The OC Beach Scene

So apparently, there was an earthquake Thursday night, and once again…I missed it. Not “missed it” as in I was out of state, or in a plane, or skydiving or something, but as in the earthquake hit, shook the ground underneath my feet, rattled stuff around, possibly wreaked havoc in other parts of the state, and I didn’t feel a thing. Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve missed a major seismic event. I slept soundly through the big 7.0 we had a few years back, half dozed through the Northridge quake…while in Northridge, and at approximately 7:30 Thursday night as I was eating my dinner and rocking Final Jeopardy, the entire South Coast went into spasmodic seizures completely without my noticing. So what’s the deal? Do I just have really amazing sea legs, or an inner ear made of steal? Or was Final Jeopardy simply too intense to notice the trivial rumblings of two plates crashing into one another in fierce battle? (By the way, the answer was The King and I…nailed it!) Whatever the case, I would like to have at least one earthquake story to e-mail grandma about. You know, something that would really freak her out…I’m thinking something along the lines of Volcano. Now that’s something I don’t think I could miss. However, barring the immaculate conception of a major, lava-spewing volcano in the metropolitan Los Angeles area, it appears as if plate tectonics and the like will forever remain a mystery to me.

After our short-lived stint of fun waves in Orange County, the ocean has once again gone dormant, leaving surfers to ask that ageless flat day question: what do I do now? My advice: take advantage of the sunny, cool-but-not-cold weather we have been having lately by exploring some of the undeveloped backcountry of Orange County!

Today, a friend and I paid our first visit to Caspers Wilderness Park, a cool nature preserve just a few minutes’ drive east of San Juan Capistrano on Ortega Highway. Beginning at the base of the Santa Ana Mountains and extending well into the foothills, Caspers Park has miles of trails, ranging from flat and easy to steep and strenuous, that provide nature lovers with the chance to see native Orange County wildlife up close. Along our six mile trek through Bell Canyon, we were able to see several hawks and osprey, woodpeckers, blue jays, and several other varieties of small birds. Luckily, we were able to avoid the mountain lions that signs posted throughout the park warned of, although the footsteps of fellow hikers never failed to provide a scare! (For advice on what to do in the rare event that you should encounter a mountain lion, check out this website). My favorite trail of the day was Quail Run, a short but steep path that connects the Bell Canyon and East Ridge trails. Winding along rocky hillsides and through thick patches of prickly pear cacti, this narrow trail really allows the hiker to come into close contact with the natural beauties of the park as the tall brush and cacti block out all other distractions. Although we were only a few minutes outside of the hustle and bustle of Orange County’s city centers, during our short trek down Quail Run, we were truly in a different world!

Forget Groundhog Day! While Punxutawney Phil (yikes, had to spellcheck that one) may not come out of hiding for another month or so, any surfer in Southern California will tell you the same thing–winter is on its way out!

As I made my way down the path this morning at Salt Creek, the sky was an ominous gray, my freezing feet stung with every step, and the shivering faces of surfers on their way up the hill let me know that the water would offer no relief from the cold; however, as I stood atop the bluff watching the solid southwest lines wrap aound the Point, it sure felt a lot like summer! That’s right–not a week into January and the first south swell of the year is already stoking out surfers up and down the coast! Summer spots like Lowers, Malibu, and yes, Doheny, were all firing today, and as the prognosis for the North Pacific continues to look bleak, we can only hope that those unseasonal storms will continue to churn in the Southern Hemisphere. Now, if only they could bring some warmer water with them!

Hey everyone! It’s been awhile since I’ve done the Sunday Spot Check; however, this week we’ll be looking at one of the truly legendary California surfbreaks–and the birthplace of the Orange County surf scene–San Onofre. Along with Malibu to the north and Windansea to the south, San O’ is widely recognized as the cradle of California surf culture, and remains a hotbed of young talent today. Although other spots may have been surfed first, it’s in the rolling waves and driftwood shacks of San O’ where surfing really grew up in California–where it gained its character and developed as a cohesive subculture. It’s where Miki Dora perfercted his style and learned his fierce antihero ethic; it’s where freethinking surfers once again reunited in the late 80’s to spearhead the longboard renaissance. While other spots may have eclipsed San O’ in terms of popularity and media visibility in the years following the early days of California surfing–not least among them Trestles, just a 10 minute walk up the beach–the soul of the surf scene–the traditional, ancestral home of California surfing–will always rest at amongst the palm frond palapas and improptu beach barbecues of this classic California surf spot.