Mile 280 - North of Happy Camp, south of Oceanside - September 20, 2011

Report Details

Beautiful September day at the beach with 33 people enjoying the sunshine. Most were fishing for crab just in front of the Happy Camp boat launch. Several were out-of-town visitors who have come back to this spot over several years. 5 dogs walking with owners who were keeping them well controlled. There were recent tracks from vehicles in the sand but none present.The drift line was almost exclusively sea grass with no evidence of bull kelp. Scattered pebbles, broken sand dollars, mussel shells, and a couple of razor clam shells but overall, the beach was very clean sand the entire length of the mile.This was our first official visit so we took many pictures to set a baseline for observing any future changes.

Conditions

Temperature: 66 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 0.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 33. Number of dogs: 5. Walking or running: 20. Playing in surf: 1. Fishing: 12. People generally staying within Mile 280 having accessed the beach from the Happy Camp boat landing. No one seen to have come down from Mile 281, Oceanside.Several of the people we chatted with were from out-of-state having come on annual visits.

Concerns

Litter

Apparent violations: One deserted campfire with 12-14 beer cans, some partially burned.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 12.

Notable Wildlife

Only 7 seagulls seen within the mile. This seems like too few, but this is our first walk so we have no frame of reference.

Driftline Content

Shells, Small rocks. Almost exclusively sea grass in the drift line. No sign of bull kelp on this day. Scattered pebbles, a few broken shells

Man-made Modifications

We took several photos of existing modifications so that we can be aware of changes in future reports

Natural Changes

There are signs of cracks in the bluff up high and slides from the dunes down lower. We noted current conditions to compare with future visits

Actions & Comments

We are excited to be new volunteers and getting to know "our mile". Am I correct in thinking the The Capes development on the top of the bluff was surrounded in controversy several years ago? Are there specific things we should be looking for with regard to this area?