Black's Beach Bares

Newsletter Archive

 
This page last updated January 1, 2004 by Lloyd Johnson

This is a text archive of Black's Beach Bares newsletters for 2002.

Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: November/December
 

The Beach in General:
The first week of October was sunny and warm, but most of the month has been gloomy.  There has been rain at the beach, but it caused no discernable damage to the beach or the trail.  The beach has not yet suffered the seasonal loss of sand.  Beach users have dropped to dozens on weekdays and about a hundred on weekends.

With the return to standard time and the shorter daylight hours, the better beach hours are 9am - 4pm.  Lifeguards are also spending less time on the beach.  Lately they are only occupying their station at Indian Canyon on weekends.   They have also been seen practicing cliff rescues.

Spring Tide:
Spring tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  With our highest tides in the morning and the seasonal loss of sand, there will be little dry beach for our use.  You may want to bring a chair just to keep dry and away from the cliff.

      low high
Nov 4 full -1.2 7.3   8:17am
Nov 19 new -0.3 6.3   8:13am
Dec 4 full -1.8 7.6   8:31am
Dec 19 new -0.8 6.6   8:19am
Jan 3 full -1.5 6.8   8:59am
Jan 18 new -1.3 6.5   8:40am

Sometimes the highest tides occur in the evening and sometimes in the morning, but keep in mind that there is a comparable high tide about twelve hours earlier or later.  Also the tides a few days before and after are comparably high.

Flags and T-shirts:
Two flags have been made with the new logo and will now fly at the beach in place of the old seagull flag.

Imagined T-shirt designs are becoming prototypes and there will soon be a way to order your own.  There is currently an order for pocket-sized embroidery on bright yellow T-shirts.  Under the logo, it simply says “http://blacksbeach.org” All T-shirt designs include the new logo on a bright yellow shirt with text underneath.  The desired text underneath is the question.  I have made prototypes with the text, “Life is Black’s Beach.”  Other requested text includes simply, “Black’s Beach, San Diego.”  I would be interested to hear which of these phrases interest potential buyers, or what phrase you would like to see on your T-shirt.

Gliderport News:
Remote controlled gliders have returned to the skies above Black’s Beach, as of October 11.  I spoke to Dave Jebb about this.  He tells me that only the senior pilots will be flying the really big gliders and there will be safety checks before takeoff.  There is not necessarily outside identification, but on-board identification has always been required.

Beach etiquette is now in Spanish.
Nude Beach Etiquette
Nude beach etiquette is a set of standards, often left unspoken.  It leaves offenders without the excuse of ignorance.  Etiquette informs newcomers what to expect and that they are not alone.  Nobody should feel that they are facing rude people alone.  If you want to think of it in terms of rules, there are only three.

1) Respect the boundaries. The beach you save may be your own.
         Don’t go out of established nude areas. To wander nude into clothing compulsive territory may offend many, and puts the whole beach at risk.     No overt sexual activity. Nude is not lewd, but combined with sex, it undermines our image and could cost us our freedom and enjoyment of the beach.

2) Respect the people.
          Do not photograph people without their permission. It is common courtesy to ask first. Not everyone wants to end up in a stranger's photo album. Never photograph any children but your own.
         Respect the privacy of others. If there is a lot of room, then give people a respectable distance.  Recognize when you are unwelcome.

3) Respect the beach.
          Pack it in, pack it out.  There is no trash collection at Black’s Beach.  If you carried it down, you must carry it back up.  It is recommended that you pack out a little more than you packed in.  Not everyone packs theirs out and much trash washes up from other beaches.

Speak up for our standards. If a person seems unaware of beach etiquette, explain it kindly and plainly. Give them a copy of "Nude Beach Etiquette". Don't let uncouth individuals ruin our fragile and beautiful place under the sun.  The beach you save could be your own.
Etiqueta de Playa Nudista
Etiqueta de playa nudista es un estandard de comportamiento, frequentemente dejado sin decir.  Deja a los ofensores sin el pretexto de ignorancia.  La etiqueta informa a la gente nueva que esperar, y que no estan solos.  Nadie debe sentir que tienes que afrontar a los majaderos solo.  Si quieres pensar en terminos de reglas, solamente hay tres.

1) Respeta las fronteras.  La playa que salvas puede ser la tuya.
         No salgas de las areas establicidas como nudistas. Caminar desnudo en territorio de ropa obligatoria puedes ofender a muchos y ariesgar todo.
         No actividad abiertamente sexual. Estar desnudo no es vulgar, pero combinado con sexo, da una mala impresión de nosotros y nos puede costar la libertad de la playa.

2) Respeta la gente.
          No saques fotos de la gente sin su permiso Es una cortesía común preguntar primero. No todos quieren estar en el album de un extraño.  Nunca saques fotos de niños si no son los tuyos.
         Respeta la privacia. Si hay espacio amplio, entonces dale a la gente una distancia respetable.  Reconoce cuando no eres bienvenido.

3) Respeta la playa.
          La trajiste, llévatela también.  No hay recolección de basura en Black’s Beach.  Si la bajaste, tienes que subirla.  Se recomienda que subas un poco más que la que trajiste.  Algunos la tiran aquí y la marea trae basura desde otras playas.

No te quedes callado. Si alguien parece no conocer la etiqueta, explícala calmadamente y claramente. Dale una copia de "Etiqueta de Playa Nudista". No permitas que poca gente arruinen nuestro fragil y bello lugar bajo el sol.  La playa que se salva puede ser esta.
Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: October
 
Farewell to Al Spencer, by the Rose Man:
Al Spencer, founder of the Black's Beach Bares Association, editor of the BBBA NEWSletter and mayor, by acclamation, of Black's Beach up through the 90s died on June 28, 2002.  He was 80 years old.  Al Spencer's death marks the passing of a legend.

