Tag Archives: sand

Broke: A Sand Dollar Reality

04 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in Beach

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It is always much more fun to find a perfect and whole sand dollar tucked into the sand, waiting for you to stumble by and find it, treasure it, and take it home. However, that is not the case for a vast majority of sand dollars that find there way tumbling to shore in the waves along the Oregon coast. It may be crushing to flip over a perfect and good looking sand dollar bottom to reveal the smashed face, just to toss back to the sand to continue breaking down in the churn of the waves, but it just makes it that much more special when they are found whole.


Keep searching and you will find more perfect sand dollars than you will ever know what to do with.

Beach combing is a fun activity along the coast. You never know what you might encounter or find that has washed up on the shore. Finding intact whole shells is a fun activity for the kids and adults as well, but also keep your eyes peeled for a shiny Oregon coast agate or a special fishing float that has washed ashore after coming loose in a storm. While the winter can be a stormy season there tends to be a day of break occasionally that will be mild and are perfect for getting out for a long walk along the shore.

Enjoy a walk on the beach!
Go for a walk on the beach

Digging for Clams

17 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in Beach, clam

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Digging for Clams is a Fun Oregon Coast Activity

The Oregon beaches and bays along the Pacific coast from North to South offer excellent opportunities for digging clams.  Clamming is a fun activity that the whole family can participate in and be successful.  The tools of the trade are pretty simple and you can find a whole clam dinner with even just a garden shovel or your hands if necessary.

What Do You Need:

  • A clam shovel or rake.  Longer shovel blades are good but a basic shovel will do.  Rakes that have long tines and are not spread to far apart.
  • If going for Razor clams many people like to use a clam gun which is a cylindrical tube that you press into the sand around where they are laying in the sand.
  • A collection device, tackle shops sell nice mesh bags, really anything will do, a 5 gallon bucket is what I tend to carry most of the time, especially if going for a short walk.
  • Boots or waders are ideal especially if you are clamming around the bays or shallow tide pool like areas where there is lower depressions that are full of water.
  • A tide table or go here to this website and enter your closest location, then the dates that you want to see the tide. Oregon Tide Tables
  • A valid shellfish license for the State of Oregon. For license and Clamming Regulations check out the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Clam Bucket with Limit

When the tide is close to 0 on the low tide or below is the best times to walk the bays and likely beaches for clams.  For most of the clams you can start digging and raking near the water and if there is clams in the area you will start to stumble on them.

After you get your catch, I was raised to let them sit in water with a little oatmeal and a bunch of the sand will get spit back out by the clam after a several hour soak, there may be other methods to clean them out a little before you cook them. Make a chowder, fritter, or any other delicious clam dinner and enjoy your hard work out digging in the sand.  They also can be great just tossed in boiling water for a few minutes till they pop open and then dipped in butter and garlic or any other tasty sauce and eaten just like that.

If you are interested in going clamming anywhere along the Oregon coast I suggest you check out this website with a long list of clamming stories and discussions about areas to go and try depending on the species of clam you like.

Clamming Info Below Crabbing

Enjoy a Break in the Weather for Oregon Coast Beachcombing Success

10 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in Beach, Outdoor Location

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The Oregon coast can be hammered with winds and rain that may make it seem like a unlikely destination to go to in the winter, however there is still lots of fun activities to enjoy including beach combing during the short breaks in the storms. Unless you are at the coast during a major storm the rain and really strong winds tend to come in waves with breaks with even glimmers of sunshine that if you take advantage of can be rewarding with walks on empty beaches, unusual scenery with the wind and waves, and the occasional treasure washed ashore from the waves and tides. The best time to hit the beach is when it is not raining as it is more enjoyable and easier to layer up a sweatshirt and stay warm to enjoy your time outside. However if you can pick a time that is near after a high tide when the water is receding as you are more likely to find shells, cool looking rocks, and other debris that may have washed up on the beach.

Here is a Sand Dollar that I found nestled next to a piece of wood just below the high water line as the tide was going out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A great part of the Oregon coast is the free access to the shore that is easily available from North to South making finding a location that you can find access to the sand or rocky shore pretty easy regardless of where you are staying on the coast. The particular place I went to today for my outdoor escape was just south of the Jetty Fishery Marina and RV Park near the Nehalem Jetty and is a great beach just outside of town. There is a lot of wood from big trees around and so it is wise to be careful when walking around and the jetty can cause some very large waves nearby so it can be dangerous during times that the waves are large.

A Google Maps Image of the Jetty where I went today for a beach walk during the break in the rain.

 

 

 

 

 

The sand was blowing in the wind giving the beach a wind swept look despite the sand being wet from previous rains.

If you are at the beach during the winter or during a time that it is stormy outside, keep your eyes peeled for a 30 minute window when the weather breaks and you can get outside and enjoy the day. The Oregon coast rewards those that get out there and enjoy a walk on the beach when the weather has been unpleasant. Hope you find something cool, interesting, or unusual on your next beach walk.