Mile 121 Report
August 1, 2021
by brentlerwill
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Trail to east end of lighthouse beach
east end
Looking west toward lighthouse
east end
East end
Large wood beam with bolts
Cape Arago Lighthouse
Steps from private property onto the beach
Concrete structure from private property to the beach to stableize hill.
Steps from private property onto the beach
Drain pipe from private property onto the beach
Drain pipes from private property onto the beach
Drain pipe from private property onto the beach
Steel rod in the sand.Midway on beach
No trespassing signs at west entrance that has been public access for many years. Not put up by property owner.West end near lighthouse. Off Lighthouse Way.
Other Mile 121 Reports (38)
2020
2019
March 11, 2019 - Emily K
Lots of large wood on beach. More kelp beds than I remember offshore (low tide made visibility better).
2018
September 18, 2018 - Emily K
Access to beach improved. Rocks on trail down to beach.
2017
April 15, 2017 - Emily K
Lots of small pieces of styrofoam at highest/storm tide level on beach. Quite a few beach-walkers with dogs and kids. Most dogs on leash or within control of owners.
2016
August 31, 2016 - Emily K
It appears there is a lot of bluff erosion. Lots of slides, cracks, and slumping of bluff. Saw some pipes coming from bluff to beach, so there are efforts to divert water. Also saw a concrete...
April 24, 2016 - Anonymous
First time surveying this beach. Was not able to survey all of beachline due to high tide. Should be surveyed at low tide and not during storm surge due to short width of beach and proximity of...
2014
June 18, 2014 - LouiseW
Still at least one small piece of dock visible on beach. Too heavy for me to carry. Small concentration of pellets around trail, few on cliffs and in protected pockets, but think most of it is...
April 24, 2014 - LouiseW
Good excuse yesterday to walk the beach to look for tsunami debris. Break in the storms and was almost tropical. Saw no tsunami debris, but still see dock debris and many styrofoam pellets....
March 14, 2014 - LouiseW
Good infill on beach. Styrofoam pellets from dock accident being buried by sand. Cliff sides and grassy areas above tideline still hold many pellets. Cove on south end had some concrete pieces of...
2013
December 15, 2013 - LouiseW
Minor erosion of cliff in 2-3 places. Very good infill of sand. More folks (14) using this beach than in the past with 6 walking, 5 surfing and 3 playing in the surf. Someone cut crude steps into the...
September 19, 2013 - LouiseW
Good infill on beach. Was excited about so little trash at first until I came upon two fire sites that were filled with discarded bottles and cans. Even a pizza box. Sometimes we humans are very...
June 24, 2013 - LouiseW
This is always my favorite time of year to do this walk. The cliffs are full of clover and yellow flowers. There are usually small birds singing away. All along the beach good infill of sand. Very...
March 22, 2013 - LouiseW
Shells, kelp/algae, wood, plactic and Styrofoam in the driftline. Many logs and milled wood. Two people and three dogs on beach. Property at 89227 Cape Arago Hwy undergoing major construction on...
2012
December 21, 2012 - LouiseW
More houses getting noticably closer to edge of cliff. A new large eroded area visible. Even at low tide, large waves making it hazardess to walk on the north end of the beach. Visible rock on beach...
September 15, 2012 - LouiseW
Driftline high and wide especially on south end of beach. Large pile of kelp and seaweed under cliff on south end. Unusual finds: thick nylon rope as from a ship on S end. Will need removal. Wooden...
June 21, 2012 - LouiseW
Charmed by the beach this AM as I often am. Cliffs full of flowers: Asters, clustered white flowers(water parsley?)and common monkey flower. Small birds twitter and hop from branch to rock along the...
March 18, 2012 - LouiseW
The piece of a dock that was reported in December remains on the beach. Folk are using it as a trash can. Guess that could be better than throwing trash all over. Waiting for Person Phillips from...
2011
December 22, 2011 - LouiseW
A peaceful and beautiful evening with a calm sea. Shells, kelp/algae, wood pieces, plastic and Styrofoam in driftline. Landslides with visible retreat of the bluff exposing tree roots. High tides at...