Al Spencer generously furnished newsletters for anyone who made it down the trail.  It was striking that anyone had gone to all that trouble and expense to keep us informed of events and developments at the beach.  But Al Spencer sent out hundreds of BBBA NEWSletters, and they went out to every corner of the globe.

Moreover, Al Spencer was committed to keeping people informed about their legal rights and the procedures for maintaining them.  The inquisitive could always read about the Cahill Policy, which was summarized on Al's bulletin board.  Those wishing to learn about the Cahill Policy today can turn to bayareanaturists.org on the internet.

Sadly, there was a lot of confusion for Al Spencer at the end of the 90s, through to the end of his life.  Al was not well, and that was not well understood.  Many took umbrage at various lapses in Al Spencer's personal manner at a time when he was struggling with dementia.  I discuss this only in the service of closure.  But it was something that all of us experienced in one way or another.
It is hard to overstate the importance of an individual who coordinates with the park service, the lifeguards, the news media, other nudist organization, the volunteers who work on the trail, and gets the word out to everyone down at the beach.  Al Spencer did all of these things.  And he did them in a friendly, affable manner.  He was a towering presence.  And he will be missed by many for many years to come.

Al Spencer once told Ice Cold Jeff that he wished to have his ashes spread over the cliffs.  Alas, spreading Al Spencer's ashes may not be possible in view of family considerations.  However, there will be a memorial for Al Spencer and a commemoration of his life one day before Memorial Day in 2003.  That will be Sunday, May 25, 2003.  And at that time we may do something to honor his wishes symbolically.

This is an abridged version of a much longer memorial, shortened in order to fit on the bulletin board.  The entire text is available at blacksbeach.org.

The Beach in General:
The latter half of August and September have been dominated by hot and sunny days.  Other days have been warm, but mostly overcast.  We did get rain a few days.  Crowds have numbered in the thousands on weekends.  The water temperature has been mid to upper 60s.

Past Events:
We have hosted many picnics and some have been more successful than others.  People have cooked a variety of foods on our grill including: chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, turkey, salmon, shrimp, zucchini, squash and sweet corn.  The September 29th picnic was canceled due to bad weather.

Spring Tide:
Spring tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  With our highest tides in the morning and the seasonal loss of sand, there will be little dry beach for our use.  You may want to bring a chair just to keep dry and away from the cliff.
      low high
Oct 6 new -0.4 6.6   9:50am
Oct 20 full 0.4 5.9   9:29am
Nov 4 full -1.2 7.3   8:17am
Nov 19 new -0.3 6.3   8:13am
Dec 4 full -1.8 7.6   8:31am

Sometimes the highest tides occur in the evening and sometimes in the morning, but keep in mind that there is a comparable high tide about twelve hours earlier or later.  Also the tides a few days before and after are comparably high.

September 22 Landslide:
Four Bares witnessed a small landslide, just before 10am and just north of Valentine Slide.  Though it was a small landslide, there were some very large boulders that broke into smaller rocks before raining down on the beach.  Lesser activity continued at the site throughout the day and perhaps continues to this day.

Nobody was hurt and lifeguards taped off the area as unsafe.  Some have speculated that a 4.1 earthquake the day before may have triggered the landslide.

Gliderport News:
Three Bares attended a meeting of the Soaring Council at UCSD September 15th.  We were there because they were discussing the future of remote controlled gliders (RCs).

Much of the meeting was focused on accusing Dave Jebb of edging out RCs in order to make room for more profitable tandem flights.  Once the floor was opened up for public comment, two Bares spoke up, pointing out that every beach crash is life threatening and the people on the beach included families with children, none of whom have consented to be at risk in a dangerous sport.  The presence of children was doubted by some RC pilots, proving they don’t know who they put at risk.

Proposals were put forward by each party, the gliderport and the RC pilots.  Most of the details were not understood by the three Bares.  Steve Condon put forward a proposal that seemed to satisfy RC pilots and still gave some consideration to the hazard of beach crashes.  The part important to us was that RCs pass electrical and mechanical tests before takeoff, due to his assertion that most beach crashes are caused by battery failure.  The one important thing lacking in his proposal is that every aircraft needs to display identification on the outside.  He felt this was unnecessary because they already carry ID inside and no pilot would abandon his RC.  ID inside is just one more thing to check and I know a friend has recovered two abandoned RCs from the beach.  I saw it on display in his garage.

The Bares intend to endorse a plan to get RCs back in the air only if it includes equipment checks and exterior ID.  If RCs continue to crash, I recommend we make an incident report to the city classifying it as life threatening.
Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: September

Summer Coming to a Close:
September 22nd will be the first day of fall.  This means that our days will be shorter than our nights.  Typically, San Diego has still been plenty hot through September and much of October.  We get warm and sunny weather way after the official end of summer.

The Beach in General:
There have only been a few sunny days in August.  Other days have been warm, but mostly overcast.  Crowds have numbered in the thousands on weekends.  The water temperature has been near 70ºF.  There are lots of stingrays, as always.

Past Events:
We have hosted many picnics and some have been more successful than others.  The weather has not cooperated with us lately.  It was even sprinkling August 18th.

People have cooked a variety of foods on our grill including: chicken, hamburger, hotdog, sausage, turkey, salmon, zucchini, squash, sweet corn and shish kabobs.  We have also made a variety of ice cream, including: vanilla, chocolate, blueberry, strawberry, peach, blackberry and mango.

August 6th we facilitated a Junior AANR trip to the beach.  It was called Nudist University.  It was essential summer camp for young nudists with a potential for leadership.  We fed them from our grill and ice cream machine.

Future Events:
Because of some surprises in the weather, all our events are now “weather permitting” and only a few ice cream dates will be announced.  Others will simply be an unexpected bonus to the picnic.

