You will find trip reports by Lloyd Johnson here.  The most recent reports are at the top.

December 12, 2004: Black's Beach and Escondido Swim with Naturally California

I delayed a while in the parking lot, since the clouds had not yet burned off.  I bet on the sky clearing soon, as I started down the Burro Trail.  I hiked down and set up my bulletin board at the trailhead.  I took off my pants right away and headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.  The whole beach was wet.  I didn't see any dry sand anywhere.  Very high tides earlier had reached all the sand.

I met my friends and raised my flag.  I set up reflectors and sat in a chair all day, but it still wasn't enough.  I was in and out of my shirt, due to the climate.

I left early, about 2pm.

Later in the day I went to Escondido to swim at the icoplex.  There were about 30 people there.  I swam a mile, then spent some time in the hot tub.

December 11, 2004: Black's Beach

I started down the Burro Trail, but stopped to admire the view of clouds just above the ocean, a few miles out.  I could also see two areas of muddy water.  I hiked down and set up my bulletin board at the trailhead.  I undressed right away and headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.  The whole beach was wet.  I didn't see and dry sand anywhere.  Very high tides earlier had reached all the sand.

I met my friends and raised my flag.  I sat in a chair all day, to keep off the wet sand.  One of my friends put her reflector on the ground as insulation.  I sat in a chair to keep off the wet sand.  There were times during the day when I thought about setting up a windbreak, or putting on a shirt.

It was still warm when I left about 4pm.

December 10, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail and set up my bulletin board at the trailhead.  I undressed right away and headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.  The whole beach was wet.  I didn't see and dry sand anywhere.  Very high tides earlier had reached all the sand.

I met my friends and raised my flag.  I brought reflectors but never set them up.  One of my friends put her reflector on the ground as insulation.  I sat in a chair to keep off the wet sand.

I went for one swim and caught one good ride.  The wave ripped my goggles off, which I recovered later, but it ended my swim.

It was still warm when I left about 3pm.  I left early to see a presentation of Vagina Monologues at Cal State U San Marcos.

November 26, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  Dave had already set up a bulletin board at the trailhead.  I undressed then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.  I met my friends and raised my flag.  I also set up reflectors and sat down in front of it to keep warm.

I went for one swim, just beyond the surf.  There wasn't much to see and it was an uneventful swim.

We all started feeling cold about 4pm, so we packed and left.

November 28, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  Dave had already set up a bulletin board at the trailhead.  I was cold, so I didn't undress right away.  I headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.

I met my friends, who had already set up a wall of umbrellas and wind breaks.  I set up reflectors and sat down in front of it to keep warm.  There must have been a dozen of my friends staying warm against the wind break or against a reflector.

There was a sail plane flying up and down the beach.  There were a lot of paragliders and hang-gliders, and they were up high.  The sail plane often flew low, near the water, and still managed to get back up above the cliffs.

It was getting cold so everybody started packing about 4pm.  We could see a line of light on the cliffs, reflected from the water.  I hiked up the Goat Trail, to experience the warmth and the multiple shadow.

November 26, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  Dave had already set up a bulletin board at the trailhead.  I undressed then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.  I met my friends and raised my flag.  I also set up reflectors and sat down in front of it to keep warm.

I went for one swim, just beyond the surf.  There wasn't much to see and it was an uneventful swim.

We all started feeling cold about 4pm, so we packed and left.

November 19, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.

I met my friends, raised my flags and set up another bulletin board under it.  I also set up reflectors and sat down in front of it to keep warm.  The wind picked up and about 2:30pm we all decided it was too cold to stay.  I left the parking lot about 3pm.

November 17, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.

I met my friends, raised my flags and set up another bulletin board under it.  I also set up reflectors and sat down in front of it to keep warm.  The temperature was so perfect that I dozed of for a bit.

I went for one swim out to the sand dollars.  On the way back I caught a good wave.  It shot me out of the face.

