Show us pictures of where you ride your ebikes!

[6zfshdb]

Gorgeous September day today — perfect for a 16 mi coast ride south with neighbor and friend DW. Recently reported the beach and bluff damage we surveyed by ebike along the 7 mi of coast north of our neighborhood. This ride extended the survey 7 mi to our south.

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First stop was to check out South Ponto Beach at lower tide than last time. There's always a high cobble berm here, but waves from first Genevieve and then Marie made substantial changes to its profile — including a marked steepening of its seaward face.

There'd normally be at least a little sand showing below the berm here at mid-ebb, but not a grain in sight. To the south, we could see uprights belonging to the wooden Grandview beach stairway peeking over the lower bluff, only not so upright now. Checking that out would be our next stop.

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Meanwhile, we admired a neat row of maybe 8 cobble stacks left along the South Ponto berm crest, 2 of which are see here.

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Quite a feat considering that these thoroughly rounded and very tough cobbles seldom have any flat spots and can't be given flat spots with any amout of pounding.

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Sure enough, the Grandview steps had just been closed due to a new post-Marie bluff failure. Sadly, they'd just reopened a month earlier after a year of repairs due to — you guessed it — a previous bluff failure.

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Just as we were discussing how many more of these repairs Encinitas would fund, I noticed this chalked message. Couldn't quite make it out, but it appeared to be a plea to the city not to give up on the Grandview steps — probably from a surfer, as they're the only access to a very popular beach break right below.

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Next stop was the recently repaired bluff and bluff-face walkway above Beacon's Beach. No clear wave damage here.

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Last stop was Moonlight Beach, the site of a previously reported major sand replenishment project just 6 months ago.

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Definitely some sand loss both north and south, but much less than I'd feared.

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In the distance to the south, a mansion-covered bluff with waves still against its base at mid-ebb. Much of the sand added down there 2½ years ago seems be gone, and with it, some much-needed wave energy absorption.

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Love this late morning light on the water. Lots of surfers out at Moonlight, but as usual, not a lot of actual wave riding going on.

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DW snapped this after carnitas and machaca tacos at the Moonlight concession stand. TV advertisers have been pushing Halloween hard since early August. Looks like it's having an effect.

From here, we rode nonstop to our turnaround above Swami's Beach, then home. Fabulous ride, tasty lunch, and as always with DW, great conversation.

Better get you beach riding in early this week. Hurricane Polo is headed your way with coastal erosion & flooding possible by this weekend or early next week..

 

[DaveMatthews]

Gorgeous September day today — perfect for a 16 mi coast ride south with neighbor and friend DW. Recently reported the beach and bluff damage we surveyed by ebike along the 7 mi of coast north of our neighborhood. This ride extended the survey 7 mi to our south.

View attachment 215676
First stop was to check out South Ponto Beach at lower tide than last time. There's always a high cobble berm here, but waves from first Genevieve and then Marie made substantial changes to its profile — including a marked steepening of its seaward face.

There'd normally be at least a little sand showing below the berm here at mid-ebb, but not a grain in sight. To the south, we could see uprights belonging to the wooden Grandview beach stairway peeking over the lower bluff, only not so upright now. Checking that out would be our next stop.

View attachment 215666
Meanwhile, we admired a neat row of maybe 8 cobble stacks left along the South Ponto berm crest, 2 of which are see here.

View attachment 215677
Quite a feat considering that these thoroughly rounded and very tough cobbles seldom have any flat spots and can't be given flat spots with any amout of pounding.

View attachment 215668View attachment 215667
Sure enough, the Grandview steps had just been closed due to a new post-Marie bluff failure. Sadly, they'd just reopened a month earlier after a year of repairs due to — you guessed it — a previous bluff failure.

View attachment 215669
Just as we were discussing how many more of these repairs Encinitas would fund, I noticed this chalked message. Couldn't quite make it out, but it appeared to be a plea to the city not to give up on the Grandview steps — probably from a surfer, as they're the only access to a very popular beach break right below.

View attachment 215670View attachment 215671
Next stop was the recently repaired bluff and bluff-face walkway above Beacon's Beach. No clear wave damage here.

View attachment 215679
Last stop was Moonlight Beach, the site of a previously reported major sand replenishment project just 6 months ago.

View attachment 215672View attachment 215673
Definitely some sand loss both north and south, but much less than I'd feared.

View attachment 215678
In the distance to the south, a mansion-covered bluff with waves still against its base at mid-ebb. Much of the sand added down there 2½ years ago seems be gone, and with it, some much-needed wave energy absorption.

View attachment 215674
Love this late morning light on the water. Lots of surfers out at Moonlight, but as usual, not a lot of actual wave riding going on.

View attachment 215675
DW snapped this after carnitas and machaca tacos at the Moonlight concession stand. TV advertisers have been pushing Halloween hard since early August. Looks like it's having an effect.

From here, we rode nonstop to our turnaround above Swami's Beach, then home. Fabulous ride, tasty lunch, and as always with DW, great conversation.

If you need some dried out mud to replace some of the lost sand, I know a guy...