Sunday Picnic August 25
Sunday Picnic
Blood Drive at Gliderport September 1
Labor Day Picnic with Ice Cream September 2
Sunday Picnic September 8
Sunday Picnic September 15
Sunday Picnic September 22
Sunday Picnic September 29

We will continue to host picnics every Sunday through September.  Whether you contribute something or not, please be warned, if you sit near us, you will be fed.  You can find us a little north of the glider port, north of the newest landslide.  We fly an American flag and our yellow club flag.

We don’t organize other activities, but we do provide an assortment of beach toys that are available for general use.  Included in our collection are Frisbees and other throwing toys, sand castle molds, body boards, fins, diving masks, horseshoes…

Several of our members swim out to the buoy, which marks an artificial reef, 40 feet under.  Experienced swimmers are invited to join us.  Scuba divers among us are trying to organize a dive at the reef.

Spring Tide:
Spring Tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  The high leaves us with very little dry beach to share.  You can tell how high the tide was recently by the texture of the sand and the placement of seaweed.

      low high
Aug 22 full -0.7 6.5   9:50pm
Sep 6 new -1.1 7.2   9:37pm
Sep 21 full 0.1 5.7  10:05pm
Oct 6 new -0.4 6.6   9:50am
Oct 20 full 0.4 5.9   9:29am

Sometimes the highest tides occur in the evening and sometimes in the morning, but keep in mind that there is a comparable high tide about twelve hours earlier or later.  Also the tides a few days before and after are comparably high.  Use this information to keep your stuff out of the surf.

City Police Incidents:
Monday, July 29th, San Diego city police were on the beach.  They drove the entire length of the beach for no apparent reason.  I later learned that they told at least two people that alcohol was illegal on this beach.  Both were women.  They made one of the ladies empty her beer can.

I immediately called the Torrey Pines ranger station and relayed the incident, asking if there had been a change in the law.  I was advised that the consumption of alcohol on the state beach is legal; there has been no change.  The state beach begins at a point south of the gliderport trail, often marked by a Nudity Prohibited sign and orange cones, and continues a few miles to the north.

The two officers were apparently acting on their own, without any legal backing.  If an officer on the state beach tells you to pour out your drink, or he will give you a citation, I advise you to ask for the citation.  He won’t give you a citation, since he’s just harassing.  You might also advise him that ignorance of the law is no excuse, especially when they are officers of the law.

A ranger has told me in no uncertain terms that he’s determined to put an end to beer vending on the beach.  It seems that rangers, city police and lifeguards are working together toward that goal.  A beer vendor was arrested Saturday, August 17th, after citations were issued previous days.

A quick summary of the status of beer at Black’s Beach is that drinking from cans is ok, bringing bottles or vending beer is not.

Gliderport News:
The gliderport informs me that, as of August 7th, they will no longer allow remote controlled gliders (RCs).  This decision was the result of concerns over reckless pilots who feel they can fly excessively heavy gliders.  They are reportedly unconcerned with crashing them on the beach because they have insurance.

So far the city manager has read many complaints from RC pilots.  They have not heard from hang-glider pilots, paraglider pilots or beach users.  These pilots and beach users should be concerned about this safety issue because our lives are at stake.  Loosing control of the glider, due to mechanical or electrical problems puts our lives at risk.  The gliders in questions are often heavy and can crash on the beach at speeds of nearly 100mph.  On the other hand, manned gliders make soft landings.

Please write in support of this ban to
Michael T. Uberuaga
San Diego City Manager
202 C Street MS9A
San Diego, CA 92101
manager@sdcity.sannet.gov
Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: August

Error in Previous Issues:
In earlier newsletters I said, “Less than two years ago we lost the city beach.”  That is not true.  It was approximately three years ago when we lost the city beach.

The Beach in General:
The first half of July has mostly given us cloudy and overcast days.  Still, it has been warm and crowds have numbered in the thousands on weekends.  People are getting naked as early as 8am and waiting until almost 8pm to get dressed.  Windbreaks are a good idea in the late afternoon, and most people feel that an umbrella is a must.  The water temperature has been near 70ºF, so there are lots of people in the water.

Past Events:
Our June 29th picnic at San Onofre was a hit.  There were five other clubs present: Camping Bares, Friends of San Onofre Beach, Southern California Naturist Association (the homeless bares), Sun Raes and Paddling Bares.  I had plenty of volunteers to crank the ice cream, and we turned out peach and two batches of strawberry.  Another man showed up with Baskin Robbins ice cream.  Dave and several others kept the hot food moving across the grill and everybody left stuffed.

Our July 4th picnic was cloudy and cool.  There were still lots of people and some body painting, but nobody got off their naked butt for a parade.  Dave managed the two grills and kept the hot food coming.

I kept the ice cream machine going.  We cranked out raspberry, vanilla and blueberry (red, white and blue).  I also attempted chocolate, but there wasn’t enough dry ice, so I turned out milkshakes.

National nude week was mostly cloudy, so I spent most of that week away from the beach.  We did have several members of Naturally California present for our July 14th picnic.  It was another day of hot food and home-made ice cream.

Future Events:

Sunday Picnic July 28
Sunday Picnic with Ice Cream August 4
Sunday Picnic August 11
Sunday Picnic with Ice Cream August 18
Sunday Picnic August 25
Sunday Picnic September 1
Labor Day Picnic with Ice Cream September 2
Sunday Picnic September 8
Sunday Picnic with Ice Cream September 15

We will continue to host picnics every Sunday through August and September.  We will make ice cream about twice a month.  Whether you contribute something or not, please be warned, if you sit near us, you will be fed.  You can find us a little north of the glider port, north of the newest landslide.  We fly an American flag and our yellow club flag.

Spring Tide:
Spring Tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  The high leaves us with very little dry beach to share, These are days when you will be closer to your neighbor, or all wet.  You can tell how high the tide was recently by the texture of the sand and the placement of seaweed.
      low high
Aug 8 new -1.2 7.4   9:47pm
Aug 22 full -0.7 6.5   9:50pm
Sep 6 new -1.1 7.2   9:37pm
Sep 21 full 0.1 5.7  10:05pm

The highest tides are occurring in the evening, but keep in mind that there is also a high tide about twelve hours earlier.  Also the tides a few days before and after are comparably high.  Use this information to keep your stuff out of the surf.

