Mile 55 Report
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
December 25, 2015
A beautiful day for my first mile summary; a Christmas present, indeed.
Report Details
A beautiful day for my first mile summary; a Christmas present, indeed. The beach was, as usual, sparsely populated around sunset/low tide. Not much wildlife to be seen, other than the usual tidepool creatures. Could observe the ocean side of needle rock and the usually offshore smaller rocks, and was able to climb around the lighthouse point to see the hidden beach on the other side (but I didn't go because it was getting late). The shoreline and beach saw the effects of the storms and king tides, with landslides, new sand drifts, debris, and driftwood pileup along the top of the beach near the cliffs, including a logjam of about 20 feet of large logs blocking the access road completely and making it difficult to get through without climbing. Someone found a large 5-ft buoy in the rocks at Lighthouse point that he decided to take home, rolling it down the beach. Other marine debris (perhaps from the Jamie K, which wrecked there in fall?) had washed ashore near the point.
Conditions
Temperature: 50 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: -1.0 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 6. Number of dogs: 2. Walking or running: 6.
Vehicles
Notable Wildlife
The minus tide allowed for more observation of a robust population of large green anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) and several orange and purple sea stars. A few nesting coromants, not as many as I've seen.
Driftline Content
Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Styrofoam, Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). A 5-ft diameter buoy had washed into rocks and two people were rolling it down the beach
Natural Changes
Newly exposed roots/trees falling, Erosion of vegetated foredune. Landslides/major boulder falls; Minor landslides on sandstone cliffs, sand pileup next to cliffs, caves dug out of cliff with debris inside them, lots of big and small driftwood, including logjam of 20 feet or so in front of the road access to beach, blocking it from vehicles.
Report Images
All Mile 55 Reports
Mile 55
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
No major changes noted. There also seemed to be a larger colony of Brandt's Cormorants breeding on Needle Rock than we have seen in past years. Also, we found less plastic marine debris than normal and we carried out a small bag of rope and plastics back to our vehicle. A few Western Gulls and Turkey Vultures, and what may have been River Otter tracks on the beach.
Bruce Williams
Mile 55
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
Beach could use a cleanup as Cape Blanco is a known "catcher beach". Erosion was very evident in multiple places including slides on rock bluffs and slumping of clay-based bluffs at the northern end of the beach.
Bruce Williams
Mile 55
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
This beautiful beach is accessed by a road in the campground in Cape Blanco State Park.
KFunk
Mile 55
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
Wanted to document the driftwood pile-up that's been in place for the past few weeks at Cape Blanco beach.
Anonymous
Mile 55
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
A beautiful day for my first mile summary; a Christmas present, indeed.
Anonymous
Mile 55
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
A very nice day.
dot108@frontier.com
Mile 55
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
Beautiful dayHi Ed I filed a report today.
dot108@frontier.com
Mile 55
South of Cape Blanco, north of CG beach access road
Great morning on a beautiful beach.
malachite