It was still warm, but not for much longer, when I left about 4:30pm.  I saw sunset from the trail.  I thought I saw a little green after the sun.

November 14, 2004: Black's Beach and Escondido Swim with Naturally California

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.  There wasn't much dry sand.  Much of the sand was wet from the high tide and much of the beach was covered in mud, much of it dried.

I met my friends, raised my flags and set up another bulletin board under it.  There wasn't enough sand to go around, so I decided to clear some mud and reclaim some beach.  I busted up some dried mud with a pitch fork and moved it to the side with a rake.

I also set up reflectors for use later in the day.  Some of my friends moved next to it early in the afternoon.  I didn't need the extra warmth until later in the day.

I went for two swims.  Both time I only went out to catch some waves.  I missed the majority of the big waves because I was in a place to get broken, rather than a ride, so I had to go under.  I did manage to catch a few rides too.

It started to cool off about 4pm and I started packing and dressing.  I watched the sun set and recorded a video clip.  I was hoping to capture a green flash.  It was a beautiful sunset, but there was no green flash. Afterward, I hiked up the trail.  I was surprised to see San Clemente Island silhouetted against an orange and red sky.  I took a few pictures, which also showed a light, perhaps a boat in front of the island.

Afterward, I joined Naturally California for a swim at the Icoplex in Escondido.  I swam a mile, then spent the rest of the evening chatting in the hot tub.  There were about thirty people there.

November 12, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.

I met my friends, raised my flags and set up another bulletin board under it.  I set up reflectors for use later in the day.

I went for one swim to the sand dollars.  It was very uneventful.

It started to cool off about 3:30pm and I started getting dressed.

I packed up and left about 5pm, watching the sun set behind some clouds as I walked up the trail.

November 10, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.

I met my friends, raised my flags and set up another bulletin board under it.  I set up reflectors and moved to it early, since it was not a hot day.

Far to the north, I could see a skip loader removing a beached boat.

Clouds came in front of the sun about 3:30pm and I started getting dressed.

I packed up and left about 5pm, watching the sun set behind some clouds as I walked up the trail.

November 3, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.

On the way there I passed a Scripps Institute crew working on an experiment that looked a lot like last year's offshore canyon experiment.  I talked with one of their scientists, and he assured me it would be over in a few days.  They were testing equipment.  It was a GPS device on a float.  They were tossing them in and allowing them to drift.

I met my friends, raised my flags and set up another bulletin board under it.  I set up reflectors for later use.  The temperature was so perfect that I fell asleep for a while.  A few clouds passed and it cooled for a short time.  About 4pm I moved next to my reflectors to keep warm.

I packed up and left about 5pm, watching the sun set behind some clouds as I walked toward the trail.

October 31, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail, which was just a little bit better than yesterday.  A few sand bags had been moved to more critical areas.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot in front of Valentine Slide.  I met my friends, raised my flags and set up another bulletin board under it.

I went for one swim to the sand dollars.  The water was much clearer, especially beyond the surf.

I left about 3pm, even though it was still warm, because I had evening plans.

October 30, 2004: Black's Beach

From the Burro Trail I could see large muddy areas covering much of the sand.  Some of it had dried, but not completely.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  But, I sat down in front of Valentine slide instead, since my usual spot was covered in a layer of mud.

I met my friends, raised my flags and set up another bulletin board under it.  I set up reflectors for later use and used them to keep warm after my swim.

I went for one swim to the sand dollars.  The water was a bit murky, even beyond the surf.

About 5pm I was feeling cold and finally got dressed.  I watched sunset and saw a green flash.  I then picked up my things and headed for the trail.

October 24, 2004: Black's Beach

As I entered the parking lot, I saw two City workers, one shoveling dirt from the street at the entrance, the other filling the potholes just inside the gate.  I hiked down the Burro Trail and still found large muddy areas covering much of the sand.  Some of it had dried, but not completely.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.

I met my friends, I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.  I could see a few of my friends jumping and rolling in the mud at Indian Canyon.