Our New Logo:
I have been in the process of building a new club logo.  It has been shown as the upper left header of the last few newsletters.  The reason for this is the previous logo had no clear connection to Black’s Beach and did nothing to show that it’s a nude beach.

I kept the color scheme of a blue sun on a yellow background, but I included a hang glider instead of a seagull.  I used a solar eclipse photo of mine from July 11, 1991 and altered the colors.  I also used pictures of two models and used some digital special effects to turn them into sketches.  The models face away from each other so that there is no implication that they are a couple, nor is there an endorsement of any sexual preference.  It also makes more room for the eclipse above.

We will soon fly this new flag and make T-shirts available.  Also, the old logo will soon disappear from the newsletter header.

Keeping our Boundaries:
It is our intent to avoid confrontations with law enforcement, especially when we are getting along so well.  Please consult our map for beach boundaries.  Nudity is not tolerated on the trails, only on the beach and in the water.  Crossing those boundaries invites citations and citations provoke a crackdown.

Nudity survived here for years before our bulletin board and we hope it will continue without our permanent bulletin board, but we can’t count on that.  Less than three years ago we lost the city beach.  Can we be sure we won’t lose more in the near future?

We need to self-regulate or face the regulation that others would impose on us.  If you see somebody crossing the boundaries, please let them know.  Don’t leave them to discover their mistakes in court.  It may lead to us discovering our mistakes in city council and/or in the state legislature.

Stingrays:
There are stingrays in our water all year, but they are more of a problem this time of year.  There are lots of little stingrays in the shallow water, knee deep.

More are seen in the late afternoon.  When you walk into the water after 5pm, look down and see the stingrays that surround your feet.  This serves as a visual reminder to walk slowly and give them time to get out of the way.  You can’t step on them when you’re swimming.

When people run in the water, they are careless of the stingrays.  Some of these people will step on them and be stung.  The sting is excruciatingly painful.  It’s treated with heat, to break down the toxins.  Bury the affected area in hot sand.

Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: July

Happy Solstice:
The sun reaches the summer solstice June 21st at about 5:18am.  This makes June 21st the first day of the summer.  Our days have been getting longer and June 21st is our longest day this year.  The days will be getting shorter, but they will still be longer than the nights, giving us some very hot days, perfect for the beach.

The Beach in General:
June has given us a great deal of sunny and hot weather, usually in the afternoon, but we still have some overcast days too.  People are getting naked as early as 9am and waiting until almost 8pm to get dressed.  Windbreaks are still a good idea, and most people feel that an umbrella is a must.

Past Events:
We have had several Sunday picnics, some lightly attended and some heavily attended.  The Memorial Day picnic may have had as many as 100 people attending.  Some of the things coming off the grill include hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, zucchini, sweet corn, tri tip steaks and a variety of chicken.  We have made a few different flavors of ice cream like vanilla, raspberry and strawberry.

I watched the June 10th solar eclipse at the beach.  We set up a pair of binoculars to project an image of the sun onto a piece of white cardboard.  Only a few people stopped to see, since it was a weekday.

The daytime Venus events haven’t been working out.  June 14th was a cloudy day, but there were enough clearings that I still thought it possible.  I have been able to show Venus to a few people a little before sunset.

Future Events:

Sunday Picnic June 23
Ice Cream Picnic at San Onofre with Camping Bares and Friends of San Onofre  
June 29
Sunday Picnic June 30
Body Painting
Ice Cream Picnic
 with Camping Bares  
July 4
Sunday Picnic July 7
National Nude Week July 8-14
Picnic with Naturally California and Ice Cream July 14
Sunday Picnic July 21
Sunday Picnic July 28
Sunday Picnic with Ice Cream August 4
Sunday Picnic August 11

There will be picnics every Sunday through July and August.  We will make ice cream about twice a month.  Please bring something to contribute to the picnic.  Whether you bring something or not, please be warned, if you sit near us, you will be fed.

Joi, a body painter from way back, will be paying us a visit in early July, including July 4th.  Hopefully this means we can have a lot of painted people in a July 4th parade.

Dave Cole’s Article in Nude and Natural:
Dave Cole has written a great article about our group and Black’s Beach in Nude and Natural 21.4, starting on page 67.  I would like to quote his closing paragraph.

“I would like to thank everyone who has helped make this beach the special beach that it is.  To all those who visit regularly, and even those who I may have met just once or twice, thank you.  For those I haven’t met yet, if you see a guy wearing a Mickey Mouse hat (sometimes with a propeller on top), offering you jerk chicken and an information flyer, that’s just me, welcoming you to paradise.”

Spring Tide:
Spring Tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  The high leaves us with very little dry beach to share, These are days when you will be closer to your neighbor, or all wet.  You can tell how high the tide was recently by the texture of the sand and the placement of seaweed.

      low high
Jun 25 full -1.4 6.9  10:15pm
Jul 10 new -1.2 7.1   9:56pm
Jul 24 full -1.1 6.8  10:03pm
Aug 8 new -1.2 7.4   9:47pm
Aug 22 full -0.7 6.5   9:50pm
         

The highest tides are occurring in the evening, but keep in mind that there is also a high tide about twelve hours earlier.  Also the tides a few days before and after are comparably high.  Use this information to keep your stuff out of the surf.

Keeping our Boundaries:
It is our intent to avoid confrontations with law enforcement, especially when we are getting along so well.  Please consult our map for beach boundaries.  Nudity is not tolerated on the trails, only on the beach and in the water.  Crossing those boundaries invites citations and citations provoke a crackdown.

Nudity survived here for years before our bulletin board and we hope it will continue without our permanent bulletin board, but we can’t count on that.  Less than two years ago we lost the city beach.  Can we be sure we won’t lose more in the near future?

