Elk Fence North Beach
Camp Review:
I camped at a near by beach last year and I came back to see if I could experience bio-luminescence.
Specifically, I camped at Elk Fence North Beach, and I loved it. I camped at Pelican North Beach last year, and while that beach was awesome due to some cool people I met, this year, I got to see otters up close, and I think I’ll always prefer wildlife to people.
There are no facilities on the beach, so I had to carry-in water.
I got to pitch my tent right next to the beach, which is always pretty special.
What I Learned:
Otters can run on the beach! They kind of look like slow puppies when they run in the sand. I had always seen otters in the water, so I didn’t even think about the possibility of them running on the ground, so it blew my mind when I saw it.
On the way to the beach, the winds were so strong (supposedly around 10mph) that I had to paddle only on my left side to make a straight line. It tired out the left side of my upper body even though I only paddled two miles.
I ate the Firepot Vegan Orzo Bolognese dehydrated meal and was surprised at how delicious it was. It’s either my favorite or second favorite dehydrated meal of all time.
I brought my cheap Walmart tent because I knew the condensation would be bad no matter what tent I brought (learned this last year), and I’d rather use my cheap tent since it’s smaller and easier to dry out. It worked really well. Yes, there was condensation, but the tent was roomy and worked well.
Media Consumed:
I played about 6 hours of FTL: Faster Than Light on my iPad.
For Whom the Bell Tolls—finished!
Lolita—finished!
2.2 miles, 1 hr 23 mins, 10 mph SE (wind)
1.6 miles, 32 mins, 5 mph NW (wind)
What Happened?
One of the things that I’d like to see in-person (before I die) is bioluminescence. It’s the magical phenomenon where certain plankton emit light, making the water seem alive. I knew that on warm summer nights, these plankton are visible, so I booked this trip to see if I can see them. However, probably due to the high winds making the water too turbulent for the plankton to settle, I did not see bioluminescence.
I still enjoyed the trip though, because it turned out to be just the break I needed from other people. I had struggled with sleep the week or so before this trip, but out in Point Reyes, I had a revitalizing night of sleep, helping me reset and feel ready for anything.
