Before the Storm
Early start today at 7:00. I want to beat the incoming storm that is supposed to bring wind and rain around 10:00. Right now there is still a fair amount of blue sky out and the American flag at the end of Camino El Molino is perfectly still which means no wind. The morning surf report says conditions are expected to change quickly and I’m hoping to finish my swim before things go too far south.
This will likely be the last solid swim window until Tuesday, and given the wind due this evening until the end of the night on Sunday, we may lose our 60 degree water temps. So I’m going to enjoy it while it is here.
When I get to The Strand, there is still no wind and it is quite pleasant out. It’s in the mid 50’s according to my phone but it feels pretty comfortable. Looking out to the horizon there are lots of clouds all the way from south to north in multiple layers, but a large pool of blue sky dominates just over the water here at Strands and Salt Creek.
At the lower bathrooms, there is a big sign stating “Revetment Restoration” by the County of Orange. Ok, well now that explains what that tractor, which is still down there, is doing. Yesterday I noticed it was definitely working on the rocks lining the bottom of the bluff which would be the revetment.
The tide is high - about 4.4 - and there is still several feet of open sand to walk on. Tide is still coming up but I’m pretty confident the water will still be west of the rocks by the time I finish. The water feels warmer today on my feet. When I get in the water and start to swim, I don’t have the shock to my arms that I’ve had the last few swims. I feel good.
Although the water lacks the initial cold shock, it also lacks the residual warmth from the day’s sun. So while it lacks the low’s it also lacks the highs. That’s quite all right. It is more than fine and the cold is like a blanket of positive energy that wraps itself around me.
The sun is just coming over the edge of the bluff and it is difficult to make out the shore as it shines in my face. At times I can’t tell if I am too fare near the shore or too far out. By the time I get to the south side of the beach, I can hear the surfer’s voices and the large rock that us usually 50 - 100 feet in shore is parallel to me so I make a sharp right to put some space between me and the rock.
I stop and take in the view. It’s pretty darn nice. The view north is dramatic with clouds and blue sky splattered all over the place.
As I swim north, I begin to sense a change in mood here. The water is becoming a bit more bumpy and the clouds are gaining territory. I’m fixing my stare on this hole of blue sky out to the northwest. It’s a beautiful thing to look at. The water is dark - a greenish, brownish hue. I see my hands and arms clearly as the dig into the water in front and beside me.
I’m making really fast headway to the lifeguard tower at the point. When I arrive parallel to the bathrooms and just a little farther, I’m astonished how fast that all went by. I don’t have a watch or any other time piece so I am not sure how this compares to normal but it certainly feels fast.
There is definitely a breeze blowing now and as I look south I can see the waves breaking at the south end of the beach and watch their back spray like a comet’s tail fly behind the face.
I head back south to finish up and in just a little bit I see a few kayakers moving pretty fast beside me. I’m not sure if they saw me. Neither of us acknowledge each other. They look pretty busy.
Over the remainder of the swim I am just drinking in the goodness that is here on offer. I’m no longer anxious at all about conditions becoming hectic. How bad can it get in the next 10 minutes? When I walk to shore, there is still a slice of sand between the water and the rocks where my pack is, but the waves roll all the way up to the cement ramp forcing some beach walkers to run for it.
As I walk up the stairs to my car, I watch the palm branches in the trees above me flailing in the breeze. It’s a different scene from when I got here. I stop by my folks afterwards and then on the way home just after 10:00 it begins to rain in earnest. Right on schedule.