We need to self-regulate or face the regulation that others would impose on us.  If you see somebody crossing the boundaries, please let them know.  Don’t leave them to discover their mistakes in court.  It may lead to us discovering our mistakes in city council and/or in the state legislature.

Stingrays:
There are stingrays in our water all year, but they become a problem as the water warms up.  There are already lots of little stingrays in the shallow water, even knee deep.  As people begin to play in the water more, more people will step on them and get stung.  The sting is excruciatingly painful.  It’s treated with heat.  Bury the affected area in hot sand.

Red Tide:
About this time last year we had red tide, giving our water an amber color and poor visibility.  Dinoflagellates are the culprits.  These plankton reproduce explosively, probably due to the warm water, and last year caused a dramatic drop in water temperature.  The dinoflagellates here in San Diego are bioluminescent.  That is, they glow when turbulence is introduced.  Each wave will give off light.  If you swim at night, you will see a glow with every stroke.  If you walk in the surf at night, every footstep will sparkle. 
Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: June

The Beach in General:
May has given us a great deal of sunny and hot weather, but we still have some overcast days too.  People are getting naked as early as 9am and waiting until almost 7pm to get dressed.  Windbreaks are still a good idea, and most people feel that an umbrella is a must. 

Future Events:

1st Sunday Picnic this Season

May 26

Blair and Claudia’s Wedding

May 26

Picnic with Ice Cream

May 27

Sunday Picnic

June 2

Sunday Picnic

June 9

Partial Solar Eclipse

June 10

Daytime Venus

June 13

Sunday Picnic with Ice Cream

June 16

Sunday Picnic

June 23

Ice Cream Picnic at San Onofre with Camping Bares and Friends of San Onofre

June 29

Sunday Picnic

June 30

Picnic with Camping Bares and Ice Cream

July 4

Sunday Picnic

July 7

It’s a tough choice between our first picnic and Claudia and Blair’s wedding.  Some of us have chosen the wedding and others have chosen the picnic. 

Wedding plans are for Sunday, May 26th at De Anza Springs Resort, 10am.  If more than ten people show up for the wedding the day rate will be $10 for the wedding party and $4 for camping. 

Black’s Beach Bares will be hosting Sunday picnics through the summer.  That means you can bring your favorite food and cook it on our grill.  If you don’t have anything to throw on the grill, come over anyway.  We always have enough food to share. 

At a few of these picnics we will also make ice cream.  Please join us and take your turn cranking.  This is a good time to bring the kids and let them do some of the cranking. 

Solar Eclipse:
There will be a partial eclipse of the sun June 10th from 5:13-7:23pm.  The moon will block approximately 80% of the sun.  It is unsafe to view the partial eclipse without appropriate eye protection.  We will try to obtain some filters to pass out. 

Daytime Venus:
I will again attempt to show Venus in broad daylight, June 13th this time.  I have done this before, but I always need a very clear sky.  June 13th was chosen because the moon will be nearby and serve as a pointer.

Unusual Wildlife on our Beach:
In the last few weeks some sea creatures have been washing up on our beach.  Sea lions, by-the-wind sailors and tuna crabs have washed up. 

The sea lions are not unusual in our waters, but they don’t usually come to shore.  Several have been rescued by Sea World from many San Diego beaches.  When one does turn up, don’t try to help it.  Just call Sea World at 800-541-7325.  They don’t need water or shade.  They just need to be left alone until help arrives. 

By-the-wind sailors are small jellyfish that drift on the surface.  The tuna crabs are small crustaceans that resemble tiny lobsters.  These are not new sea creatures; they just don’t usually wash up here.  Their presence on San Diego beaches is considered another indicator that next winter will be an El Niño winter. 

Spring Tide:
Spring Tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  Spring tide leaves us with very little dry sand on those days.  Keep it in mind when you decide whether or not you need insulation from wet sand.  This condition occurs twice every month, at full moon and new moon.  Some spring tide dates coming up include… 

 

 

 

low

high

May

26

full

-1.6

7.1   9:53pm

Jun

11

new

-1.0

6.6  10:05pm

Jun

25

full

-1.4

6.9  10:15pm

Jul

10

new

-1.2

7.1   9:56pm

Jul

24

full

-1.1

6.8  10:03pm

The highest tides are occurring in the evening, but keep in mind that there is also a high tide about twelve hours earlier.  Also the tides a few days before and after are comparably high.  Use this information to keep your stuff out of the surf.

Keeping our Boundaries:
The Bares have been attempting to keep a bulletin board at the trailhead.  We installed a new bulletin board March 30th and it was vandalized before April 2nd.  The purpose of this bulletin board and all others before it was to keep newcomers informed of the boundaries.  Crossing those boundaries invites citations and citations provoke a crackdown. 

It is our intent to avoid confrontations with law enforcement, especially when we are getting along so well.  Some vandal is intent on a system of anarchy, letting newcomers make expensive mistakes and endangering the tolerance of nudity here. 

Nudity survived here for years before our bulletin board and we hope it will continue without our permanent bulletin board, but we can’t count on that.  Less than two years ago we lost the city beach.  Can we be sure we won’t lose more in the near future? 

We need to self-regulate or face the regulation that others would impose on us.  If you see somebody crossing the boundaries, please let them know.  Don’t leave them to discover their mistakes in court.  It may lead to us discovering our mistakes in city council and/or in the state legislature.

Stingrays:
There are stingrays in our water all year, but they become a problem as the water warms up.  Very soon now there will be a population explosion and there will be lots of little stingrays in the shallow water, even knee deep.  As people begin to play in the water more, more people will step on them and get stung.  The sting is excruciatingly painful.  It’s treated with heat.  Bury the affected area in hot sand.

