You will find trip reports by Lloyd Johnson here.  The most recent reports are at the top.  Gaps in coverage sometimes indicate bad weather.

December 30, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised the club flag and set a bulletin board under it.

The tide was way out, but the sand was wet in most places.  We raked a few spots, planning to move there after the sand dried, as well as to have dry spots for friends arriving later.  I set up reflectors to warm me after a swim and to stay warm late into the day.

I went swimming twice, both times out to the sand dollars.  The waves weren't much, but I did manage to catch one for a short ride.

Today was a good day for wildlife.  I saw grebes while swimming.  We saw a pair of falcons, one soaring overhead, the other eating its' kill on the hillside.  We saw at least two seals.  We saw a whale.  We saw it surface a few times.  We saw it blow, but we couldn't see a dorsal fin.  We also saw at least three dolphins swimming back and forth.

By 4pm it was getting cool, so I started packing.  Before I could finish, I saw the moon rise above the cliff, so I stopped to take a picture.  The sun set before I got to the trail, but I missed the actual sunset.

December 23, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I passed a few people, most of them sitting on small ledges a little above the beach.  The tide and surf were just coming up too high.  My friends at Valentine Slide were doing the same.  I saw a rock slide.  It was above Valentine Slide and all the debris was trapped in Valentine Slide.

I was the bold one, setting up a few things on the wet sand.  I set up some reflectors and raked a spot in front of them, to dry a spot for later.  I raised my club flag and set another bulletin board under it.  Waves were still reaching it, but it seemed safe enough.  I arranged my stuff in a way that seemed safe and went for a swim.

The waves were big and the interval between was short.  I fought my way past the waves.  I was nearly beyond them, when I noticed how far south I had drifted.  I caught the next wave and swam to shore.  The waves gave me a few tumbles, but no good rides.

My stuff stayed dry, so I laid out my other stuff.  I did a little reading, but found it impossible to relax.  Anytime the wind is calm, the flies just don't leave you alone.

It suddenly got cold about 3:30pm.  I packed and left.  I watched the sunset from the parking lot.

December 3, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and stocked up the bulletin board already there.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised flags, an American flag and my club flag.

I set up reflectors to keep warm longer.  One friend was feeling cold, so I lent one to her and it kept her warm.

I was feeling a little too cold about 4pm.  Apparently so was everybody else.  We all packed up about the same time.  I left the parking lot just a little before sunset, 4:30.

November 19, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised an American flag and my club flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming twice, once to the sand dollars.  I caught some good waves, and others just gave me a tumble.  Some dolphins were headed my way, so I waited while they passed.  Some of them came within five feet of me.  I just did some body surfing for my second swim.

Late in the day a volleyball net was set up.  I could see a net set up at Indian Canyon too.

There was some fog working its way south at about 3pm.  It looked like the day was all over.  I started packing, but then it wasn't so bad.  I stayed another hour, then finished packing.  I dressed and hiked up the trail.  I saw the sun disappear into a hazy horizon while I hiked up.  I left the parking lot about 5pm.

November 18, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised an American flag and my club flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming twice, both times to the sand dollars.  I caught some good waves, even got shot out of the face a few times.

Late in the day a volleyball net was set up.  People were still playing when I left.

I fell asleep and it was cold when I woke up at about 4pm, so I started packing.  I dressed at the trailhead and started up.  The sun was still up while I hiked up the trail.  I left the parking lot about 5pm.

November 10, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised an American flag and my club flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming twice.  I didn't make it to the sand dollars either time.  The current was pretty strong and I was drifting too far south.  I did a little body surfing instead.  I caught some good waves, even got shot out of the face a few times.

Late in the day a volleyball net was set up.  People were still playing when I left.

It cooled off about 4pm, so I started packing.  I dressed at the trailhead and started up.  The sun was still up while I hiked up the trail.  I left the parking lot about 5pm.

November 5, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming twice, both times to the sand dollars.  There were a lot of grebes in the water, in groups of a dozen or so.  The surf was pretty good and I even managed to catch some good rides body surfing.

There were two volleyball nets set up.  One was for Black's Beach Bares.  The other was north of me, at Indian Canyon.

It cooled off about 4pm, so I started packing.  I dressed at the trailhead and started up.  The sun was still up while I hiked up the trail.  I left the parking lot about 5pm.

October 28, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming three times, each time to the sand dollars.  The brown layer of ash was still there, but not so obvious, nor as deep.  The surf was small, but I managed to catch a wave to shore.