I went for one swim to the sand dollars.  The water was very clear a little ways beyond the surf.  I spotted a small flounder trying to cover itself.  I tried to take a picture, but ran out of air and couldn't find it again.

It was still warm and sunny when I left about 6pm.  I saw the sunset on my way to the trail.

October 22, 2004: Black's Beach

The parking lot was still wet, and there were even a few puddles.  I hiked down the Burro Trail and found large muddy areas covering much of the sand.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  I passed a few trenches carved into the sand by surf and rain,

I met my friends, I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

I went for one swim to the sand dollars.  The water was very clear a little ways beyond the surf.  

It was still warm and sunny when I left about 6pm.  I saw the sunset from the trail.

October 13, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

I went for one swim to the sand dollars.  The water was very clear a little ways beyond the surf.  

It was still warm and sunny when I left about 4pm.

October 10, 2004: Black's Beach

It seemed very cloudy in the west, but  friend on the beach told me it was sunny.  A cloud was passing over when I arrived in the parking lot.  I had second thoughts about going down, but decided to take a chance and go down.

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

Clouds passed over occasionally and some of my friends set up windbreaks.  I set up a reflector late in the day, to keep warm.

I left about 6:30pm and saw the sunset as I was going up the trail.

October 6, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

It didn't seem like it would clear up, so I left about 3pm.

October 3, 2004: Scuba Diving at Black's Beach

I went to Bonito Cove in Mission Bay to meet Dan and load the boat.  He had a twenty seven foot sailboat with a small motor.  He couldn't bring it to the beach, but he rowed a dingy to the beach we loaded gear, mine and Rich's.  Then we transferred it into the boat and tied off the dingy.  We left Mission Bay about 9am and raised the sail.

We saw a lot of lobster trap markers on the way.  We had to go around the kelp beds.  There were a lot of fishermen there and a few dive boats too.  We also saw a lot of cormorants there. Our first gas tank went dry, so we continued under sail and switched to a full tank later.  Before long I could see our destination, so I called Rich, who was on the beach.  When I thought we were close enough, I told Rich to start swimming.  We met him about three hundred yards from shore and he boarded the boat about 12pm.

We anchored a little west of the reef marker and I put on my gear first.  The boat was too small for all three of us in our gear.  I fell backward into the water and waited for the other two to join me.  Before long Rich put his BC into the water them jumped in and put it on.  Dan did a giant leap into the water.

We all took a bearing on the marker and submerged.  I photographed a few invertebrates, then I stopped to take a picture of a camouflaged flounder. I looked around for my dive buddies, and Rich was there.  I got very close to it, and it still didn't move.  So, I reached for it a scared it away.  I let go of my camera.  Then I saw it, a huge grouper, bigger than me.  I couldn't retrieve my camera in time.  Rich and I just watched it pass.

Eventually we both realized we should have spotted the reef already.  We surfaced and saw that we'd passed it.  We swam to the marker and went down again.  I followed a trail of bubbles and found Dan. We all looked around the reef.  I found many lobsters, all in deep holes, way out of reach.  I saw a variety of fish, keyhole limpets, star fish and a moray eel.

sculpin

I was the first to run out of air.  Dan followed soon after.  Rich still had plenty of air left.  I climbed onto the boat first.  Dan did a little keel scrubbing and Rich helped.  Then I helped them get their gear back into the boat.  After a little talking, we pulled up anchor and took Rich closer to shore for his swim back.

As we were passing Children's Pool in La Jolla, a motor boat passed us, asking for directions.  They were way off course.  Then they ran out of gas.  Dan threw them a line and towed them, slowing us down a lot.  We delivered them to a fuel dock in Quivira Basin.

Dan returned me to the beach in Bonito Cove, about 6pm, where Rich was waiting.

