Events:
If you were present December 3^rd, you were probably wondering what happened to the abalone cookout and birthday party.  I hiked down to the beach at about 9:30, despite the cold and the fog.  By 12:00 I admitted that it not clear or warm up, and there wouldn’t be many people anyway.

I abandoned my party plans and hiked up.  I’m told it did clear and warm up that day, but there weren’t many people on the beach.  I hope you were not one of the few who were disappointed.

I will have other opportunities to hunt abalone.  And we will sponsor other activities at times when better weather is likely.  We will be doing picnics Memorial Day, July 4^th and Labor Day.

Weather, Tide and Cliff Concerns:
For the half of December that I was in San Diego we enjoyed moderate temperatures.  Typically it was warm on the beach from 10am to 2pm.

Now it’s January and I’ve been to the beach a few times already.  I’m finding warm weather until about 4pm lately.

I’m also finding the tide so high and so much sand has been moved to under the surf that it often forces us against the cliffs.  We should all be mindful of the cliffs and consider carefully where to sit.  I have witnessed a few rock slides myself and it would be tragic to lose somebody to one of these rock slides.

Even if the tide is not very high, the last high tide has left us with wet sand.  You might consider a waterproof barrier to sit on.  I know my towel is always damp at the end of the day.

We lost the bulletin board in the north to the January 12^th storm.  I found the post and broken board laying on the beach.  I intend to have that back up soon enough for you to read this newsletter there.

Access:
Our clothing optional beach survives because it’s a state beach, but the trail belongs to the city.

San Diego has been hit with our first big storm.  Our trail suffered serious damage.  Apparently the city closed it during the storm, which makes sense.

I found the trail to be very slippery near the bottom January 13^th.  The sand bags at the bottom held up for the most part, but the soil between them was lost.

Apparently Black’s Beach Diggers did some trail restoration and it was already much improved that same day.  I understand one of the Diggers, Steve, was cited for trail construction while I was out of town.  I saw Robert cited January 14^th.

Robert is seeking legal representation.  If you can be of assistance, please contact him at rms@cts.com.

Bad News in California:
We have fared well here in San Diego, but our northern neighbors have suffered some serious loses.

Last summer Santa Barbara lost all three clothing optional beaches.   It now seems that they might regain one, More Mesa.

Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks both passed anti-nudity ordinances.  These ordinances might have been voted down if more local residents would have spoken against them.

It is my hope that when this challenge comes to our beach, we will be well represented in that council meeting.  Even if you are an outsider, remember another word for what you are, tourist.

Other Clubs Nearby:
For those of you seeking clothing optional activity, and the beach scene just isn’t enough for you, I’m listing here a few other places you might consider.

There are two landed clubs in the area, Swallows and De Anza Springs.

There are travel clubs like Camping Bares and Naturally California.

Etiquette:
I have not had nude beach etiquette posted in a while.  It’s always worth it to keep newcomers informed.

Nude beach etiquette is a set of standards, often left unspoken.  It leaves offenders without the excuse of ignorance.  Etiquette informs newcomers what to expect and that they are not alone.  Nobody should feel that they are facing rude people alone.

This page last updated February 1, 2001 by Lloyd Johnson
Send Lloyd email.