By Laurel Tofflemire

The weather had been Fall perfect for several days and the forecast was for more of the same that late October morning as I walked my puppy just before dawn. I live in the Empire section of Coos Bay, Oregon, not far as the crow flies across land, river and sand bar from the Pacific Ocean.

There was a distant roar hanging in the air that morning, a steady pervasive wall of white noise, that a stranger to the coast might think was a passing freight train. I know the sound well, even though it was unexpected that morning since no storm was predicted. The distant roar is the ocean’s public service announcement of high surf, on that day created by a distant tempest in the Northern reaches of the Pacific. Whenever I hear it I know where I want to spend my day . . .

Three Oregon State parks are clustered only a few miles drive southwest from North Bend. To find them while traveling the 101 coastal highway, go west on Newmark Avenue. When you reach the west end of Newmark, turn left and follow Cape Arago Highway along the bay until you cross the South Slough Bridge. Looking left at the top of the bridge will catch a glimpse of the fishing fleet at the small boat basin. Dropping off the bridge brings you into the little fishing village of Charleston. I often make a quick stop at the cozy little bakery for coffee and a pastry. From Charleston continue on Cape Arago highway that now winds narrowly onward to the three Oregon State parks. The highway ends at Cape Arago Park, a great place to go whale watching on calmer late fall days. The first Park, Sunset Beach, is always worth a pause, the seagulls share the surf watch from this beautiful cove with the park that provides a pleasant campground and easy beach access.

But that morning for the best high surf viewing my destination was the middle park, the splendid Shore Acres. Originally the estate grounds of the early lumber and shipping baron Louis Simpson, it is renown for both it’s magnificent sea scape that so enthraled Simpson, and for the formal and Japanese gardens designed by his wife Cassie. The gardens throughout the seasons constantly offer new floral arrays, and its trademark gala Christmas light display during the holiday evenings changes the garden into a fantasy land. The show has over a quarter of a million lights featuring animated whales and other sea creatures.

The geology at Shore Acres features a meadow atop the Coaledo formation, a high massive marine terrace that ends in an abrupt land’s edge to tower one hundred twenty-five feet above the ocean surface. The cliff’s sedimentary sandstone layers formed during the Pleistocene period of earth’s history are exposed by centuries of battle with the sea, lifted and tilted by some of earth’s upheaval millennium in the past, and sculptured artfully by erosion. When the surf is high, the cliff stops each ocean wave’s long journey in spectacular fashion.

The most dramatic action for eye and camera caused by the storm borne swells is near a high tide, so that day I checked the tide tables on the weather service web site, to find the prime tide was late morning. The weather service site also showed a ‘High Surf Warning’ for an eye widening 22 foot swells. I called a friend to share the news, gathered my camera and equipment, and grabbed a heavy coat despite the mild day, as it is usually chilly from the wind at the ocean’s edge.

For a weekday morning, outside of the summer season, the park was unusually busy. The high surf warning had seduced a lot of other spectators away from their work. Stepping out of my car I was struck with the tangy smell, feel and taste of salt spray. The constant dull booming sound distant at my house was now louder and rhythmic. Amazingly that day there was no wind at all, and with the air calm the temperature was balmy even out along the cliffs. The usually welcome coat that day was deserted in the car.

A very short walk from the parking area brings you to the glass enclosed shelter for storm watchers, which is located where the Simpson’s mansion once proudly looked toward the western horizon, with the Pacific for a front yard. With the perfect weather no was anyone using the shelter, instead visitors were perched like seagulls along the low rock walls, entranced by the booming surf below. Occasionally people ducked away laughing as spray defeated the height of the cliff face for a salty shower of the walkways.

Looking north from the main viewing area there is a point of land with a huge slanted rock standing away from the bottom of the cliff that acts as a breakwater. The wave action has eroded the surrounding softer sandstone leaving this monument of broken land standing alone against time and sea. After the long ocean swells break on the hidden outer reef, they curl and roll to this rock, and when the angle is right the saltwater bursts upwards like a white firework display. Each eruption of water designs a slightly different path and pattern. This day the surf and tide were so high that it danced in the air well above the top of the cliff, and at times leapt much higher than the tree tops that stand sentry along the edge. Amateur photographers snapped their shutters at each explosion of white water and spray, and quickly covered their lens to protect them from the coming spray. Lens cleaners were needed often as salt filmed over everything.

Shore Acres Oregon State park opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes at sunset. The views along the cliff’s edge, the storm shelter and most of the gardens are wheelchair accessible. For the garden area loaner wheelchairs are available from the information and gift store manned by the organization Friends of Shore Acres. There is a day use vehicle fee of: $3 per day. The Oregon State parks annual permit also admits your vehicle. Additional information about the park may be found at www.oregonstateparks.org/park_97.php