 

Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: May

The Beach in General:
April has been about half and half, half sunny and warm and half cold, windy or cloudy.  People are getting naked as early as 9am and waiting until almost 7pm to get dressed.  Windbreaks are still a good idea, but this is also a good time to start bringing your umbrella again.

We have had a sea lion rescue, April 19th, and we have had by-the-wind sailors, a type of jellyfish, wash up in the hundreds of thousands.

Daytime Venus:
The Daytime viewing of Venus was a flop, due to a hazy day.  There will be a repeat attempt June 13.

Future Events:

Flight Fest

May 3-5

Nudestock California Style

May 11

1st Sunday Picnic this Season

May 26

Blair and Claudia’s Wedding

May 26

Picnic with Ice Cream

May 27

Sunday Picnic

June 2

Sunday Picnic

June 9

Daytime Venus

June 13

Torrey Pines Flight Fest:
Torrey Pines Gliderport is once again hosting the world famous Air Races for both Hang Gliding and Paragliding from May 3-5.  The Torrey Pines Gliderport is one of the birthplaces of both these great sports.  Pilots from all over the United States and the world will meet together to participate in the pylon racing events.

They anticipate a maximum of 64 racers in each sport making this a big challenge.  The races will be judged in two categories for each hang gliding and paragliding.  Amateur events will also take place including spot landing contests, bag drops, and more.

Nudestock California Style:
On May 11, Glen Eden Sun Club is having a music festival in Kennedy Grove.  There will be live music playing all day as two bands take turns, and their favorite band, Hot Tin Roof, will play at 8pm.  They have extended a special gate fee of  $10 to our members.

John Cornicello

 

Burro Trail:
The Burro Trail remains in mostly good condition despite the March 17th storm.  There were still a few puddles and some mud on the trail March 18th, but it was still very much in the same passable condition.  The most difficult spot in the trail continues to be a few steep steps through the narrow ravine near the bottom.

Sting Rays:
There are sting rays in our water all year, but they become a problem as the water warms up.  Very soon now there will be a population explosion and there will be lots of little sting rays in the shallow water, even knee deep.  As people begin to play in the water more, more people will step on them and get stung.  The sting is excruciatingly painful.  It’s treated with heat.  Bury the affected area in hot sand.

Spring Tide:
Spring Tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  Spring tide leaves us with very little dry sand on those days.  Keep it in mind when you decide whether or not you need insulation from wet sand.  Chairs, tarps and mats are used by many beach regulars.  This condition occurs twice every month, at full moon and new moon.  Some spring tide dates coming up include…

 

 

 

low

high

Apr

27

full

-1.4

6.8   10:19pm

May

12

new

-0.5

6.1    9:54pm

May

26

full

-1.6

7.1    9:53pm

Jun

11

new

-1.0

6.6   10:05pm

Jun

25

full

-1.4

6.9   10:15pm

The highest tides are occurring in the evening, but keep in mind that there is also a high tide about twelve hours earlier.

The Tar Nuisance:
Tar has been washing up on our beach through March and April.  The tar washes up in assorted sizes, from an inch to over a foot in diameter.  If you step in one, you will be sorry.  If you are one of the unfortunates to get some stuck to your feet, remove it with any oil based product.  Tanning oil, baby oil or even lip balm will take it off.

Keeping our Boundaries:
The Bares have been attempting to keep a bulletin board at the trailhead.  We installed a new bulletin board March 30th and it was vandalized before April 2nd.  The purpose of this bulletin board and all others before it was to keep newcomers informed of the boundaries.  Crossing those boundaries invites citations and citations provoke a crackdown.

It is our intent to avoid confrontations with law enforcement, especially when we are getting along so well.  Some vandal is intent on a system of anarchy, letting newcomers make expensive mistakes and endangering the tolerance of nudity here.

Nudity survived here for years before our bulletin board and we hope it will continue without our permanent bulletin board, but we can’t count on that.  Less than two years ago we lost the city beach.  Can we be sure we won’t lose more in the near future?

We need to self-regulate or face the regulation that others would impose on us.  If you see somebody crossing the boundaries, please let them know.  Don’t leave them to discover their mistakes in court.  It may lead to us discovering our mistakes in city council and/or in the state legislature.

Paypal:
We have activated an internet method of paying dues and making donations.  paypal.com is an internet banking firm.  It can be used to pay bills electronically, transfer funds and make on-line purchases.  Simply by signing up with Paypal and naming info@blacksbeach.org for the referral gives us $5.

 

Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: April

Happy Equinox:
Everybody on this half of the world will be happy to know that the sun has returned to the north, as of March 20th 11am.  The days have been gradually getting longer, and we’ve now reached the point where days are twelve hours or more.

This also means the rays of sunlight bombard us more directly and more ultraviolet gets through.  This is a good time to start thinking seriously about shade and sunblock again.

The Beach in General:
March has been about half and half, half sunny and warm and half cold, windy or cloudy.  People are getting naked as early as 9am and waiting until almost 6pm to get dressed.  Windbreaks are still a good idea.

A March 17th storm has left several mud flows on the beach.  The mud is very sticky and most people choose to cross it at the narrowest point, near the cliff, or near the tide line.  These flows dry out quickly, but there will be more storms and more mud flows in the near future.

Burro Trail:
The Burro Trail remains in mostly good condition despite the March 17th storm.  There were still a few puddles and some mud on the trail March 18th, but it was still very much in the same passable condition.  The most difficult spot in the trail continues to be a few steep steps through the narrow ravine near the bottom.

Spring Tides:
Spring Tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  Spring tide leaves us with very little dry sand on those days.  Keep it in mind when you decide whether or not you need insulation from wet sand.  Chairs, tarps and mats are used by many beach regulars.  This condition occurs twice every month, at full moon and new moon.  Some spring tide dates coming up include…

 

 

 

low

high

Mar

29

full

-0.7

6.3    9:54pm

Apr

12

new

 0.2

5.5    9:48pm

Apr

27

full

-1.4

6.8   10:19pm

May

12

new

-0.5

6.1    9:54pm

May

26

full

-1.6

7.1    9:53pm

Jun

11

new

-1.0

6.6   10:05pm

Jun

25

full

-1.4

6.9   10:15pm

The highest tides are occurring in the evening, but keep in mind that there is also a high tide about twelve hours earlier.

