Portland man in pursuit of Oregon Coast trail

CORVALLIS — It's possible to walk the length of Oregon's coastline. Sometimes, however, you have to cheat a little — such as by walking on asphalt in populated areas.

Al LePage has begun walking the Oregon coast. He's doing so to spark public interest in completing the unfinished Oregon Coast Trail, and in preserving what remains of wild coastal landscapes.

"There are 50 missing links in the trail," he told the Corvallis Gazette-Times by cellphone from a spot on the coast south of Astoria. "It would be nice to connect all of those in the next several years."

LePage's trek is a reprise of a 360-mile hike he did 20 years ago to explore the proposed route of the Oregon Coast Trail.

The dream of creating a continuous oceanside walking route from the Columbia River to the California line dates back to 1971, when the Oregon Recreational Trails Advisory Council made the idea a matter of state policy.

Much of the route traverses sandy beaches or crosses rocky headlands. Maintained footpaths provide detours around some of the more rugged stretches, and travelers must sometimes consult pocket tide tables to take advantage of low water.

There also are portions where hikers have to walk on pavement.

LePage wants the state to finish the trail so users never have to do that.

"We're not talking about walking down the Oregon coast on Highway 101," said LePage, a dedicated trails advocate who lives in Portland and heads the National Coast Trail Association.

"A road is not a trail."

LePage began his encore hike of the Oregon Coast Trail on July 14, 20 years to the day after he began his first coastal trek. He plans to complete the journey on Aug. 12, just as he did in 1988, walking an average of 12 miles a day. He'll camp along the way, mostly in state parks.

So far, LePage has been struck by what hasn't changed. He cited Sunset Beach State Recreation Site as an example.

Today it's the terminus of the Fort to Sea Trail, a 6.5-mile path from the restored Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark made their quarters during the rainy, hungry winter of 1805-06. But the historic beach was preserved only after citizens stood up to protect it from development as a golf course and resort hotel.

"It was very close," LePage said.

LePage also has a bigger dream.

"My vision is to have what I call the West Coast Trail — 1,800 miles from Canada to Mexico," he told the Gazette-Times.

He's hiked that route, too, covering the 200-mile Washington leg in two weeks in 1992 and walking the 1,200-mile California portion over 3-½ months in 1996.