We make an annual pilgrimage out to the ocean in winter to revel in the vitality of waves and wilderness. Unlike the inland sea, the ocean here roars and rattles the beach stones, spraying salty mist high, and tossing huge driftwood onto beaches. We go no matter what the weather or tide will be ...the unpredictable nature of the ocean is part of the attraction. We hike the same beaches but they are different every year.
I love the waves. These have traveled thousands of miles across the Pacific gathering energy that is finally released onto the solid shore, lifting and churning the local water, which erodes and moves anything it touches. It’s infinitely dynamically beautiful. Every wave — and its effect — is unique.
I’ll share a sampling of waves from our trip last week.
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This year the high tides were in the early afternoon, and they were pretty high, being just past the full moon. That makes it a bit problematic hiking down the beaches. Rialto Beach was completely unwalkable for a while, big waves crashing right up into the driftwood. Mr O contemplates the possibilities in the photo above.
We stood and enjoyed the powerful waves for a while as they rolled the floating logs, stirred up foam, and crashed against the driftwood onshore.
Eventually, feeling the daylight ticking away, I blazed a route through the muddy brush behind the beach and over slippery driftwood to get down to Ellen Creek, the halfway mark on the beach. I was curious to see how full it was after last winter’s trickle. The creek was near normal in volume though with this high tide the waves were washing right up into it.
We couldn’t go any further down the beach without flashlights since it was near sunset already. Even though the tide was dropping fast and we were able to mostly walk the beach on the way back, it was stop and go: waiting for a wave to wash back down the beach so we could dart around driftwood without getting tumbled in the next wave. I’ve been doing this all my life and can judge very accurately the force of incoming waves and their timing. Now that I don’t run anymore I need a bigger margin to safely round obstacles. I didn’t mind standing there waiting and watching for several minutes.
Miraculously, the sun broke through this day after a drive halfway across the state in the pouring rain. You just never know. Lightened the sky, lengthened the day, and treated us to a lovely sunset.
With each day the high tide was 45 minutes later and half a foot lower so we had a bit more time on the beaches. Actually the high tides were even lower than listed on the tide table because a high pressure system rolled in. That increased air pressure literally presses down on the water’s surface, lowering sea level locally. High pressure systems also generally bring fair weather. We put away our umbrellas and rain gear for the rest of the trip.
On the flattest of the nearby beaches the waves were moderate the day we visited but visible changes on the beach belied the day’s calm. Clearly some gigantic waves had been at work here recently. This derelict buoy is new and heavy steel. Its markings suggest it drifted from China or Japan.
On December 6, 2015 the NWS warned of a major storm surge arriving that night. Oh, if only I could have been at the ocean those days!
The High Surf Advisory is from 7 p.m. Sunday through 9 a.m. Monday.
Waves could reach as high as 35 feet, with dangerous rip currents and erosion around beaches and jetties. Authorities advise people to stay away from the surf.
Anyone around beaches should also watch for big waves.
The Weather Service says the tides will be running one to two feet above normal, with the highest point from 10 am to 11 am, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Expect flooding in estuaries, low lying coastal rivers, streams and creeks an hour or two before, and after, the high tides.
Okay, maybe a bit scary.
“Tides running one to two feet above normal”….that’s because the low pressure associated with storms pulls the water upward, raising sea level. Some climate-change-deniers scoff at the 6” or foot of sea level rise predicted over the next decades thinking how small a distance that is. Well, one of the biggest problems we’ll be seeing more of is storm surges: the higher than expected seas in low pressure systems added onto sea level rise from global warming, combined with big waves, and then wind driving all that water inland...major flooding. Such storm surges are like a wall of water. The big storm here a few weeks ago drove waves nearly to the cabins where we stay, according to the Quileute woman there I talked to about this. Along with everyone else on the coast, the Quileutes will have to make adjustments as sea level rises.
It’s possible this huge new piece of driftwood below washed up in that big storm; it was not here last year. It has no bark, which means it was been floating and rolling in the ocean for a long time, somewhere out there, now stuck on Second Beach until the next major storm.
The Olympic coast has thousands of creeks draining the 12 feet of annual rainfall into the sea. The creeks cut new channels through sandy beaches with each tide change. On this day the tide was still coming in, waves powering up the creek beds. Gulls prefer bathing in fresh water and these are waiting for the salty wave to recede so they can get back to their toilette.
Did I mention how beautiful the ephemeral shapes, movement and colors of waves are?
The winter waves attract surfers on the Olympic coast too. Several were out there until the sun set. In spite of the cold, it looked like a lot of fun!
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As alway, all nature observations welcome in the comments below. Tell us what you’re seeing in your own natural neighborhood.
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