impressive. Makes you really appreciate the power of the ocean.
It also makes for a really great afternoon trip. It doesn't take very long to come and see
any of this stuff. So if you're anywhere on the central Oregon coast, come see these places. We
hope you enjoyed coming along with us and we'll catch you on the next adventure. Bye. Bye.
That is our non-scientific explanation of a King Tide. Apparently there are a bunch of mushel,
mushel, mushels. Do you want me to unlock the truck for you?
Yes. I was waiting for you to like pan away, like do a transition or something.