Climate	overcast I could see some nude people in the beach, so it must have been warm.
People	It looked like only a few dozen.
Activities Observed	swimming, surfing, horseshoes, paragliding, volleyball, scuba diving, kayaking
Water	temperature: much warmer at the surface visibility: about 30 feet
Wildlife Observed	western gulls, terns, pelicans, brittle stars, urchins, sand dollars, huge grouper, flounder (probably a  halibut), garibaldi, star fish, lobster, kelp bass, opaleyes, keyhole limpets, sheephead, moray eel, sculpin, sargo
Lifeguards and Law Enforcement	I saw city lifeguards in their white truck.

October 1, 2004: Black's Beach

Parking at 1pm	street parking: full gliderport: pothole at entrance, plenty of spaces in west lot
Horizon	I could see a hazy Longbeach.
Burro Trail	The trail was in mostly fair condition.  Many of the sandbags are completely worn on the top-side.
Climate	sunny with cool wind from the west
People	about a hundred
Activities Observed	swimming, surfing, body surfing, body boarding, RC gliding, Frisbee, horseshoes, paragliding
Water	I didn't get in.
Wildlife Observed	heermann's gulls, western gulls, ring billed gulls, squirrels, ravens, terns, pelicans, willets, whimbrels, marbled godwits, brittle stars, urchins
Lifeguards and Law Enforcement	I saw city lifeguards in their white truck and a state lifeguard.

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

I spent the days taking care of my mailing list, so I didn't go swimming.  I was warm, but the wind would have made me cold after a swim.  There were a log of live brittle stars and urchins mixed into the seaweed.

I left about 6pm.

September 24, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

I was approached by a man who had been robbed.  He and his girlfriend had just left their stuff near the water and gone for a swim.  I called lifeguards and the gliderport to try and intercept the thieves, but it seems they made a clean get away.

I went swimming with a buddy and swam down to the reef three times.

I left about 6:30pm, even though it was still warm.

September 19, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

The tide had not yet reached high.  The beach was a bit crowded and I chose a spot that looked risky, in terms of high tide.  Some of my friends, on higher ground assured me that my spot was safe.  I cautiously stayed in that spot.  I got hit by a few waves, but I had kept everything important higher and safer.  A few of my friends got hit by high tide too.

We had a hot grill going and shared our food with the people around us.  I saw hot dogs, sweet corn, potatoes, ham, chicken and pineapple.

I went for a swim to try and do some body surfing.  The current quickly carried me south.  I walked a ways to the north and tried again.  I got tossed around a bit, but didn't catch any waves.  Then I came to shore in front of our picnic.

I left about 7pm.

September 17, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

I swam to the reef and dove to it a few times.

There was a rock slide far to the south.  Two of my friends took their pants and headed south to have a look.  It raised a lot of dust, but made little change in the beach.  Nobody in the vicinity seemed too concerned.

I left about 6pm.

September 15, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  The ground was so hot I had to wear sandals until I walked to the wet sand.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

I spent most of my time grading papers and didn't get to go swimming.  We did have a bit of a shot put competition.  We used a nearly round stone that must have weighed 35-40 pounds. I left about 7pm and watched sunset while walking toward the trail.

September 12, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail..  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

All the way down the trail and along the beach I could see a boat in the vicinity of the reef.  I was expecting a friend there sometime in the near future, so I thought it might be him.  I swam to the reef, and it was him.  I climbed aboard and he showed me his catch, mostly sand bass and one big kelp bass.  He showed me around his boat a little and even fired up his radar.  His radar showed what I had guessed.  The beach was more than a quarter mile away, but less that a half mile.  That means my half kilometer approximation is pretty close  I jumped back in the water and attempted the reef, but didn't make it.  I think it was because I wasn't used to the water temperature yet.

Plenty of hot food was served from our grill.  I lost track of exactly what.

I left the beach about 7pm.

September 11, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  The sand was so hot I had to put on sandals right away.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

I swam to the reef with two buddies.  I dove to the reef a few times.  My deepest dive was another personal best, 11.6 meters and at reef depth for twenty seconds.

