I'm not really a bug expert (my advisor let me skip the entomology class at WSU!) but in looking at a wide variety of insect websites and pages, I was leaning toward some type of fly or mosquito.  Looking at the images, I think your cool-looking insect resembles some type of snipe fly, for example look at the photo of the Little Snipe Fly:  

https://www.naturespot.org.uk/family/rhagionidae
https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/little-snipe-fly

Rhagionidae - Snipe flies

Rhagionidae are medium to large flies with slender bodies and stilt-like legs. The mouthparts are adapted for piercing and many species feed on blood, whilst others are predatory on other insects. They are typically brown and yellow flies, and lack bristles. The larvae are also predatory and are mostly terrestrial, although some are aquatic. Snipe flies in the genus Rhagio are sometimes called "down-looker" flies after their habit of perching head-downward on tree trunks.

I'm not 100% on this, because the websites I was reading were either in the United Kingdom or the Midwest here in USA, not on West Coast.  

From what I've read, they don't appear to harm plants or foliage, and may even be a good predator on aphids.  

Good luck puzzling this out!