Jon and Jamshid and I went hiking at Castle Rock. Jamshid suggested it because it's not as steep as some other hikes we've tried. Neither Jamshid nor Jon hikes all that often. Here are Jon (with beard) and Jamshid (without) sitting next to the first big sandstone outcrop we came across. This one was unusual in that it had inclusions of harder rock in it. I don't remember seeing that in the other sandstone outcrops at the park.
The above outcrop was on a spur on the path that lead to a peak with many more sandstone outcrops, of which I didn't take a photo. There was a group there in full climbing gear practicing on one of the taller rocks. I kind of wanted to climb it myself with just my hands and feet, although using an easier path up of course. But I decided not to since they'd already staked their claim to that rock.
We went back down to the main trail and continued along to the falls overlook. Here is a confusingly angled photo to study:
Further along, the train skirted the side of a steep bluff. The views were not entirely spectacular, comprising mostly dense evergreens covering every hill.
From some other vantage points, we thought maybe we could see the ocean. Or was that just low clouds?
After stopping at a bench for a rest, we decided to head back rather than risk wearing ourselves out. We took the direct route back and were back at the car in no time. We probably totalled 4 or 5 miles. Jamshid claimed that this was a good distance.