I left the beach about 8pm.  The gate was locked and I had to drive to the other exit.

September 10, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

I swam to the reef with two buddies.  I dove to the reef a few times and saw a small lobster the first dive.  This was a personal best for me, since I managed to stay at the reef depth for sixteen seconds.  I saw a lot of the same familiar fish, some of which I couldn't identify.  I didn't have any trouble swimming straight to the reef, but the current carried me north on the way back.

I left the beach about 7pm.

September 8, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed and set up my bulletin board then headed north to my usual spot near Valentine Slide.  Once there I raised my flag and set up another bulletin board under it.

At times the wind made me feel a little cool and one of my friends set up a wind break because there was a little sand in the wind.  There was a little bit of dune formation.

I swam once just past the surf and once to the reef.  I dove to the reef five times, the deepest was 10.3 meters.  I saw a lot of the same familiar fish, some of which I couldn't identify.  I saw a California sheephead.  I didn't have any trouble swimming straight to the reef, but the current carried me north on the way back.

The sky clouded over for a time, so I put on a shirt and packed.  About the time I finished packing, the sky cleared and warmed up.  I waited a little longer and caught a few photons from the sun, low in the west.

Then I spotted something large, floating beyond the surf.  It was a dead, bloated sea lion.  I tracked it until it washed up a little north of me.

I left the beach about 6:30pm

September 6, 2004: Black's Beach

I loaded my backpack with ice cream making supplies and started down the Burro Trail.  I  was too loaded down to stop and undress, so I headed north to my usual spot where flags were already flying.  I got some help removing my pack.  Then I undressed and started setting up for the holiday picnic.

I relaxed and admired the waning gibbous moon in the west.  I knew it would be a busy day.

Sometime after the grill started I added salt to some seawater and threw some dry ice in to start chilling it.  Once ice began to form, I put the ice cream chamber in and filled it with the blueberry mix.  I mostly got other people to do the cranking.  Once done, I dished out that first batch.  Then I did a batch of mint, adding supercold chocolate chips to make it mint and chip ice cream.  After that we did a batch of raspberry then a small batch of vanilla.

I lost track of what was coming off the grill, but I did see hot  dogs, hamburgers, shrimp, chicken, pineapple, banana, salmon and sweet corn.

I didn't get to go swimming.  My time was divided between ice cream making and supervising kids playing in the surf.

I was still packing up when the sun set.  I was busy and missed it.  I hiked out in the dark.  I could see several constellations on my way up the trail, including Sagittarius and Scorpius.  It must have been 9pm when I finally left the parking lot.  The gate was locked and I had to drive to the other exit. 

September 5, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  The sand was so hot I had to put on sandals.  I  undressed right away and set up the bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot where flags were already flying.  I raised my flags, adding to the array.

I did a lot of body boarding coaching of kids until well into the afternoon.  I finally swam to the reef with two buddies.  I dove to the reef three times, the deepest was 10.9 meters.

We had two grills going.  Some of the hot food included hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, pork loins, sweet corn and sausages.

I stayed and saw sunset from the beach.  I left about 7:30pm.  I left the parking lot a little after 8pm.  The gate was locked, so I drove to the other exit.

September 4, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  The sand was so hot I had to put on sandals.  I  undressed right away and set up the bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot where flags were already flying.

I swam to the reef with three buddies.  It was more difficult, due to a current from the north.  I was so out of breath fighting the current that I could barely make it down to the reef.  I also swam to the sand dollars with a buddy.

I stayed and saw sunset from the beach.  I left about 7:30pm.

September 1, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up the bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot, and raised my flag.

I swam to the reef with four buddies.  I dove to the reef four times.  My deepest dive 2as 10.9 meters.  The water was not quite clear enough to see the reef from the surface.  We could see the darker water, indicating the reef below.  I also swam to the sand dollars once, with a buddy.

I watched sunset from the beach.  The sun was very red and disappeared behind a layer of clouds only about a half degree above the horizon.