September 20, 2011 - LouiseW
Small amounts of gravel with some boulders falling from cliffs. Huge amount of kelp and woody debris and some animal casings. Someone has made artsy piles of rock on large stumps and on cliffs....
June 20, 2011 - LouiseW
The driftline is full of kelp, and the beach has a strong odor. Wood pieces and plastic also in the driftline. A large piece of plastic too large to remove from beach. Sand infilling above the...
March 22, 2011 - LouiseW
A house that is about a yard from the top of bluff has more landscaping plastic showing. Wonder what the plan is for this house. It is bound to tumble into the sea in the next few years. More rock...
2010
December 18, 2010 - LouiseW
Some exposed rock, but not much considering the weather lately. Animal casings, large amounts of kelp, small rocks, wood, land- and ocean based debris, rope, and a large plank from a boat or dock in...
September 21, 2010 - LouiseW
Sea Lions resting on rocks at south end of mile. Small landslides with cracks on bluff continuing to open. Good infill of sand on beach. Wrack exposed only at one place on beach. Kelp/algae, shells...
June 23, 2010 - LouiseW
Less trash than normally found, although someone made a pile of bottles, etc. behind a log that I will have pick up later. Cormorants continue to kill trees on the southern end of the beach. Many...
March 21, 2010 - LouiseW
The beach has good infill, which is what it usually does this time of the year. Rock is visible below high tide line, but lots of sand above. The lighthouse island looks very green, but the trees...
2009
December 25, 2009 - LouiseW
This beach never ceases to amaze me. When other beaches are loosing sand this one is in-filling. Sometimes in summer it is down to rock. The drainage pipes are making numerous small streams that...
September 19, 2009 - LouiseW
In-fill of sand above high-tide line except on extreme south end of beach. Quite a steep slant which I have never seen before on this beach. Seem to be more small caves in cliffs than I remember....
June 23, 2009 - LouiseW
Kelp/algae and styrofoam in driftline. Nesting cormorants. Moderate human impact (8)-2 walking, 1 tidepooling and 5 gathering shellfish--23 dogs. Three people on an island during low tide.
March 17, 2009 - LouiseW
The areas described in my last report that were down to rock have again filled in with sand. This beach seems to do the opposite of most in that it fills in during the winter & washes out to rock...
2008
December 20, 2008 - LouiseW
It is always a pleasure to visit this beach. From just south of the first headland heading north there were sheets of volcanic rock and bolders with only pockets of sand. There was more sea flora...
September 19, 2008 - LouiseW
Lots less trash than previously. Plastic bottles were prevalent, but I actually saw no Styrofoam. Animal casings, kelp/algae, wood pieces and land-based debris in the driftline. More cormorants on...
June 22, 2008 - LouiseW
A few gulls foraging in the surf. Kelp/algae, shells and many crushed and broken barnacles, animal casings, wood pieces, land-based debris, plastic pellets and Styrofoam in the driftline. One...
March 16, 2008 - LouiseW
Kelp, shells, wood pieces, land-based debris, plastic pellets and Styrofoam in the driftline. Four dead birds: 1 gull, 2 Northern Fulmars and 1 White-winged Scoter. A few shorebirds foraging in...
2007
September 19, 2007 - LouiseW
Much kelp/algae, many animal casings, some shells and much wood pieces in driftline. Shorebirds foraging in surfline. A large dead decomposing Humpback Whale on south end of beach. Gulls and...
June 18, 2007 - LouiseW
Kelp, wood pieces, plastic pellets, land-based debris and styrofoam in driftline. Landslides and major boulder falls. Sand moving onshore. Rock only exposed at south end of beach. very steep...
March 22, 2007 - LouiseW
Kelp/algae, shells, animal casings, wood pieces, plastic pieces, bottles, and styrofoam in driftline. Foraging shorebirds in driftline. One dead Rhinoceros Auklet. Three new drainage pipes. Sand...
2006
December 31, 2006 - LouiseW
Wood pieces and large amount of land-based debris, plastic pellets and Styrofoam in driftline. Large amounts of rock exposed on beach, mostly around permitted concrete structure. Walked with C....