The Tar Nuisance:
This is also the time of year when tar begins to wash up, probably broken loose and brought to shore by storms.  The tar washes up in assorted sizes, from an inch to over a foot in diameter.  If you step in one, you will be sorry.  It would be a good idea if everybody would pick up a few pieces, put it in with their litterbag and carry it out.  If we take it off the beach there will be less people stepping in it.  I often use another piece of litter to avoid getting it on my hands.  If you are one of the unfortunates to get some stuck to your feet, remove it with any oil based product.  Tanning oil, baby oil or even lip balm will take it off.

Planets This Spring:
Venus is now far enough away from the sun that it’s plainly visible after sunset.  It’s currently about 15° behind the sun and getting farther behind.  That’s about the width or your wide open hand, when held at arm’s length.

Other planets are currently showing themselves in our evening sky, specifically Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.  Jupiter and Saturn move very little from one night to the next.  Mars will be moving rapidly between Taurus and Pleiades.

Venus is bright enough to see in broad daylight.  The glare from the sun often makes this difficult though.  The trick is to know where to look.  When Venus passes near the moon, the moon is a useful aid.  Unfortunately, the best opportunity is April 14th, when they will be 3° apart.  I’ll set up something to point out Venus Sunday April 14th at 2pm.  Look for my setup and flag in front of last year’s landslide.

Future Events:
Venus will be shown in broad daylight.  All that’s needed is a pointer and your naked eye.  I will provide the pointer. Sunday picnics begin in May.

Venus

April 14 2pm

1st Sunday picnic this season

May 26

Blair and Claudia’s wedding

May 26

Picnic with ice cream

May 27

Picnic with Camping Bares

July 4

Black’s Beach Bares Budget:
In the year 2001 the Bares took in $806 in donations and membership dues.  The Bares spent a total of $1,573.23 in duplicating, postage, stationary, web hosting, picnic supplies and bulletin boards.  This does not include the charcoal that several other members donated to the picnic cause.  This difference of $767.23 was carried by a single individual, myself.  Many people take a free copy from the dispenser on the beach, or maybe even download a copy from the web.  You may continue doing that, but donations are appreciated.

 

Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: March

The Beach in General:

January and February has been mostly sunny and warm, only windy and cool sometimes.  In this last month I’ve found that the weather has sometimes been warm enough to be nude on the beach from about 9am to 5pm, if I use a reflector or windbreak.

 Tides are still occasionally so high that all the sand is wet.  The fact that there is less sand on our beach in the winter makes this even worse.  The city removed sand from one part of our beach to use it to reinforce emergency access.  Although they took it from an area just north of the Burro Trail, it has left an area south of the trail so short of sand that it’s mostly rocks.

 It’s still a good idea to have some way to keep yourself off the wet sand.  Chairs, tarps and mats are used by many beach regulars.

 Lifeguards are present, but in lesser numbers.  They seem to have filled some vacancies with new lifeguards.  Those new lifeguards once posted the cones and nudity prohibited sign in the wrong place.  The dividing line between the city and state beach is where Salk Road would meet the surf.  That is a point about a hundred meters south of the Burro Trail.

 Burro Trail:

The Burro Trail remains in mostly good condition despite a few steps being ripped out for firewood by vandals.

 Buick Invitational:

The Buick Invitational golf tournament dominated our parking lot for the week of February 4-10.  There was no street parking during much of that time.  Traffic was often backed up getting into, or out of the parking lot.  Signs were posted on Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, indicating that there was no public parking.  This was not true.  People simply drove up to the driveway, stated that they were going to the beach, and were directed to the west lot.  Our parking was still impacted by golf fans who parked in our lot.  Sometimes it was necessary to wait for someone to leave, or be creative about what was a space, but everyone found parking

 Other Nude Recreation News:

Naturally California has chartered a clothing optional whale watch cruise for March 10th.  It’s $20 for members and $25 for non-members.  If interested, contact 

Naturally California
P.O. Box 502632
San Diego, CA 92150
858-484-7121
info@naturallyca.com
http://www.naturallyca.com

I’m still spreading the word about a Caribbean cruise through Internaturally.  They have chartered a cruise for the week of July 27 –  August 3, 2002.  There will even be scuba opportunities.  If interested, contact

Internaturally Travel Inc.
PO Box 317
Newfoundland, NJ 07435-0317

Sherry Stafford
naturally@internaturally.com
973-607-8099        fax 973-697-8313

Venus Spectacle:

Our evening sky will soon be graced with Venus in the coming months.  Start watching for a bright star above the sun at sunset.  Don’t wish on that first star you see tonight.  It’s a planet.  Venus will be challenging to see Through February and March.  But, it will get higher and brighter, and easier to spot through spring and summer.

Venus will reach greatest elongation about August 20th.  That means it is the highest in the evening sky and up the latest at night.  If you look with a telescope, you will see that it has a half circle shape.  After that Venus will exhibit a crescent shape. 

Venus is bright enough to see in broad daylight.  The glare from the sun often makes this difficult though.  The trick is to know where to look.  When Venus passes near the moon, the moon is a useful aid.  Unfortunately, there will be no such opportunity this spring or summer.  Instead, I’ll be looking for a day when I can set up a pointer to Venus and invite all to see.

Venus will pass through Taurus in April and May,  and between Pleiades and Aldebaran April 28th.  Aldebaran is the brightest star in Taurus. 

Venus will be in conjunction with other planets.  It will make a small triangle with Mars and Saturn May 5th and 6th, then pass very close to Mars, less than 1/3°, May 10th.  A conjunction of love and war has strong implications in mythology.  Finally, Venus will pass near Jupiter June 3rd. 