August 29, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I undressed right away and set up the bulletin board.  The sand was so hot I had to wear sandals.  Then I headed north to my usual spot, and raised my flag.

About noon I tried surfing again.  I didn't do so well.  I did a little better than last time.

I swam to the reef, with three buddies, and dove to the reef four times.  The deepest dive was 10.6 meters.  I could see the reef from the surface.  There was a cormorant diving nearby, but it never let me get close enough for a good picture.

The grill was going much of the day.  Some of the food included hot dogs, salmon, pork loins, chicken shish kabobs, sweet corn, chicken and sausages,

The tide was getting high toward the evening.  I watched sunset before packing and left about 7:30pm.

August 27, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up the bulletin board.  The sand was so hot I had to wear sandals.  Then I headed north to my usual spot, and raised my flag.

I swam to the reef and dove to the reef once.  The deepest dive was 10.9 meters.  I could see the reef from the surface.

Late in the afternoon I tried surfing again.  I didn't do so well.  I did better last week.

The rising tide and a rogue wave caught us off-guard.  Some backpacks and towels got soaked.

I packed and left about 7pm and watched the sunset while hiking to the trail.  There was a green flash.

August 25, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up the bulletin board.  The sand was so hot I had to wear sandals.  Then I headed north to my usual spot, and raised my flag.

I swam to the reef and dove to the reef four times.  The deepest dive was 10.6 meters.  I could see the reef from the surface, and I could determine the size between what I could see from above and the dives.  I found it to be about the size of a football field.

Late in the afternoon I tried surfing again.  I didn't do so well.  I did better last week.

The sky clouded up about 5:30pm, so I packed and left about 6:30pm.

August 22, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and stocked up the bulletin board already present.  Then I headed north to my usual spot, where flags were already flying.

On my way there, I paused to take pictures of a blue heron.  I even got a video of the bird in flight.

We had two grills going, due to the high demand.  Some of the hot food included hot dogs, corn dogs, salmon, chicken, sweet corn, potatoes, sausages, bratwurst and shrimp.

I went swimming twice, once to the reef with four buddies and once to the sand dollars with two buddies.  I had trouble swimming down to the reef, probably because I was winded from fighting the current that kept carrying me south.  I saw star fish, garibaldi and kelp bass.  Two of my buddies managed to get down to the reef too.

I was busy and missed sunset.  I packed up and left about 8pm.  The gate was locked and I had to drive to the other exit.

August 21, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot and raised my flags.

I tried surfing for the first time today, first in the early afternoon, and again about 5:30pm.  I managed to ride a few waves, but I was certainly not graceful.

I went swimming once to the reef, with a buddy.  I managed to swim down to the reef eight times.  I saw star fish, and brought one to the surface.  I think it was a giant spiny star.  My dive computer recorded a lowest temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a deepest dive of 10.3 meters.  My buddy managed to get down to the reef too.  We found the southern edge of the reef is near the marker buoy.  We didn't find the northern edge.

I was busy and missed sunset.  I packed up and left about 7:30pm.

August 20, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot and raised my flags.

I went swimming twice, once to the sand dollars and once to the reef with a buddy.  I managed to swim down to the reef six times and take a picture each time.  I saw star fish.  My dive computer recorded a lowest temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a deepest dive of 10.0 meters.

The sun went behind some clouds about 6pm.  I packed up and left about 7pm.

August 18, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot and raised my flags.

It was a warm day with a perfect temperature for napping.  I dozed off for a while.

I went swimming twice, once to the sand dollars and once to the reef with four buddies.  On the way to the reef, a pod of dolphins crossed our path.  I One came to within twenty feet of me, but much closer to others in our group.  I managed to swim down to the reef seven times and take a picture each time.  I saw star fish twice, both white.  One of the others in the group managed to get down to the reef and take a picture of me.  My dive computer recorded a lowest temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a deepest dive of 11.3 meters.  I did find a peak in the reef that may have only been 8.5 meters deep.

