A Season on the Sand
- Bethe
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
As we close the book on another summer season, our hearts are full. So many wonderful memories were made on the sand this year, and we want to take a moment to look back with you.
This was the first full season our artistic team was not led by Denny Dyke, who stepped into retirement last year. James, Cathy, Bethe, and newest team member Matt found their groove early on, working together amid laughter, creativity, and joy. James took the lead as the creator of this year's labyrinths and brought along a new dual rake that gave us consistently wide paths and new shapes to walk. Returning visitors noticed the difference right away.
One of the questions we hear most often is how we decide where to draw on the sand. The honest answer is that the beach decides, and sometimes the wind does too. If you look closely at our labyrinth photos, you will notice how often we are close to standing water, or how we tuck into a spot that is sheltered from blowing sand. We are always watching the low tide and timing our work before it turns to a rising tide. We have little control over where a path will land on any given day. We simply embrace what the beach gives us and make it happen.
This was also the first year we consistently had a team of Circles volunteers stationed as ambassadors in the parking lot and along the cliff area. They answered visitors' questions, brought out the bubble wands, and helped direct overflow parking down the road. Denny could be found up there most days too, chatting happily with anyone who wanted to talk.
We continued our partnership with the Fish and Wildlife ambassadors this season. Ed or Becky were with us nearly every day, offering a short and informative talk on marine life and beach stewardship so this place can be enjoyed for generations to come. Saturday also coincided with the Alzheimer's Memory Walk, a cause we have partnered with for many years now. We created a separate Memory Circle that day, a space where people could write the names of those they have lost to the disease.
It always feels like our season ends too soon, since there is still some summer left on the calendar. But the tides set our schedule, not us, and we have run out of low morning tides and high overnight tides for the rest of August. The good news is that this is when we shift into sunset labyrinth walks. Follow us on our website, www.sandypathbandon.com, for updates on impromptu sunset walks from October through March. Our 2027 summer schedule will be posted there soon as well.
We closed out the season with a few firsts. On our final day, Saturday, our theme was Love, and it could not have been more fitting. Denny came back to the sand to work alongside James on the last path of the year. Wet sand conditions in an area that is not usually so wet meant they had to draw the path close to Cathedral Rock, creating a long and skinny labyrinth. They even incorporated the remnants of Friday's labyrinth into the design, since the overnight high tide had not quite washed it all away. That was a first.
The true highlight of the day was a slot through Cathedral Rock that is usually unpassable due to standing water or rocky terrain. This time it was open. James dragged his rake right through the slot, so the path entered on one side of the rock and exited the other before looping back around to the north end. Walking through that little tunnel as part of the labyrinth was a thrill and an unexpected surprise even for our locals and frequent visitors who know this beach so well. That was a first too. We feel so lucky to have these amazing sea stacks along our coastline, and to weave a path through one of them felt like something close to sacred.
Video by Sirena Rana
Thank you to every volunteer who gave their time this season, in the parking lot, on the cliff, and out on the sand. And thank you to everyone who walked with us, whether in person or in spirit. We are so grateful for this community and everything we built together this year. And we extend our thanks to the Oregan State Parks for their support of our activities on the beach.
We are already dreaming up some new experiences for next year, so stay tuned.
See you on the sand,
Team Circles
P.S. We will be in Florence on October 24, 2026
Photo and video credits:
James Ferreira
June Davies
Sirena Rana
Bethe Patrick
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