The Long Haul
I left my house a little after 11:20 this morning. The skies are starting to clear which is a pleasant surprise. I don’t think Dana Point saw any sun yesterday, at least not in my Capo Beach neighborhood. I was wondering if I’d see the sun again before July. Well, today’s answer is yes. It’s not a pristine and glorious sunshine but who am I to judge?
As I approach the Strand parking lot, it feels like things are getting brighter and there is more blue sky opening up above the water. It’s looking like it is going to be a bumpy ride today. The surface is quite ruffled and there is a fair amount of chop as well. This is fine. As I walk down the stairs, I can feel the sun on my shoulders and it feels delicious. There is a good breeze blowing but all in all things are quite pleasant. Construction work is in full swing as I turn onto the asphalt road heading to the shore. The ramp to the sand is completely blocked and I have to blaze a path down the boulders on the other side of the boardwalk path.
The tide is fairly high just coming down from a 3.9 and the water comes all the way up to the tractor treads. I skirt around the tractor and head to my usual spot. I left my pack up at the car. The water is probably about 61 so no risk of hypothermia today. There is some modest surf out but it is all blown out by the breeze.
I dive under the breaking waves and get past the surf and as I begin to swim south I can feel the current strong at my back. As I continue, I feel like I am being pushed along by a steady stream of wakes coming from the northwest. It’s pretty darn strong and I am wondering what the trip back north is going to be like.
Overall conditions are pretty delightful. The sun is really showing itself and the water feels nice. When I turn around, I resign myself for the long haul. I don’t know how long it’s going to take through this current but I figure I’ll get there eventually and try to just relax with this continual ambush of water. Based on my picture timestamps, this leg took 42 minutes - I average about 30.
Relax may not be the word I would use to describe what was happening on that stretch of the swim but at least that was my intention. I have to wonder just how many liters of salt water I ingested along the way. It was a challenge to stay oriented. Half the time I look up to find my bearings and align with the lifeguard tower, I can’t find it for the wakes in front of me or the water flowing over my head. As I lift my head to breath toward the horizon, there was no horizon to be found. It was pretty action packed but all in all it was enjoyable especially as I sit here thinking about it over coffee.
The cloud cover slowly gained dominance over the sky through the second half of the swim. Now that I’m heading south again, it feels like this last bit completes in practically no time at all and its time to head back to shore. I’m looking out for those waves I dove under on the way out but it seems like there is nothing left now and soon I feel the sandy bottom and lift myself to my feet in waist deep water.
I walk to the dry sand and around the tractor which doesn’t seem to have moved. This time I climb up the rocks just past the lifeguard hut and squeeze between the boardwalk railing and the lifeguard tower rails. The walk up the stairs is delightful and there is still enough sun out to feel the glow on my back.