There were three volleyball nets set up.  One was for Black's Beach Bares.  The other two were north of me, one at Indian Canyon and the other even further north.

It cooled off about 5pm, so I started packing.  The sunset was looking very red, due to the smoke in the air.  I saw a piece of the sun separate at an inversion layer.  It turned yellow as it shrank, so I knew there would be a green flash, despite the smoke.  As the sun went down, it faded to a pale green, so there was a green flash.

October 27, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming twice, both times to the sand dollars.  Once past the surf, I could see a brown layer in the water.  It extended down nearly ten inches.  It was ash, from the Riverside fire.  I even found a vein of ash floating on the water, not yet mixed in.

I saw a man catch a surf perch.  He just threw it back though.  He said he just fishes for sport.

It cooled off about 5pm, so I started packing.  The sunset was looking very red, due to the smoke in the air.  The shadows were noticeably blue.  I left the parking lot about 6pm, before sunset.

October 22, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I didn't go swimming.  It just seemed that I wouldn't be able to warm up after the swim.  At one time I was packing to leave, then the sun came out and it warmed up.

Some of my friends worked on a sand sculpture of a shark.

I photographed a sea lion in the surf.  Unfortunately the picture looked like the Loc Ness monster, an out-of-focus black dot in the water.

I left the parking lot about 6pm.

October 20, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming twice, both times to the sand dollars.  I took a walk north, a little beyond Indian Canyon.

I left about 6pm.  I stopped on a ledge to watch sunset.  The sun gradually changed to green, lingered and gave us a very emerald twinkle at the end.  I left the parking lot about 6:30.

October 8, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming three times, twice to the sand dollars and once just a little short of the sand dollars.

I left about 4:30.  The hike up was a little warmer than I anticipated.

September 24, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

We had the grills set up, back away from the water, but we only had to light one.  We poured water on the sand around the grills to keep it cool, but it was mostly unnecessary.  Our picnic was well attended, 40 or so.

I went swimming three times, twice with buddies, twice to the sand dollars and one attempted swim to the reef.

I saw sunset from the beach and headed to the trail shortly afterward.  I left the parking lot about 7pm.

September 17, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The sand was hot, but I didn't put on my sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

We had the grills set up, back away from the water.  We poured water on the sand around the grills to keep it cool, but it was mostly unnecessary.  Our picnic was well attended, 40 or so.

I went swimming three times, twice with buddies, once to the sand dollars, once to the reef and once nearly to the reef.  At the reef, I did a few dives and took a few pictures.

I saw sunset from the beach and headed to the trail shortly afterward.  I left the parking lot about 7:30pm.

September 11, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The sand was hot, but I didn't put on my sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

We had the grills set up, back away from the water.  I liked it better.  Nobody was down wind.  We kept the sand cool by pouring water where we walked.  Our picnic was well attended, but far less than in previous weeks.  Estimates over the summer went as high as 220, while today there were only 40 or so.

I went swimming twice.  Once to the sand dollars and one to the reef, with buddies.  One of my buddies made it down near the reef.  I did three dives to the reef.

It cooled a little earlier than normal.  I was still nude when I watched sunset, still packing.  It was beautiful, but there was no green flash.  I hiked up the trail and left the parking lot about 7:45.  The guard was waiting to lock the gate at 8pm.

September 4, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The sand was hot, so I put on my sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I spent much of the day body surfing and body boarding.

I watched sunset from the beach.  I saw a green flash as the sun went below an inversion layer, and another green flash as it went below another inversion layer.  I did not see a green flash when it went over the horizon, cue to too much haze.

September 3, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The sand was hot, so I put on my sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I swam to the sand dollars once.  I also did a little body surfing and body boarding.

I left before sunset, and left the parking lot about 7pm.

September 2, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The sand was hot, but I forgot to bring my sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I swam beyond the sand dollars once.  I also did a little body surfing and body boarding.

It was warm right up to sunset.  I stopped my hike to the trail to watch sunset.  It was a very red sun going below some clouds.  It took on a stair shape as half of it went below the horizon.  It faded to a pale green when there was a tiny piece left.  I wouldn't call it a green flash though.  The clouds all had a brilliant red lining after sunset.

September 1, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

One of my friends informed me that rangers were on the beach erecting a sign at the trailhead.  I went down to see what it was.  It faced trail and said Torrey Pines State Beach, with a list of no no's at the bottom, no dogs, no bottles, no fires, no camping.  None of these are issue I plan to take up with rangers.

I swam to the sand dollars twice.  They were pretty routine swims.

It was cooling off, so I started toward the trail about 6pm and left about 6:30.

August 27, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The sand was too hot and I put on my sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I swam to the sand dollars once.  After that I was too busy judging or competing in the surf event.  I was a judge for the body boarding and surfing.  I competed and won in body surfing.

There were some clouds late in the day, but they moved south and gave us a clear sunset.  I didn't see a green flash, but I did see the setting sun fade to a pale green.  I hiked to the trail and up, after sunset.  I left the parking lot a few minutes after 8pm.  The guard was there ready to lock the gate.

August 26, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The sand was too hot and I put on my sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I swam to the sand dollars once and led some near shore swims later in the day.

There were some clouds late in the day, and they cooled the beach nicely.  I left the beach before sunset and left the parking lot about 7:30pm.

August 25, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The sand was too hot and I put on my sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I found other swimmer and we swam a little past the sand dollars.  An hour later, two of us swam to the reef and did a few dives.  We managed to find it most dives.  Later in the day I did another swim just past the sand dollars.

Some of my friends set up horse shoes and volleyball.  They played a few games late in the day, after the sand cooled off.

The sun descended into some clouds late in the day.  I headed toward the trail.  The sun set before I reached the trail.  I hiked up and left the parking lot a little before 8pm.  The guard was waiting there to lock it soon.  I made a point of looking at the other gate.  It was still open.

August 20, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

Our picnic was well attended.  There were over a hundred people in the area.  There were at least a few volleyball games.  People were sharing ceviche, hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, sweet corn, squash, shrimp and pineapple.

I led two swimming expeditions to the sand dollars.  The water was choppy beyond the surf.  The water temperature where most people swim was 71, but there were colder spots, especially a few feet down.  For some reason, it felt colder than 71.

It was finally getting too cold just before sunset.  I saw sunset from the beach.  We could see a red sun below the clouds.  I dressed at the trail and hiked up to the parking lot.  I left the parking lot a little after 8pm.  The gate was only half open, and there was no guard there.  It appeared to me as if the gate had been locked, then reopened.  As I drove away, I looked at the other gate.  It was locked.  I think both gates were locked, but somebody had just cut the chain and opened the one gate.

August 18, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  Once there, I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming three times, once to the reef and twice to the sand dollars.  My first swim was to the reef but I encountered a lobster and a flounder, before I even got to the sand dollars.  I took two pictures then tried to catch the lobster.  It escaped me easily.  I took two pictures of the flounder, then it swam away.  I'm not sure what kind of flounder it was.  It's shaped like a starry flounder or a rock sole.  It didn't have the colors of a starry flounder, but it was mostly covered in sand.  It's challenging to find it in the picture.  I have it's eyes centered in this thumbnail pic.  Click on it and the full size pic shows the eyes to right and the dorsal fin in the upper left.  I didn't get the whole fish in the shot.  I found the reef on my first dive, but missed it in other dives.

It was still sunny about 5:30pm when I decided to leave.  I thought it would cool off soon, but it was warmer than I expected.  I dressed at the trail and hiked up to the parking lot.  I left the parking lot about 6:30pm.

August 16, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach, since the sand was a little too hot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming three times, once to the reef, once to the sand dollars and once beyond the sand dollars.  I managed to find buddies for each swim.  I found the reef, sometimes.  Sometimes I missed it by at least a little bit.

It was still sunny about 5pm, but it was cooling.  I decided to leave early.  I dressed at the trail and hiked up to the parking lot.  I left the parking lot about 6:30pm.

August 15, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach, since the sand was a little too hot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming three times, once to the reef, once to the sand dollars and once beyond the sand dollars.  I managed to find buddies for each swim.  I found the reef, sometimes.  Sometimes I missed it by at least a little bit.

There were a few clouds late in the afternoon.  About 5pm I decided to leave early, figuring traffic congestion shouldn't be too bad by the time I got on the road.  I dressed at the trail and hiked up to the parking lot.  I left the parking lot about 6:30 and still had minor problems with traffic.

August 13, 2006: Black's Beach

Parking at 11am	street parking: plenty gliderport: plenty of spaces
Visibility	I could see past Flatrock.
Burro Trail	mostly good, only a few big steps
Climate	hot and sunny, wind from west
People	over a thousand
Activities Observed	paragliding, swimming, body surfing, body boarding, surfing, Frisbee, horseshoes, volleyball, fishing, kayaking, sailing
Water	surf: 3' tide: highest about 1pm, very low when I left temperature: 73º current: It was carrying me south. visibility: about 10'
Wildlife Observed	western gulls, squirrels, ravens, pelicans, sting rays, heermann's gulls, whimbrels, willets, marbled godwits, sand dollars, garibaldi, spined stars, kelp bass, sargo, senorita fish, lizard, croaker
Lifeguards and Law Enforcement	I saw city lifeguards in white jeeps, in a yellow camper and one above on the perch.

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming three times, once to the reef, once to the sand dollars and once beyond the sand dollars.  I managed to find buddies for each swim.  I found the reef, sometimes.  Sometimes I missed it by at least a little bit.

The grill had been fired up while I was at the reef.  I put some sweet corn in the coals and passed it around later.  People were also cooking hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers, squash, chicken, pineapple and salmon.

A sailboat passed just beyond the surf.

The sun went behind some clouds about 6pm.  The sun went below those clouds to a clear horizon.  I saw sunset from the beach.  The last sliver of the red sun faded to a pale green.  I packed up, dressed and headed to the trail.

I tried to leave the parking lot about 8:30pm.  The gate was locked, so I drove to the other exit.  It was also locked.  There were quite a few confused people looking for the way out.  I parked and scouted for the exit.  Somebody else found the third exit route.  I followed the wagon train.  First we headed north, near the golf course.  Then we followed a road east, turned southeast and found a stop sign at the exit.

August 11, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming three times, once with a buddy, twice to the sand dollars and once to the reef.  I did four dives, taking pictures.  I found it twice and missed it twice.  The current made it difficult to stay in position. I saw a fisherman reel in a surf perch.

Since it was cloudy and cooling, I packed up and headed to the trail early.  I then dressed and started up the trail.  I left the parking lot about 7pm.

August 7, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I went swimming three times, twice to the sand dollars and once to the reef, with a buddy.  I did a few dives, taking pictures and video.  I took a picture of a scorpion fish, but I didn't get his head in it.  My buddy was not able to reach the reef, but he did get close enough to see it.

Clouds blocked the sun about 5pm.  I packed up and headed to the trail.  I then dressed and started up the trail.  I saw sunset from the top of the trail and I left the parking lot just before 8pm.

August 6, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I swam to the reef and found it without much trouble.  I did a few dives, taking pictures and video.

There were perhaps a hundred people at our picnic.  Some of the hot food included hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, sausages, sweet corn and pineapple.  There were a few people getting body painted, including myself.

Clouds blocked the sun most of the day, but it didn't get cold until about 5pm.  After packing up, I dressed before heading south to the trail.  I didn't stay for sunset.  I left the parking lot about 7:30.

August 5, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

I swam to the reef and found it without much trouble.  I did six dives, taking pictures and video.  While at the reef two people passed on crafts I couldn't quite figure out.  They were laying on their stomachs and paddling with their arms.  They appeared to be laying on something like a longboard, but perhaps a little like a canoe.

I went in the water later, but it was for body surfing.  I was trying to get better pictures, but they don't look so good.

Late in the day clouds started to block the sun and it cooled off.  I was hiking toward the trail when the sun set.  I saw a green flash, but I hit the button too soon and didn't capture it.

I left the parking lot about 8:30pm.  The gate was locked, so I drove to the other exit.

August 4, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  I raised my flag and set another bulletin board under it.

Before I could set up my stuff, some rangers approached in two trucks.  They stopped and talked a little, showing us the signs they were about to install at the southern boundary.  Please visit the alerts page and read about these signs.

I went for two swims, once to the reef and once just to do some body surfing.  From above the reef I could see what I thought were star fish, but turned out to be fish.  Down at the reef I could see the usual fish and coral.  Later in the day I was starting a swim to the sand dollars when I heard dolphins.  I decided to do some body surfing and hope to get close to dolphins.  Apparently I was very close, according to my friends watching from shore, but I didn't see them.  I later saw them from shore and managed to get this picture from a video clip.

It cooled early, and some of the guys dressed before heading to the trail.  The sun set while we hiked.  I saw some green as the sun went into a cloud near the horizon.  I was sure that there would be a green flash, especially when I saw the inversion lays distorting the sun below the cloud.  I was wrong.  the sun simply turned red and faded.

I dressed at the trail head and hiked up with my bulletin boards.  I left the parking lot just after 8pm.  The gate was locked, so I had to drive to the other exit.

August 2, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went for two swims, one just beyond the sand dollars and one to the reef.  The water was choppy and the current made it difficult to stay above the reef.  I did a few dives to the reef.  I had to swim through a layer of water with poor visibility.  Once I got through that layer, I usually found that I was off target and had to swim horizontally.  I swam back to shore, dissatisfied.

I dozed off for a while, since the temperature was ideal.  It cooled early, so I dressed, hiked up and left the parking lot just before 8pm.

July 30, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and added newsletters to the bulletin board already there.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

Once there I joined in the picnic preparations.  Much of the work was already done, so I helped move some of the seaweed.

I went for one swim, past the sand dollars.  I didn't find any of the invertebrates I was hoping to see.  I guess I had to swim a little further and deeper.

I had to leave early, so I cooked and passed out my sweet corn.  Then I left about 3pm.  It was still overcast but warm when I left.

July 28, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming twice, once well beyond the sand dollars, and once to the reef.  On my way to the reef I found a star flounder, sand dollars, tunicates and sea pens.  The flounder swam away before I could reach for my camera.  The reef was crackling with activity.  Fish make crackling sounds and a reef sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies.  I had a little trouble staying above the reef, but managed to find it once I got below about 20 feet.  There was a variety of fish I couldn't catalog during a few brief free dives.

I found this empty egg case as I was entering the water for a swim.  The lower end resembles an open mouth.  At the upper end is a sea snail, perhaps placed there by the mother, as food for the embryo.

The sun came out for only brief periods.  I was warm the whole time, but decided to leave about 6pm.  I felt a little sprinkle while heading to the trail.  I left the parking lot about 6:30pm.

July 27, 2006: Black's Beach

Parking at 12pm	street parking: full gliderport: plenty of spaces
Visibility	I could see well beyond Flatrock.
Burro Trail	mostly good, only a few big steps
Climate	hot and sunny, occasional wind from west
People	maybe two hundred
Activities Observed	paragliding, swimming, body surfing, body boarding, surfing, fishing, volleyball, Frisbee
Water	surf: 3' tide: I didn't notice a change. temperature: 79º current: I didn't notice any. visibility: about 15'
Wildlife Observed	western gulls, squirrels, ravens, pelicans, bat rays, heermann's gulls, terns, whimbrels, willets, sting rays, marbled godwits, sand dollars, tunicates, spiny sand stars, sea pens, garibaldi, kelp bass, crab, dolphins, seals, lizard
Lifeguards and Law Enforcement	I saw city lifeguards in white jeeps, on a jetski and one above on the perch.

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The trail was hot enough that I was wishing I'd worn shoes.  I put on my sandals when I got to the beach.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming four times, once to the sand dollars, twice about half way to the reef and once to the reef.  I actually found the reef.  I did s a few dives down, about 35 feet, and took pictures, but none of them were any good.  I found some new wildlife on my way to the reef.  I managed to get a few pictures of white sea pens.  During one return to shore, I spotted a spider crab.  I took two pictures in one dive.  Then I surface to catch my breath before going down to catch it, but I couldn't find it.  It was just small enough I should have been able to get a grip on the main body.

It was hot right up to sunset. It set as I was packing.  The sun turned a deep red and went below the horizon.  I dressed at the trailhead, then left the parking lot right about 8:30pm.  The guard had just locked the gate, so I had to drive to the other exit.

July 26, 2006: Black's Beach

Parking at 11:30am	street parking: full gliderport: plenty of spaces
Visibility	I could barely see beyond Flatrock.
Burro Trail	mostly good, only a few big steps
Climate	mostly overcast and warm, hardly any wind
People	maybe two hundred
Activities Observed	paragliding, swimming, body surfing, body boarding, surfing, fishing
Water	surf: 3' tide: I didn't notice a change. temperature: 75º current: It carried me south. visibility: about 10'
Wildlife Observed	western gulls, squirrels, ravens, pelicans, bat rays, heermann's gulls, terns, whimbrels, willets, sting rays, black phoebes, marbled godwits, sand dollars, sponges, sand anemone, spiny sand stars
Lifeguards and Law Enforcement	I saw city lifeguards in white jeeps, on a jetski, in a boat and one above on the perch.

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot, but the hot sand on the beach forced me to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming four times, once to the sand dollars and three times past the sand dollars to a depth of 25 feet.  I found wildlife I don't usually see, spiny sand stars and sponges I haven't managed to identify.

The weather cooled off a bit.  I packed up early, dressed at the trailhead and left the parking lot right at 8pm.  The guard had just locked the gate, so I had to drive to the other exit.

July 23, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot, but the hot sand on the beach forced me to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  There were ultra light aircraft flying south, as I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I joined in the work detail of setting up for our picnic.  Some were setting up the table and spreading our umbrellas around.  I picked up the pitchfork and used it to remove seaweed.

I went swimming soon after, with a buddy.  Then I went swimming a little later with three buddies.  Both times I swam out to the sand dollars, explored a little and swam back.

I cooked my sweet corn, between body boarding sessions.  People were also sharing chicken, hamburgers, bratwurst, zucchini, squash, hot dogs and pineapple.

The weather cooled off a bit.  I packed up early, dressed at the trailhead and left the parking lot right at 8pm.  The guard was waiting for a break in the traffic so he could lock the gate.

July 22, 2006: Black's Beach

The ground had the texture of a recent sprinkle of rain and the trail was a little damp.  I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I didn't put on sandals right away, but should have.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

The texture of the sand made it clear that it had rained.  There were thunder clouds around us much of the day and many of us were hoping for just a little sprinkle.  That never happened, but there were times when the sun went behind a cloud and a cool breeze blew through for a few minutes.

I went swimming twice.  I got up close to dolphins once.  I also spent a lot of time riding waves on a body board.

I packed up to leave about 7pm.  Then sun when below a thick cloud while I was going up the trail.  I left the parking lot about 7:30pm.

July 21, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The beach sand was too hot and I had to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming five times.  I caught rides on the waves during some of my return swims.

It clouded over about 6pm, but it was still warm.  I was on my way to the trail when the sun set.  It went behind some clouds, but showed itself in the clear patch between the clouds and the horizon.  The haze made it look red and it just faded.  I left the parking lot about 8:30pm.  The gate was locked, so I had to drive to the other exit.

July 20, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The beach sand was too hot and I had to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming four times.  I caught rides on the waves during some of my return swims.

It clouded over about 6pm, so I packed up and left.  I left the parking lot about 7:30pm.

July 17, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The beach sand was too hot and I had to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.  It rained a little, before I was even done setting up.

I went swimming once.  I swam out to the sand dollars and took several pictures on the way, since the water was so clear.

I was unsure about the weather, so I decided to leave early.  As I was heading up the trail, it looked like it would stay sunny, despite the clouds on the western horizon.  I left the parking lot about 5pm.

July 16, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The beach sand was too hot and I had to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming twice, once with buddies and out to the sand dollars.  I tried, but didn't really catch any waves.

A lot of people spent a lot of time in the surf.  I went out a few times, just to cool down.  I also took out a Boogie board and caught a few waves.

I was heading for the trail when the sun set.  I saw it go behind some clouds, then I saw a very red sun beneath some clouds.  Then it faded for a while and I didn't see it again.

It was after 8pm when I left the parking lot.  The gate was locked and I had to drive to the other exit.

July 15, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The beach sand was too hot and I had to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming five times, once with a buddy, each time out to the sand dollars.  I caught good waves a few times on my return.

A fisherman drew a crowd.  I wasn't close enough to see for myself, but I was told he hooked three leopard sharks and let them all go.

I watched sunset from the beach.  I was watching for the silhouettes again, but didn't see them.  It was nearly 8:30pm when I left the parking lot.  The gate was locked and I had to drive to the other exit.

July 14, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The beach sand was too hot and I had to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming five times, once with a buddy, each time out to the sand dollars.  Once we swam a ways beyond the sand dollars and I found a star fish.  I brought it up, took a few pictures and let it sink.

A few clouds came in and cooled the beach a little.  I watched sunset from the trail.  I saw what appeared to be two triangles cross from left to right across the setting sun.  I thought it was a ship with two sails.  Some friends insist it was Catalina Island.  You can judge for yourself, but I think it's man-made.

July 14

May 30

Catalina Island Janauary31, 2005

I left the parking lot about 8:30pm.  The gate was already locked, so I drove to the other exit.

July 11, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  The beach sand was too hot and I had to put on sandals.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.

I went swimming four times, each time out to the sand dollars.

A few clouds came in and cooled the beach a little.  I expected them to ruin the sunset, so I left early.  I was later told that sunset was nice and Catalina Island was seen in silhouette, as I predicted in my July newsletter.  There are also claims it was seen July 12 and 13.

I left the parking lot a little before 8pm.  There was a guard ready to lock up.

July 9, 2006: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, barefoot.  I undressed at the trailhead and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north toward my usual spot past Valentine Slide.