The performance with other planets ends before summer begins, but the show with stars continues through the summer.  The most noteworthy are July 10th, and August 31st.  Venus passes very near Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.  That will be July 10th.  Then it will be near Spica August 31st. 

Other planets are currently showing themselves in our evening sky, specifically Jupiter and Saturn.  Get used to spotting them and it will be easier to find Venus.  Jupiter and Saturn move very little from one night to the next.

 

 

Vol. MMII Editor: Lloyd Johnson Issue: January/February

Error in Last Issue:

I erroneously reported in the last issue that Summerland, in Santa Barbara, remains open to nude use.  It is More Mesa that remains open to nude use, not Summerland. 

The Beach in General:

The weather has often been sunny, sometimes windy and cool, other times calm and warm.  I find that the weather is sometimes warm enough to be nude on the beach from about 10am to 4pm. 

Tides have often been so high that all the sand is wet.  It’s a good idea to have some way to keep yourself off the wet sand.  Chairs, tarps and mats are used by many beach regulars. 

Lifeguards are present, but in lesser numbers.  They even have a few posters soliciting applicants.  Since they are understaffed, they concentrate their patrols where there are more people in the water.  This time of year those are the surfers.  Their patrols of our area are infrequent, so it’s unlikely they will be watching you if you’re in the water. 

Beach Cleanup:

The Black’s Beach Bares coordinated a beach cleanup with Torrey Pines rangers December 16th.  Five members of the Bares gathered large items of trash from the beach and from the trails.  These included tires, shopping carts, lobster traps and car parts.  At about 11am a ranger arrived with a short bed pickup and loaded up our collection.  Two Bares accompanied the ranger to unload and came back for a second trip.

Claudia Kellersch:

Some of you may recall the wedding proposal of July 13th.  That was Blair Brumley proposing to Claudia.  Wedding plans are for Sunday, May 26th at De Anza Springs Resort, 10am.  If more than ten people show up for the wedding the day rate will be $10 for the wedding party and $4 for camping.  Otherwise, the usual rates apply.  There will certainly be more than 10 people for this wedding.  Try to be there to wish them well. 

Claudia goes back a ways with naturism and Black’s Beach.  She was a regular at Black’s while taking classes at SDSU 1988-1989.  She has been living in the Seattle area recently and has been the president of a local travel club called Sun Lovers Under Grey Skies (SLUGS).  She has also been the Naturist Action Committee (NAC) area representative for Washington state.  She is in the process of moving to San Diego and she is now the NAC area representative for Black’s Beach.  

Naturist Action Committee:

What is the NAC?  The NAC is a national organization that defends clothing optional use of public lands.  If they are made aware of a threat to clothing optional use of a site, like Black’s Beach, they work with local organizations, like Black’s Beach Bares, to ensure a continuation.  This includes defending individuals against citations.

 The appointment of Claudia Kellersch as our area representatives helps us to survive.  Expect to see a lot of her in the near future. 

Other Nude Recreation News:

Internaturally has asked me to spread the word about a Caribbean cruise.  They have chartered the Caribbean Explorer for the week of July 27 –  August 3, 2002.  They are not scuba divers, but there will be scuba instructors aboard and it will be possible to earn resort certification.  They will be visiting five islands, including St. Barths.  If interested, contact 

Internaturally Travel Inc.  

Sherry Stafford

PO Box 317  

naturally@internaturally.com

Newfoundland, NJ 07435-0317  

973-607-8099
fax 973-697-8313 

Two contributions from Kevin:

Happy New Year!  Well, if you are like me, not only did you celebrate the 1st with a natural swim at Black’s, you also spent Christmas day sipping champagne with hors d’oeuvres, au natural.  Christmas day was Beautiful!  New Years Day, a bit bracing.  Myself and a friend who begrudgingly took the swim were treated to frigid waters and little sun.  I also witnessed a group of about 20 arrive at the foot of the “old ladies” trail and strip (to jogging shorts) and take the dip.  Water temperature was between whoo to ah, according to their vocalizations.  Also, for you ornithologists, I counted 15 bird species from my chair.  So, dare to go bare!  I’ll be there. 

Cow A Bungee!  For the third day in a row the HUGE waves, 14 ft at times, have been crashing on the cliffs, leaving the beach awash.  Twice I found myself running for high ground.  Even three hours after high tide, I was swamped.  The day has been beautiful, though the wind has been bracing.  I recommend a wind break. 

9:30am brings sunshine to the shores; there was a buoy in the break.  Three hours later, when I pulled it ashore, as trash, a lobster trap was attached.  Talk about California Lotto, the trap contained six good sized lobsters, five legal and 1 undersize.  With much fanfare we released them.  After all, they had paddled their boat ashore.  What a great day, right to the multi-sunset. 

Whale Sighting:

While climbing the Burro Trail about 3:30pm on Fri Jan 11th, myself and a friend spotted whale spouts way off shore.  We sat and watched for a few minutes. 

A contribution from Dave:

Saturday January 12th.  I arrived at the beach a little before 9 am. I was meeting a friend to do a little maintenance work. The waves were all the way back to the cliffs. I realized that I forgot to pack my plastic tarp, so back up the hill I went. After coming back down some other friends had showed up and we started playing Frisbee, smash ball, and I was practicing my boomerang. 

We got to see some old friends, and again met some new ones. There were a lot of people on the beach today. A couple of friends pulled a lobster trap out of the surf.  We liberated four lobsters from the trap and set them free. 

The sun was hot, air temperature was warm and, after the tide went out gave all the makings of a summer day.  The perfect way to spend a day in early January.  

Master of Ceremonies 70s & 80s:

Joi informs me that the master of ceremonies for parties and parades through the 70s and 80s, Chuck Finley, is having a tough time with cancer right now.  She asks that interested parties contact her for more information.  painterjoi@yahoo.com