Vol. MMIV
Editor: Lloyd Johnson
The equinox is coming!
September 22nd is the date of the impending
equinox. The day and night will be equal in
length and the sun will cross into the southern
sky at 8:24 am. The sun will rise in the east,
rather than northeast, and set in the west, rather
than northwest. This marks the end of summer
and the beginning of fall. Soon the days
become shorter than the nights.
Longer
shadows and sunsets in the southwest will also
show us that summer is over.
The Beach in General:
Thousands of people have been taking
advantage of sunny weekends. Hundreds still
enjoyed sunny weekdays.
The entire month was filled with hot and sunny
days, though sometimes the sun didn’t burn
through the marine layer until nearly noon.
The water has been warm and clear,
temperatures near 70 degrees and visibility
about 50 feet. The water has been clear enough
that the reef, 30 feet underwater, can be seen
from the surface.
The seasonal loss of sand has already begun, as
of August 29th. High tides and big waves
reached far up the beach and took away some
sand, leaving a few trenches.
Past Events:
Black’s Beach Bares hosted Sunday picnics
through August. Some of the hot food from the
grill included hamburgers, cheeseburgers,
chicken, shish kabobs, sweet corn, hot dogs,
corn dogs, sausages, bratwurst, pineapple,
shrimp, salmon, pork loins, potatoes and
banana.
http://blacksbeach.org
Issue: September
Future Events:
The picnic season is drawing to a close. Only
five more picnics remain. Ice cream will be
made Labor Day. Come join us, even if you
don’t have something to share.
Sept 5
Sunday Picnic
Sept 6 Labor Day Picnic
Sept 12
Sunday Picnic
Sept 19
Sunday Picnic
Sept 26
Sunday Picnic
Spring Tide:
Spring tide is a condition of very high and very
low tides in the same 24 hours. The highest
tides typically occur at about 9am and 9pm. As
a result, we get a wide beach during the busy
day and it gets narrower late in the afternoon.
Don’t be caught off guard. Back off before the
biggest wave soaks your stuff. Keys are very
hard to find in the surf and towels are heavy
when soaked. Keep in mind that the tides a few
days before and after are comparably high, as
are the tides 12 hours apart.
Sep
Sep
Oct
Oct
14
28
14
28
moon
new
full
new
full
low
-0.2
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
6.1
6.2
6.5
6.6
high
9:59pm
10:09am
9:49am
9:44am
While the highest tides are closely tied to the
new and full moon, this month they are actually
a little higher a few days before and the
seasonal loss of sand means our highest tides
will come higher than you might expect.
info@blacksbeach.org
Vol. MMIV
Editor: Lloyd Johnson
Torrey Pines Reef II:
It seems many people are unaware of the
artificial reef offshore. It’s about 1/2 km
directly west the Black’s Beach Bares picnic
area. Several people swim to it daily, using
markers on the cliff to triangulate. Only two
swimmers have managed to swim thirty feet
down to the reef, but with good visibility, the
reef is visible from the surface.
Some of the wildlife near the surface includes
cormorants, yellowtail and kelp bass. Life on
the reef is much more varied. So far garibaldi,
sculpin, halibut and a keyhole limpet have been
identified. Many smaller blue fish have been
seen, but not identified. Since we sometimes
find crabs and lobster near shore, it’s likely
they will be found on the reef too.
Some people wear masks and fins. Some
people even use a body board. Capable
swimmers are welcome to join us. Most people
take more than thirty minutes for the round-trip
swim.
There is also an effort to organize a scuba
expedition to the reef, on or about October 1st.
That would be about the time lobster season
begins. Interested parties should contact us
through the website.
Issue: September
Parking Lots:
A few potholes have developed at the entrance
to the parking lot. Users should be careful that
they don’t bottom out their car. Somebody has
partially filled that with gravel, but it’s hardly a
permanent repair.
The parking lot is often locked promptly at
8pm. Newcomers should know how to get out
if they find it locked before they leave. Left of
that gate and a ways across the gravel lot is
another exit. Look to the right.
Stingrays and Jellyfish:
There are stingrays in our water all year, even
knee deep. Sting rays don’t attack people, but
if you step on one, you will learn that their
defense mechanism is very painful. It’s treated
with heat. Bury the affected area in hot sand.
The pain takes hours to pass and rarely requires
medical attention.
Jellyfish are seen washed up on the beach, but
how many people give thought to the fact that
there must also be some in the water. These
animals are unable to see you and pursue you,
especially near the shore. They are very much
victims of water currents. If you see one in the
water, note the direction the water takes them
and keep out of the way. Even a dead piece of
a jellyfish stings on contact.
Beach Toys:
Black’s Beach Bares continues to supply a
wide selection of beach toys for general use.
Body boards, football, Frisbees, sand castle
molds, shovels, paddleball and dive masks are
some of the things we make available.
If stung, don’t spread it by scratching.
Untreated, the itch passes quickly. Lifeguards
spray on rubbing alcohol, but it’s unclear that it
actually helps. Rinsing with seawater may be
just as effective.
Trail and Cliffs:
The Black’s Beach Bares picnic area just north
of Valentine Slide continues to be unstable.
Dust and gravel slide down almost daily.
Eventually that will undermine the larger rocks
and bring them down. The rocks you see on
the beach probably fell there recently. Try not
to be there when more come down.
Subscriptions:
Ten newsletters are published yearly.
Subscriptions via US mail are $10/year. For
email subscriptions, I ask a $2/year donation.
Free copies can still be obtained on the beach,
or downloaded from the website. So far the
disk quota still allows space for a complete
newsletter archive.
http://blacksbeach.org
info@blacksbeach.org