Follow-up on
post #4262, wherein I shared a small but welcome break in the low cloud cover present here since early May. As mentioned, these persistent "May Gray" clouds mark our
marine (air) layer — a seasonal offshore thermal inversion big enough to blanket the entire SoCal coast for days on end this time of year.
Well, that small break grew over the following day, and by yesterday, one day later, the marine layer and its cloud deck had retreated over the horizon — which from this vantage on the bluff above Beacon's Beach is 12-13 miles away.
Further north, however, the gray marine layer was still close to shore. This photo looking roughly NW shows it lurking just above the horizon (and no doubt behind as well). Wonder if Oceanside was under there?
But all that was yesterday afternoon. By this morning, my local marine layer window was starting to close, with the clouds in the vanguard already overhead.
Beacon's Beach
Beacon's Beach is a popular
reef break in north Encinitas. Nearly all of the bikes parked here were electric fatties — most with surfboard racks hanging off one side. Anyone familiar with 1960s surfing movies will recognize the old wood-paneled station wagon at the top of the sign. Back then, the "woodie" was the board transport of choice.
Contrary to popular belief — and to the great disappointment of many — California is
not going to fall into the sea along the San Andreas Fault. However, it
is crumbling at the edges as rock-laden storm waves undercut our sea cliffs. Gravity does the rest.
The high bluff at Beacon's is actively participating in this process.
If Earth science teaches anything, it's that gravity always wins in the end.
The surf at Beacon's is fun to watch. When larger incoming waves hit the curved seawall at upper right, they reflect back into the surf with semicircular wavefronts.
When the crest of an outgoing reflection combines with the crest of an incoming breaker, the combined crest shoots straight up into the air! These constructive interferences can be quite explosive. Should be a good show on big surf days.
Very grateful to live in such a dynamic place.
