In case you're stranded on The Rock...

First, a little background. The town of Pacific City is on the Oregon Coast, about an hour and a half from here. In PC, as many people call it, there is a single rock jutting up from the ocean, about a mile from shore. This is one of two "Haystack Rocks" on the Oregon Coast, and the thing is absolutely mammoth. Here's a picture of what we affectionately call The Rock.



This is the first picture I could find quickly, so look past the copyright and you'll see the rock standing out beyond the sand of Cape Kiwanda. The Rock is so huge that as we drive into town we can spot it 3 miles before we arrive at the beach. Rachel and I play a silly game of I-Spy where the answer each time is "The Rock."

I-Spy something with my little eye. Something.... gray.
Is it The Rock?
Yes!
My turn.
Ok.
I-Spy something with my little eye. Something.... really big.
Is it The Rock?
Yes!
Now it's my turn.
Ok.
I-Spy something with my little eye. Something.... covered in bird poop.
Is it The Rock?
Yes!

By this time we have arrived and the dog is going bonkers in the back of the van because he sees other dogs on the beach roaming around off- leash and the nonsense is temporarily put on hold.

The Rock, a mile out, has no dock, no pedestrian facilities, no hiking trail, nothing. Nothing to grab onto if you swim out there and need to rest. It's just a rock. A really really big rock. There are sea lions and seagulls who hang out and eat mussels and other critters that may cling to it or swim in the waters, but no humans are legally allowed on or within a certain perimeter of the rock. The sea lions would probably take a bite out of you if you got close, anyway. They're pretty darn territorial and your smell is not of their tribe. The Dory Boat captains who jet on and off the beach are the only humans who get close, but even they maintain their distance from The Rock.

So today we were checking cell phone coverage for our area and pulled up this map. The Peninsula just north of Pacific City is Cape Kiwanda, upon which I sat as I took the above picture. The green dot just west of the Cape is the rock.

Imagine our endless amusement when we realized that in fact there is decent cell coverage on The Rock. In case you get stranded, I guess.



Be sure to check Pam's Inbox for today's giggle: