February

Winter is still in control of the weather and he has drenched the coast with cold rain backed by gales.  The sun has managed to get control a few days here and there between storm fronts.  When that happens the walkers emerge and head for the beach.  But the tides are relatively high at this time of the year and a beach front stroll depends upon the sun and the tides cooperating.

Winter is a time of change for the beach.  The wind and wave action have their most dramatic effect at this time of year.



The wind driven waves have scoured the ocean floor and thrown sand up onto the beach.  The rocky areas that were prevalent in the summer are smoothed out with only pebbles showing here and there.  By July the waves will have clawed back the sand and left a rocky strip between the upper shore and the sand bars visible at low tide.  Crossing that rocky strip can be a balancing act or an exercise in pain control if bare feet are involved.

foam sand pebbles

           

a few more logs

The waves also bring with them a new batch of logs and tree stumps.  Some of the logs bear the marks of a lumber operation far across the water on the mainland.  The logs tend to shift position along the beach over time but most are here to stay until they are no more.  They turn silver-grey, acquire bumps and wrinkles along grain lines and grow an assortment of vegetation.
All of the logs are not are carried to this place.  Some are remnants of trees that once grew along a much older shoreline.  

Douglas Fir tree roots

  Every winter the waves attack the land at the edge of the shore.  They carve away the earth exposing the roots of the shrubs and trees that grow along the edge of the forest.  It may take years but gradually the undercut areas give way topping anything growing there.

Douglas fir mid section

Douglas fir top section

The three photographs show an ancient Douglas Fir tree that has been toppled in a storm.  It is one of the many large older trees in this forest.  It would have been a sapling 150 years ago and would have grown far much farther inland than today  It fell with an explosive noise. 

midden from ancient clam collecting party

The action of the water on the shore also reveals signs of older human activity such as this midden.  This pile of butter clam shells was discarded by a group of clam diggers sitting on the beach many years ago.  It is old enough that a layer of earth formed over top of the shells and it became part of the forest floor.

Slowly the water is taking back the land and reshaping it.

Introduction to the beach

view towards mainland mountains

This blog is about a beach.  It’s a 2 kilo-meter stretch of sand and rocks along the ocean.  It starts at a protected river estuary, runs past a rural settlement and along the edge of a forest then forms a flat curving bay where the land is covered with grasses and low growing vegetation.  The forest and bay area are parkland.

The beach is on the west side of an island facing the mainland so it is somewhat protected.  Here the ocean floor is relatively flat with large but shifting sand bars that are exposed at low tide to create miniature aquariums or swimming pools that are attractive to small children and dogs.

The park is a favourite with campers.  The summer months belong to families with small children.  In the spring and fall older adults and retirees take over the campsites.  The winter months are for the hardy few who enjoy rain and the more ardent bird watchers.

Like all natural phenomena, the beach is subject to cycles.  It has a short term cycle that follows the seasons and much of this blog will look at the short term cycle.  It also has a long term cycle that isn’t always so easy to discern but there are clues if you look for them.

The vast majority of people who come here treat nature with respect but they still leave behind traces of their activities.  There is some human need to make a mark where ever you go.  The blog will look at how that plays out on the beach.

January in the fog

There isn't much to see on a foggy January morning.  The atmosphere suggests whispers, hidden secrets and ghostly beings.  A group of ducks are feeding in the shallows.  You might be able to imagine them in the photograph.  A loon is calling out there on the water. An eagle comes out of the fog to settle on a dead tree and a pair of gulls glide towards land.  High overhead some Canada geese are making their way eastward.

Welcome to the beach