The Beach Returns

I left just a little after 9:00 this morning. Conditions are similar to yesterday. Sunny skies and a light breeze. There are some clouds looming to the north and also far off shore to the west.

I do see a couple surfers out at Doheny today as I cross the San Juan creek bridge. I’m not sure if they have reopened the beach or if this group just didn’t get the memo. They are in a less popular spot right in front of the river mouth which I would think would be ground zero for sewage since that is exactly where it entered.

When I get to the parking lot at the Strand, the water looks more settled and still than it did yesterday.

I head down the steps and can feel some warmth from the sun and hear the birds chirping. It’s nice.

When I get to the beach I am delighted to see an actual beach. The tide is probably at about 1.5 feet and there is a sliver of sand one can walk on all the way up the north end of the beach. Normally a 1.5 would provide a good 30 foot breadth of shore line. Today we get about 7. What is striking is how the rocks that sit at the base of the bluff seem to stretch out and claim the first five feet of shore. We have lost a good 6 feet of depth in the sand cover here since the Fall.

So I have to scramble over this five foot expanse of rock which is a bit awkward with bare feet since it is mostly small to medium sized rocks. Then I climb up about three levels of boulders to get to a spot where I know my pack won’t get wet or be in the way of others.

After coming back down to the sand, a gentleman strikes up a conversation with me and we talk about one of my favorite topics: swimming in the ocean. He assumes I was previously a competitive swimmer and I assure him I was not. The surfer I talked with yesterday assumed this was my triathlon training. Nope. I’m just here because I love it.

I make my way out in the water. The west swell that was here yesterday is still around but it is a tad smaller today. It still feels like it takes forever and consumes a good bit of energy to make it past the surfline even though, like yesterday, the waves are small and mushy.

There are a couple surfers out here. The main surf spot on this beach is about a hundred yards south, but it does look like the waves are better here right now, and there are too many exposed rocks in the usual spot.

I begin swimming south and am looking for one of those clear water openings that I usually encounter around here and that tend to provide warmer water. Not today. I have to say the water feels colder today than it did yesterday - not by much. I manage to get in a full swim even if my pinky fingers felt a bit stiff at the end.

Just like it looked from the parking lot, the currents are not nearly as strong today and the south end of the swim is pretty tame unlike yesterday and I feel safe enough to get to my usual turn around point.

Now for the long leg to the north end of the beach. I’m trying to stay in my body. I focus my awareness on the feeling of my feet kicking against the surface of the water. As usual, there is a part of me that just wants to get to the north end right now this second. I try to settle my mind and my ambitions to embrace where I am right now. To be content with how I feel right now and relax into the cold and into the repetitive activity of kicking and paddling. Just stay with these sensations. I feel the cold generating an energy in and under my skin. I notice my arms and breath working hard in the constant move forward.

While the water is super cloudy and I do not see an inch of ocean floor the entire swim, I do see several branches of kelp that are tall enough to reach the surface. They rise up and then stretch out to the north just below the water. I feel my hands brush against the wide smooth and slippery leaves. I always enjoy that. Then I feel them intersect with my torso then legs and finally my feet as I pass over them.

Well here I am. I’m just past the northern bathrooms and it is time to head back. I grab a few photos and I’m on my way.

It always feels like it is slow going up through the first few houses (can we call these houses? They look more like castles). Then the remainder of the swim goes by more quickly.

I enter the surf break and easily make my way to shore. The tide has definitely come up. Those few feet of shore disappear regularly now as the surf rolls in. Many of the beach walkers are now walking the foot path above the boulders along the bluff.

I scramble my way to my pack and dry off from a seated position. The trek back down to the sand takes some effort and then I make my way back to the stairs.

Yes, I am definitely colder on the ascent to the parking lot today than I was yesterday. Two steps forward, one step back I guess. I’m just going to keep my eyes on that 60 degree mark. It’s bound to happen eventually.