Last night's Oregon Field Guide featured a segment on biologists searching for ancient condor nests in Oregon. The footage follows a biologist from the Portland Zoo into some pretty rugged looking cliffs that they say are in the Oregon coast range. They don't say exactly where they are at, but it looks like a pretty interesting place for photography. My best guess is that they were on or near Saddle Mountain just off of Hwy 26, and due east of Seaside. I've never hiked up saddle mountain, but have been meaning to for quite some time. If anyone here has been there, I'd be curious if my assumptions are correct. Here is the LINK to watch the episode for anyone who missed it, or is interested. The online video isn't the best quality, but the TV episode showed that the mountain was in very close proximity to the ocean. I thought that combining the rugged land with an awesome vantage point could make some sweet photo potential. Thanks for any help.
Posted by Rick Lundh on February 13, 2009 at 6:27 PM
Aaron, I watch the show religiously, but missed that episode last night. I've been all around that area of the coast range, on both sides of hwy 26. It's been about 10 years though... But it is a beautiful area. It was during my 10 year break from photography, so I wasnt looking at it from a photographer's vantage point, just a hiker's. There's a great canyon called Windy Ridge off of Salmonberry Rd (and Section 10 Rd) that's just as cool
Posted by John Lehmkuhl on February 16, 2009 at 2:04 PM
I love both Art Beat and OPB Field Guide. I saw some of this program and was trying to figure out where they were at....
Thanks for the info Rick. I looked at my maps and found a Salmonberry rd. to the East of Saddle mtn. I'm assuming that it is the one you are referring to. I didn't find any windy ridge or section 10 rd mentioned on any map though. After rewatching the episode a few times, and comparing the views to my maps, I am pretty certain that they were in fact on saddle mtn, although there is another pretty rugged clump of mountains to the southwest, near Arch Cape and Cape Falcon that could be worth checking out.
John, I agree. Both Art Beat and Field Guide are two of my favorite programs. It's amazing how much artistic, and diverse talent resides in Oregon. And Filed Guide might just be the one thing that prompted me into photography in the first place, after seeing a segment on Kentucky Creek Falls, which are pretty close to where I live, but never new they existed until that episode of OFG. I had just bought my first camera, and going to Kentucky falls was the first time I ever left my house at an un-godly A.M. hour just to be in place for a photo op.
It's funny to look back at it now. I actually felt like a weirdo telling someone that I got up at 3am to drive for two hours, just to go for a hike in the woods and take some pictures. Now, if I sleep in, I feel guilty for wasting the opportunity, and my friends might ask why they saw me driving through town at 9:30 in the morning, when they know I should be out with my camera.
Discussion
3 repliesJohn, I agree. Both Art Beat and Field Guide are two of my favorite programs. It's amazing how much artistic, and diverse talent resides in Oregon. And Filed Guide might just be the one thing that prompted me into photography in the first place, after seeing a segment on Kentucky Creek Falls, which are pretty close to where I live, but never new they existed until that episode of OFG. I had just bought my first camera, and going to Kentucky falls was the first time I ever left my house at an un-godly A.M. hour just to be in place for a photo op.
It's funny to look back at it now. I actually felt like a weirdo telling someone that I got up at 3am to drive for two hours, just to go for a hike in the woods and take some pictures. Now, if I sleep in, I feel guilty for wasting the opportunity, and my friends might ask why they saw me driving through town at 9:30 in the morning, when they know I should be out with my camera.