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

There's a world famous sea cliff walk in Ogunquit, Maine called the Marginal Way, which was given to the town for open public access. It's about a mile long, and takes you over rock cliffs that overlook the ocean. A few years ago, visitors starting making those cobble stack sculptures. First a few, then they were everywhere. The town eventually banned them. People want to take in the breathtaking view of the ocean, not somebody's idea of art.

Totally get that, but I think this can go both ways. In Morro Bay, CA, there's a large sand and boulder field between the foot of Morro Rock and the water. Here we found the largest and by far the most creative rock sculpture display we've ever seen. Far beyond just stacks of rocks.

It blends in with the boulder field till you're maybe 100 m away. Then you realize that you're approaching something quite extraordinary. Many very talented artists have contributed, the locals are quite proud of it, it's become something of a tourist attraction, and it doesn't interfere with any grand vistas.

Silly me shot only video, so I can't share here now. But many of the pieces created just by juxtaposing and stacking well-chosen rocks there were absolutely mind-blowing.

The key difference between Morro and South Ponto: The Morro rocks still had corners and flats and were quite amenable to building upward. Whereas the rounded cobbles at South Ponto have zero interest in stacking. A standing stack of even 3 there is a minor miracle.

 

[stompandgo]

Totally get that, but I think this can go both ways. In Morro Bay, CA, there's a large sand and boulder field between the foot of Morro Rock and the water. Here we found the largest and by far the most creative rock sculpture display we've ever seen. Far beyond just stacks of rocks.

It blends in with the boulder field till you're maybe 100 m away. Then you realize that you're approaching something quite extraordinary. Many very talented artists have contributed, the locals are quite proud of it, it's become something of a tourist attraction, and it doesn't interfere with any grand vistas.

Silly me shot only video, so I can't share here now. But many of the pieces created just by juxtaposing and stacking well-chosen rocks there were absolutely mind-blowing.

The key difference between Morro and South Ponto: The Morro rocks still had corners and flats and were quite amenable to building upward. Whereas the rounded cobbles at South Ponto have zero interest in stacking. A stack of even 3 there is a minor miracle.

So the sculptures are not between the viewer and the waterline? They are in the boulder field near the cliffs? If so, then you have to turn away from the vista to see them. No problem with that. You can ignore them if you choose to, and your beach pictures are all about the beach. The issue in ME is that they become a part of the vista, whether you want them in the picture or not. You cannot avoid them. Not everybody wants that.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

So the sculptures are not between the viewer and the waterline? They are in the boulder field near the cliffs? If so, then you have to turn away from the vista to see them. No problem with that. You can ignore them if you choose to, and your beach pictures are all about the beach. The issue in ME is that they become a part of the vista, whether you want them in the picture or not. You cannot avoid them. Not everybody wants that.

Agree, I wouldn't want that either. The Morro Bay sculptures aren't blocking any particularly tasty view.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Better get you beach riding in early this week. Hurricane Polo is headed your way with coastal erosion & flooding possible by this weekend or early next week..

Cat 4 Marco Polo and Cat 1 Odalys are spinning away in the tropical East Pacific about 1,000 mi to our south now.

My Windy app uses a pretty good wave model. It's predicting a peak wave energy of 573 kJ/m next Monday evening, about 3 hrs before a moderate high tide.

Definitely well above average energy for here, but not all that scary. We'll see how much more sand we lose.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Cat 4 Marco and Cat 1 Odalys are spinning away in the tropical East Pacific about 1,000 mi to our south now.

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My Windy app uses a pretty good wave model. It's predicting a peak wave energy of 573 kJ/m next Monday evening, about 3 hrs before a moderate high tide.

Definitely well above average energy here, but not all that scary. We'll see how much more sand we lose.

Batten down the hatches mates!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

So the sculptures are not between the viewer and the waterline? They are in the boulder field near the cliffs? If so, then you have to turn away from the vista to see them. No problem with that. You can ignore them if you choose to, and your beach pictures are all about the beach. The issue in ME is that they become a part of the vista, whether you want them in the picture or not. You cannot avoid them. Not everybody wants that.

Are you preparing for the nor'easter headed your way? Much, much scarier that what we're facing now with Polo and Odalys.

 

[6zfshdb]

Are you preparing for the nor'easter headed your way? Much, much scarier that what we're facing now with Polo and Odalys.

We're not that close to the coast here in northeast PA, but significant wind & rain are predicted. Flash flooding is always a threat here with these nor'easters. Much worse in winter though, sometimes dumping feet of snow in the Pocono mtns.

 

[stompandgo]

Are you preparing for the nor'easter headed your way? Much, much scarier that what we're facing now with Polo and Odalys.

Today I am headed to CT to work the last criterium of the season in the Northeast. I will be driving away from it, so rain will not hit the southern CT coast until around 8pm, when the Elite Women and Men will be racing. Tomorrow afternoon, though, I will be driving back home, right into it. It's going to take a while. At home, rain is expected around 2pm today, with high winds and rain until Monday night. We are not in a flood zone, and have been through these before. Our new whole house standby generator went online this week, so we should have no power issues. The biggest concern is that we will have at least six full moon high tides during this storm, along with offshore seas 12-15 feet. This is the same type of storm that wiped out my childhood home in CT. We are not in danger of that, but others that we know are, and our beaches are going to take a beating. The Eversource bucket trucks are already here. Good luck to you riding your storms out.