Beach and Bike Delight

Small inlets of sand break through the rocky shoreline to provide just enough space for us to bask in the warm sunshine. A pile of smooth, ocean weathered stones separate us from the next set of lucky souls that have discovered this treasure, and tall bluffs behind us separate us from the freeway and the rest of the noise of busy socal. All I can hear are the waves rushing and rocks tumbling beneath their strength. Over the swell, dolphins appear and disappear along with the surfers bobbing on the waves. I can see maybe 20 people, not 500, and most of them are peaceful surfer types, there to do nothing but enjoy the waves. A sense of calm washes over me...

OK. So that might be idealized a little and a reflection of my soppiness… There was also a nuclear plant in the background… BUT, it was a fantastic beach and a fantastic day and it satisfied a lot of my thirsts for home.

The day started off with a bike ride in Laguna. The riding in Laguna is really good. Technical singletrack, tough climbs, fast descents, and views of the ocean provide a really fun mix for the in-shape and adventure-ready mountain biker. Now that the downhill season is behind me it feels good to spend some quality time with Stumpy. We rode for around 3 hrs and around 20 miles and got adequately sweaty to earn our afternoon at the beach. And what a good afternoon at the beach! Other than the general awesomeness described at the top of this post, this was an especially good day at the beach because Rob was kind enough to let me try his surfboard. Finally I get to try surfing!! It was fun. Very fun. The kind of fun that I could get addicted to if I had easy access to a beach. Even just floating around on the swell waiting for the waves is pretty sweet. However, I also found surfing surprisingly scary, even my meager attempts at it. I definitely have a healthy respect for the ocean, and seeing those giant waves come roaring up behind me and then completely surround and lift the board up underneath me is somewhat intimidating. Being thrown off the board is also pretty nutty, since you’re essentially just yanked around by the cord attached to your ankle and the wave action all around you until you surface and hope you’re not about to be taken over by another wave. Can you say Adrenaline? All in all, it was a really fun experience, and I will definitely try it again.

Sweet day!!