photo by S. WardTwo blogs ago in "Remembering Cannon Beach" I included a gorgeous Cannon Beach sunset photo taken last summer by my nephew during a family get together there. In a comment there, EProf2 said, "Haystack Rock must be in your collection too." As the hallmark landmark of Cannon Beach, I have quite a few photos of it actually. This particular one was taken last summer by another nephew.
Next summer, Mrs. Dada and I are anticipating another visit to the Oregon coast. If plans work out, we'll be going to a new beach. One we haven't been to before. But, alas, we shouldn't feel too strange there. That's because we have been told by family the new beach is much like Cannon Beach was 20-30 years ago. And here's the big comfort factor for us: Pacific City has it's own big rock and, coincidentally, it, too, is called Haystack Rock!
Well, this is all a bit strange in that about ten years ago, during one of my more prescient moments, I imagined Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock and the Oregon coastline redrawn by global warming as many, many coastlines will be around the world should the oceans rise 20 feet or more as scientists predict they could.
Here then is Cannon Beach after the rising seas.* The areas claimed as ocean are represented by the red areas. Please note the largest red area on the map above covers the motel where we stayed during our annual visits there in the '90s.
As a result, I made this "photo" about 10 years ago of what a future visit to Cannon Beach (or Pacific City) might be like with familiar landmarks now under water, trying desperately to locate something, anything that might tell me where I am. The most obvious landmark at Cannon would be the 237 foot Haystack Rock monolith. (I think it may be the little brown spot in the blue ocean between the two red areas above.) The picture I imagined looked like this:
("photo" by Dada...click to enlarge)
And so, here I am, bravely, in a new world I no longer recognize, looking for a Haystack in the Needle!
*The above map is from Department of Geosciences Environmental Studies Laboratory at the University of Arizona. (The graphics are a bit slow loading, but it's zoomable and if you have some coastal area you're curious about, a very interesting place to visit when you have a little time. For example, in visiting my birthplace, Florence, OR, I discovered with rising seas, the site of my first home, which is no longer a farm but a carwash instead, will be under water.)
Next summer, Mrs. Dada and I are anticipating another visit to the Oregon coast. If plans work out, we'll be going to a new beach. One we haven't been to before. But, alas, we shouldn't feel too strange there. That's because we have been told by family the new beach is much like Cannon Beach was 20-30 years ago. And here's the big comfort factor for us: Pacific City has it's own big rock and, coincidentally, it, too, is called Haystack Rock!
Well, this is all a bit strange in that about ten years ago, during one of my more prescient moments, I imagined Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock and the Oregon coastline redrawn by global warming as many, many coastlines will be around the world should the oceans rise 20 feet or more as scientists predict they could.
Here then is Cannon Beach after the rising seas.* The areas claimed as ocean are represented by the red areas. Please note the largest red area on the map above covers the motel where we stayed during our annual visits there in the '90s.As a result, I made this "photo" about 10 years ago of what a future visit to Cannon Beach (or Pacific City) might be like with familiar landmarks now under water, trying desperately to locate something, anything that might tell me where I am. The most obvious landmark at Cannon would be the 237 foot Haystack Rock monolith. (I think it may be the little brown spot in the blue ocean between the two red areas above.) The picture I imagined looked like this:
("photo" by Dada...click to enlarge)*The above map is from Department of Geosciences Environmental Studies Laboratory at the University of Arizona. (The graphics are a bit slow loading, but it's zoomable and if you have some coastal area you're curious about, a very interesting place to visit when you have a little time. For example, in visiting my birthplace, Florence, OR, I discovered with rising seas, the site of my first home, which is no longer a farm but a carwash instead, will be under water.)
4 comments:
Thanks for a beautiful post about an incredible place....I miss it out there...very much...thanks
You just made my day showing us your Haystack Rock photo. I surely hope your dream of the Oregon coast in the age of global warming doesn't come true. Likely, but not absolutely foregone. When the time comes next year, enjoy Pacific City and the rest of the coast. If you get further south, you might want to consider the mail boat trip up the Umpqua River from Gold Beach just north of Brookings. Again, thanks for the photo.
Remember to pack some powerful ship-to-shore binoculars, flares & a white dove. ~~ D.K.
D.K. - I don't remember if, in the photo, those are binoculars I'm cradling in my left hand or not, but thanks for the reminder. (Although, "Duh! That massive protrusion to my right bears a strong resemblence to the Haystack I'm seeking!
eprof2: You reminded me of a most wonderful memory me and Mrs. Dada share from Gold Beach ca. the early 70's. We chose to buy some pastries one morning, cross the highway and eat them on the beach in the rain. What ensued was truly enchanting as a rider on a deserted beach came along atop a big mare with her foal following her "Mom" untethered.
On their return trip, we followed 'em = still in the rain - back up the beach to the stable where the rider put the mare inside as the colt ran around the outside crying for its mother. (Still in the rain of course).
And thanks for appreciating this post enigma. I've been trying sooo hard to be sooo "better" this week because I'm sooo sick of the BS that dominates my reality tunnel. (This evening I weakened. sniff, sniff)
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