It cleared up about 3pm, but clouds near the horizon obscured sunset.  I could see a thin slice of the red sun between clouds, as it set.  I left about 7:30pm.

August 17, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and stocked up the bulletin board already present.  Then I headed north to my usual spot where flags were already flying.

I passed a dead seal on the way.  One of my friends cut it open later.  According to him, it swallowed a hook, and it was tangled in fishing line.  Perhaps the fishing line strangled it.

I swam out to the reef with two buddies.  I managed to swim down to the reef five times and take a picture each time.  There were rock fish, starting about ten feet under, and garibaldi around the reef.  I only managed to stay down for about ten seconds, so I didn't manage to see anything more.

It cleared up about 3pm, but a few clouds near the horizon obscured sunset.  I left about 7:30pm.

August 15, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot and raised my flags.  The guys had already set up for our picnic.

There was a dead sand shark on the beach, and I found a California sea hare mixed in with the seaweed on the beach. There was a lot of hacked up seaweed in the surf.  It was like walking through soup to get past the breakers.  I raked up a little seaweed and buried it.  Every time I planted the shovel, I cut through many blood worms.
I swam to the sand dollars with two buddies. There was a blue heron on the beach late in the afternoon.  It was very close to two men, and didn't fly away when a few people walked nearby. It cleared up about 3pm, but a few clouds near the horizon obscured sunset.  I left about 7:30pm.

August 14, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot and raised my flags.  The guys had already set up for a picnic planned only a day in advance.

There was a lot of hacked up seaweed in the surf.  It was like walking through soup to get past the breakers.  Then I swam to the sand dollars with a buddy.

It clouded up about 5pm, but didn't cool off right away.  I left about 7pm.

August 13, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot and raised my flags.

I went swimming with a buddy.  We swam to the reef.  I made two attempts to reach it.  The first attempt, I was close enough to see it, at a depth of 8.4 meters.  The second time, I made it to the reef and even had a little time to look around.  I found a peek.  My maximum depth was 9.7 meters.  This was a disappointment to me.  I thought the reef was 45 feet down.  Today I learned it's only 30 feet down.

When I got back, I learned one of my friends got stung by a sting ray.  She buried her foot in hot sand, to reduce the pain.  I called the lifeguards, but we had already done everything there was to do and they didn't offer her a ride.  After about an hour, she hiked up the trail.

It clouded up about 5pm, but didn't cool off right away.  I left about 7pm.

August 4, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot and raised my flags.

I left about 3:30pm.

August 3, 2004: Black's Beach

There were two rangers in the parking lot with a handcuffed man in the back seat.  They released him from the handcuffs and allowed him to get ID from his car.

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and stocked up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot where flags were already flying and a picnic was already in progress.

Dave had arranged a picnic for a youth group called JAANR.  Much of the food had already been eaten, but I managed to get a hot dog and a hamburger.  They left shortly after I arrived, about 3pm.

I swam to the sand dollars, with two buddies.

One of the two rangers I saw in the parking lot was on the beach just before sunset.  He broke up a fire ring and hauled away some abandoned camping supplies.

I left about 7:30pm.

August 1, 2004: Black's Beach

I hiked down the Burro Trail.  I  undressed right away and set up my bulletin board.  Then I headed north to my usual spot and raised my flags.

It was cloudy and windy, so the flies weren't bad, for the first time in about two weeks.

I swam twice, with buddies, once to the sand dollars.

We fired up the grill about 12pm.  Some of the hot food included, hot dogs, peppered sausages, chicken, short ribs, salmon, sweet corn, bell peppers, pineapple and beef.  People also brought doughnuts, macaroni salad, and melons to the picnic. 

The sun passed behind some clouds about 6:30 pm.  I packed up and left about 7:30.  I saw sunset from the trail.  There was nearly half a degree free of clouds.  That was about one degree above the horizon.  I saw the sun through this window, then it was gone.

July 31, 2004: Black's Beach