Category: geology

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Black’s Beach Cliff Collapse- I Was There!

Blacks Beach Cliff 2018 featured image

Guess what! I was there when the cliff collapsed at Black’s Beach! I was about a mile away, checking out the bean clams on La Jolla Shores Beach.  Would you believe I didn’t even realize what had happened at 1:29 p.m. until three days later? Yes, it is true, but I am here now and have photos to share. Viewing these incredible videos, let’s look at the January 20, 2023, Black’s Beach cliff collapse! I have also researched and included every past cliff collapse at Torrey Pines State Beach for fun. Finally, I look deeper into the cliffs’ geology and try to figure out a few clues on why the cliff collapsed.

I want to say right up front that I am not a geologist and am trying my hardest, so if I get anything wrong or slightly wrong, please feel free to tell me in the comments.

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Big Waves in January

San Diego Big Waves January featured image

So did you hear about the massive storm that Southern California endured on January 6th? Did you know that there also was a Full Moon on January 6th? It sounds like a perfect combination to me. There were reports of waves reaching the insane height of over 20 feet in some spots! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get to the coast to have a look on that incredible weekend, but I was available on the 11th. I looked at the surf report for the second week in January, and Wednesday the 11th looked like the best bet in catching a few shots of big waves with my camera; hurray!

Join me as I journey down the coast, first Oceanside, then Carlsbad, and finally ending my adventure at Swami’s in Encinitas.

Just How Big Were the Waves on January Sixth in San Diego?

The storm came onshore in San Diego early on Thursday,  January 5th. The National Weather Service anticipated widespread coastal flooding, heavy rains, high winds (20 to 30 mph), and massive surf.

Also, the storm has been described as a ‘bomb cyclone’ because it started as a low-pressure system that rapidly intensified into a massive storm that created a west-northwest swell. So needless to say,  W to NW facing beaches experienced the largest waves.

How massive were the waves, you ask?

  • Oceanside Pier- 7 to 10 feet
  • Carlsbad State Beach- 4 to 5 feet
  • South Ponto- 5 to 7 feet
  • Encinitas- 8 to 9 feet
  • Black’s Beach- 15 to 20 feet
  • La Jolla Cove- 18 to 20 feet
  • Mission Beach- 18 feet
  • Imperial Beach- 9 to 10 feet

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Five Free National Park Days in 2023!

Free National Park Days San Diego Featured Image

I have good news! This year of the Lord, 2023, there will be five days to visit National Park in the United States for free! Today I am only concentrating on the San Diego County area and a few other Southern California National Parks. Let’s go!

Which Five Days Are Free?

As you probably can guess, all five days are National Holidays.

  • January 16, 2023 (Monday)- Martin Luther King Day
  • April 22, 2023 (Saturday)- First day of National Park Week
  • August 4, 2023 (Friday)- Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • September 23, 2023 (Saturday)- National Publics Land Day
  • November 11, 2023 (Saturday)- Veterans Day

I am unfamiliar with a few of these National holidays, so for fun, let’s take a closer look at them.

What is National Park Week?

This year, National Park Week is from April 22 to April 30. So what exactly is National Park Week? Well, due to a Presidential Proclamation- National Park encourages American citizens to get out into nature and appreciate the natural world. I like this sentiment!

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2022 Year in Review

2022 review image san diego beach secrets

Boy, oh boy! What a year 2022 was! Yes? I didn’t get to the coast as much as I had wished, but I did have many stellar moments! Today as an homage to the year, I would like to share the best of the best photography and a few moments revisited in my annual 2022 year in review.

Please bear with me as I am trying to remember everything by just looking back at the photos.

Ready?

Let’s go!

January 2022- Bird Rock La Jolla

camino tidepools bird rock la jolla

I can’t tell you how awesome it was to experience La Jolla on an extremely low tide; the views here are more than otherworldly.

Notable Moments–

One thing that stuck out to me today was the number of dogs walking around on the tide pools. This area is a part of a State Marine Conservation Area, so seeing the dogs walking on the tide pools made me cringe.

I was thrilled that I was able to witness Bird Rock on a King Low Tide because the last time I experienced this was in 1990! I had a marine invertebrate zoology field trip while in college.

My only regret was that we didn’t walk further north, as I would have loved to see what Calumet Beach looked like. I love how the waves sound over there because of the large stones hitting each other.

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Flying Over San Diego Beaches

flying over san diego featured image

Today I would like to do something fun! On October 12, my family and I were coming home from a trip to Idaho. I was fortunate enough to sit in a window seat and photograph my favorite beach in the universe-San Onofre State Beach on the airplane! Seeing that it was only 9 am, the lighting was perfect. As a bonus, the plane flew the entire coast of North County San Diego and did not turn inland until flying over Torrey Pines State Beach. Come and check out what I witnessed!

Flying Over San Onofre State Beach

San Onofre state beach flying over plane

When I noticed that we were getting closer to San Diego, I eagerly awaited for us to arrive above my favorite beach, San Onofre/ Trestles. My love of the untouched and wild beaches of San Onofre State Beach can be seen in the number of times I have written about the area.

I have noted the surf break Churches in the photo above, the midpoint between Trestles and San Onofre State Beach.

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Checking Out the Cristianitos Fault

Cristianitos Fault san onofre state beach

Hey! Have you ever seen an earthquake fault line? No? Well, today is your lucky day! Referred to as the Cristianitos fault, you can walk right up to it over at San Onofre State Beach.   Now I need to state this fact upfront so there will be no confusion. I am not a geologist; therefore, please be patient with me. If I make an incorrect claim, do not hesitate to correct me in the comments at the end of the post. I love to learn new things and will not be offended at all. Several references have helped me tremendously, but I have left them below. I encourage you to check them out!

Let’s take a trip to San Onofre State Beach (my favorite beach in San Diego) and investigate the Cristianitos fault line. As a bonus, I will highlight other unique geological features here at this fabulous State Beach.

One more thing. Did you know that the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is less than 800 yards away from this earthquake fault line?

Wait, what?! A nuclear generating station? Next to a fault line?

SONGS is no longer active and has been decommissioning for several years now. But obviously, the question is, why build a nuclear power plant right next to an earthquake fault line? (Click on the above link for more detailed decommissioning information.)

#Click on any photo for a larger version

The Cristianitos Fault Line-Shake, Rattle, & Roll?

Trail one san onofre state beach
Trail One at San Onofre Bluffs Beach Campground

button map san onofre bluffs campground

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