Mile 317 Report
January 18, 2009
Perfect day at the beach, alarmingly warm, sunny, and clear, for a January day.
Report Details
Perfect day at the beach, alarmingly warm, sunny, and clear, for a January day. The parking lot at Ecola Point was completely full, and I am sure the Indian Beach lot would have been full had the road been open. About 30 people on the beach at 1:45pm, and left with final 8 people at sunset (5:15pm) for 1 1/2 mile hike back to Ecola Point parking lot. One car remaining as departed. Only unusual debris were bumper and barrel. Not much bird activity or small wildlife, but many elk seen throughout the visit.
Conditions
Temperature: 54 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Moderate.
Human Activities
Number of people: 30. Number of dogs: 1. Walking or running: 13. Playing in sand: 8. Sitting: 9. The road to Indian Beach was closed (mud slides? trees?) so there were no cars in the trailhead parking lot. Many people hiked to Indian Beach from Ecola Point parking lot. Very few shorebirds in relation to past visits, so no noticeable human disturbance. A lot of picnic litter and some leftover food (peas, carrots, bread, etc).
Concerns
Fire, Litter
Apparent violations: three beach fire rings.Notable Wildlife
4 elk near Ecola Point parking lot at 1:30pm, very disinterested in human activity. About 8 more elk seen at dusk near same location. A few seagulls flying near coastline.
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 1. Only white feathers remained in a pile.
Driftline Content
Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Shells, Small rocks, Styrofoam, Wood pieces. Large ship bumper and rusty barrel washed up in same location. (See photos)
Man-made Modifications
New wooden steps along coastline trail put in....some of which were uprooted and thrown aside due to recent storm; a tree crashed into steps.
Actions & Comments
A beautiful clear and sunny day at the beach, felt like summer! The beach road closure did not stop many people from hiking to Indian Beach.
Report Images
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