"Gypsy Gold"
X.OR.1: “Gypsy Gold”
Old Scenic Highway 101 – NE of Otis, OR: Mon 4 May 2020
Gypsy Gold
Hello fellow vagabonds, this is my first blog post. I’m happy to be writing from the area of Otis, Oregon this drizzly evening. I’m relaxing just outside of Lincoln City at a balmy 75 feet above sea level.
Before I get into the local scenery, I’ll start with a bit of backstory. Long story short, I’m a Covid-19 economic casualty. After the implosion I washed up in Logan, Utah. Rather than signing a lease for a bedroom in a communal apartment, I decided to put that money toward a vehicle and I am the newly proud owner of a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. As with any used vehicle, I will be taking her to a local mechanic and bullet-proofing her.
Gypsy Gold and I (for that is her name) are exploring the Oregon coast for the foreseeable future, while keeping a weather eye on the coasts of Colorado. I’m also keeping an ear to the ground for a used travel trailer, and am in the early stages of rocking the RV lifestyle. We’ll get into more of that big picture stuff as we progress. For now, I’m here to give you in-depth, on the ground coverage for all of your PNW vagabonding needs.
Today I’m writing about Old Scenic Highway 101, running northeast of Lincoln City’s Devil’s Lake, directly NE of Otis between North East Three Rocks Road and the Slab Creek Road, US 101 (Oregon Coast Hwy) junction.
I found Scenic 101 using Gravelmap, a web resource showing maps of various dirt roads, after asking Ronda, my local restaurant friend for an initial heading. She pointed me toward East Devil’s Lake Road and here we are.
Ironically despite finding it on Gravelmap, all of Scenic 101 is paved (albeit roughly in one or two places), but I did find that dirt eventually. About two thirds of the way through Old 101’s 9 mile stretch I found a well established right turn onto a road fully capable of accommodating my V8, though it didn’t appear on Google maps at all. I plan to geotag it on future explorations.
At the apex of this unnamed road I found the fire pit pictured, after which the road dropped sharply into a relatively steep graded descent.
Scenic 101 lives up to its name with bucolic, and plentiful, residential plots and pastures abutting dense temperate rainforest.
For camping vagabonds, Scenic 101 itself is simply access to deeper exploration areas. Some pull-offs can accommodate a parked vehicle, but you won’t find trailer parking on the highway.
My unmapped dirt road is also not especially trailer friendly. Truck bed campers will do fine, but narrow fallen tree cutouts, and other road conditions make this less than appealing for any fifth wheel or travel trailers much over 12 to 15 feet.
This is an excellent road for parking at the base and hiking or biking up. Plenty of breathing room and square mileage to find your private wilderness.
I haven’t yet strapped on my own hiking boots, and am not likely to do so any time soon. In addition to being busily writing, I am cautious. A passing hiker told me a bear was nearby, and I have no desire to end up in a food chain scenario.
So, what I can tell you is that there are some great elevation challenges plunging through towering stands of moss bearded deciduous and rearing, narrow evergreens… which I enjoyed from the cowardly safety of my electricity controlled captain’s chair. Hikers, cyclists, trail runners, dog mommas, and overnight campers will love this convenient wilderness in Lincoln City’s own backyard.
After my initial drive I slept at the firepit I mentioned earlier, and did a minimal amount of exploring on my way back into town for the day’s errands. Multiple forks led to multiple forks, which I plan to map and explore with you over the days to come. I turned back at the second intersection on each of the two roads I tried, and each of these had well maintained roads leading further afield.
By happy accident my initial drive through was approaching sunset on a clear evening, so I was able to capture some great stills. Please forgive my amateur photography, I’m hoping to upgrade from my phone camera one day, lol.
Overall, Old Scenic Highway 101 is a beautiful little piece of countryside, and the entranceway to deeper wilderness beyond, and elevation increases begin as soon as one leaves the Highway proper for the gravel.
~
“Learn to accept reality as it is, and not as you would wish it to be.” – A disciple of the Buddha
Writing to you from Otis,
Your Co_Vagabond
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