Report Details

Conditions

Temperature: 54 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: NW. Tide Level: 1.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 146. Number of dogs: 18. Walking or running: 75. Playing in surf: 6. Playing in sand: 12. Sitting: 24. Photography: 3. Tidepooling: 20. Surfing: 2. Kayaking: 2. Other Activities: Tenting?, harvesting muscles:2, parasailing on dune:2, bike riding, (e-bikes):2. It was Monday, so not as busy as the weekend. People mostly spaced apart, one dory was leaving the beach when we arrived. The sand is soft and deep to access the paved ramp. Many spectators watching. People mostly in small groups, no large gatherings. 10 people beyond the newly fenced area on the cape

Concerns

Climbing bluffs/seastacks, Shellfish or invertebrate collection

Apparent violations: Harvesting muscles is illegal in this area, the pair had about a five gallons of muscles in a cooler. I informed them it was not allowed, they stopped and left.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 100. Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 3. Cars/trucks on beach, prohibited: 2.

Notable Wildlife

1 bald eagle flying and circling over the condo units. Small black birds, about 50 in water off the west end of the cape. Appear to be scoters, pigeon guillemots and double crested cormorants. Sea stars appear to be healthy, no wasting seen. Sand is covering some of the recently exposed areas of rocks covering anenomies, muscles and barnacles. Very few seagulls seen

Driftline Content

Wood pieces, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.). Flowers in arrangements and wreaths near sand mounds surrounded by moats. Multiple pits dug in sand along the high tide area. Human activity. A recent beach clean up by The Dorymans Association has made an improvement in the amount debris along this area.

New Development

Bluff development. New fencing along bluffs in addition to new signage warning about dangerous cliffs. The path up sand dune has been widened, assume this was from heavy equipment driving up to the top to deliver materials for fencing. Paths along dune at cape show heavy usage. A few dead trees still standing, with one laying down the face of the dune and a 2’ diameter by 8’ portion of a tree half way down the dune. Large driftwood trees over the winter have been cut up, pieces laying on the sand. Evidence of beach fires. Vehicle access to the shore is restricted to boat launching. One vehicle pulling a dory observed, other cars on beach may have launched kayaks but no trailers were evident on 2 of the 3 remaining parked.

Man-made Modifications

Dune modification/removal. Trail widened up sand dune, new fencing on cape

Natural Changes

Landslides/major boulder falls, Visible retreat of solid bluff. The cape sandstone continues to erode. New large boulders near the east end on the cape are evident, leaving an area with a significant undercut overhead. Concern is this area is frequented by picnickers and day users because it is protected by the wind. A potential collapse in this area could be dangerous. Increased erosion on the end of the cape, in the bowl area shows exposed rock where sand was recently covering this area. People frequently cross over the fenced areas as evidenced by trails and visual observations of people in the closed areas.

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All Mile 261 Reports

Showing 8 of 49 reports

Mile 261

March 9, 2024

Wow what a change from last month! State Parking lot is closed for a couple of months while construction on the new parking lot and restroom continues. The tree ( object I show as a measure of sand deposition ) is really getting uncovered! Survey also for COASST, no beached birds or mammals found. The beach access point at the north end of Bob Straub State Park is still unusable for vehicles, due to a massive erosion event and 5 foot sharp edges to the beach.

Eric Matthews

Mile 261

February 7, 2024

A lot of winter damage to the foredunes noted. Construction workers working on the new boat ramp and replacing and relocating some drainage pipes. Photos showing bulldozer shift sand by residence. 1 dory and 3 fishermen getting picked up

Eric Matthews

Mile 261

November 3, 2023

Nice 58 degree mild winds.

MatthewsE

Mile 261

October 3, 2023

Weather: Cloudy and Wintery, High tide today 3.

MatthewsE

Mile 261

September 4, 2023

Really a great day!

MatthewsE

Mile 261

August 2, 2023

Drift- Wrack and Surf Zones seem to differ along the beach.

MatthewsE

Mile 261

July 11, 2023

Nice smooth beach Foredunes are nice and smooth, no sharp edges.

MatthewsE

Mile 261

June 1, 2023

Beach is very smooth, no berms built up.

MatthewsE