Friday Five: PNW Beaches and What to Do With One

As we all sit back and reflect on that beautiful week of early July weather that made it just in time for the fireworks and ignore the fog that will most definitely loom around in the coming weeks, I wanted to reflect on a more summery topic.

Beaches.

I live right next to a beach. When this sea mist clears, I can usually look out my window on to waves. This Northern Pacific Beach is not like many other beaches around the world. For non-north-westerners, beach means warm sand, palm trees and crystal blue water you swim through at your leisure. This is not that kind of beach. Don't get me wrong. Tropical hideaways are pretty neat. I also am in the mindset that our beaches, though different than the beaches most are accustomed to, have some pretty interesting things to offer. Put down that Pina Colada and grab a frothy Hot Cocoa as you join me on this edition of the Friday Five:

Pacific Northwest Beaches and What to Do With One

1) Beach Comb

I'm sure there are interesting things washing up on beaches all around the world, but I have seen some pretty neat stuff regularly on these shores. From creatures to flotsam and jetsam, strolling along our beaches is a treasure hunt. Keep in mind, one man's treasure is another man's trash on these hunts. Storm season may not be the best time to fly kites, but beach combing is a year round sport. There is a devoted bunch of beach combers with tide charts in hand who rise with the first rays of sun to see what the Pacific dragged in. Sometimes it's only kelp. Sometimes it's styrofoam floats from the crab boats just off shore. The really diligent and storm savvy combers tell stories of antique glass floats and other mystery cargo that finally makes it's resting place after escaping Davy Jone's Locker of Fine Goods. The story I hear is the wind has a way of blowing the wrong way, and that's when they know it's time to walk the beach. (The news is also buzzing of the migrating debris from last year's Japan Tsunami. Grays Harbor County Emergency Management generally advises if the debris seems dangerous, do not attempt to remove it from the beach. Contact 911 immediately. If debris seems like general litter, or possessions suspected to be from Japan, contact 360-249-3911 or ghcdem@co.grays-harbor.wa.us and be as specific as possible without endangering yourself.)

2) Clam Dig

I wasn't too sure about this practice of "Catching Clams" when I first heard the local stories about clams out-witting the average digger. Apparently our razor clams have the ability to out run the average shoveler and guns are most clammer's weapon of choice. I'm not talking rifles or glocks, but tubes, usually made of PVC or metal that diggers plunge into promising holes or "clam shows" and suction up soil samples that (hopefully) contain a razor clam. Clam digs are not a year long activity, but if you get the chance to make it to the Olympic Peninsula beaches in Fall/Winter and early Spring during a scheduled dig, you'll be glad to get the opportunity to taste these evasive morsels. Even if you choose not to dig, watching the beaches fill with shellfish prospectors in waders, galoshes and head lamps is often more than worth the trip. Dig dates are set once populations on each beach are verified to be strong enough. A 3-day clam pass will set you back a measly $8.60, but combination licenses are also available if you plan to try your hand at any other foraging activities throughout the year.

3) Build a Sandcastle Sand Sculpture

 

Sand is getting serious. Challenge your friends and family to a friendly Sand Castle Competition (war) armed with the tricks of the masters! Does anyone else share the childhood memories of the points of those plastic sand castle molds breaking off mid cast? Or that miss measure of water to sand ratio that left you with a pile of mud instead of Rapunzel's tower? A very friendly onlooker pointed out to me once that the trick is bottomless buckets. I know, my mind was blown too. The plan is to fill your cylinder or cube with sand 1/2 way, wet with water, fill with more sand, pat like crazy and simply slide your mold right off. No weird suctioned sand. No muddy mess! This basic idea can be extrapolated to building giant molds out of 2x4s and plywood. Before you erect your massive mold, do remember someone will have to actually dig all the sand it takes to fill it. Once you get your supremo structure upright, get to work with whatever sharp-ish objects you can find around. Paint brushes, chop sticks, spoons, forks, butter knives, you name it, they make a shape! Remove sand bit by bit only the castle will remain. Or whatever it is you decided to make. Try creating something on the beach most people don't find here often, a mermaid, a narwhal, A cabana with a blender. The possibilities are endless! If the sand is crumbling and drying before the carving is finished, try a gentle mist from a spray bottle. Or you could just build anytime during the month of Fogust. (Get it?! Mist? Fog! August!? I wish I could take credit for it, too.)

4) Make a Fort

 

One of the most amazing things about our beaches is how incredibly close they are to the forests. This is a perfect combination for piles and piles of driftwood. Drift logs are building material waiting to happen. There are some pretty industrious beach goers around here and I've found their ruins to prove it. My kids and I have discovered forts ranging from trenches to the more utilitarian windbreak. Sometimes, the trick is just finding the right log because some are so massive, they create 1/2 of the fort on their own. Keep in mind most drift logs are soaked to the core and much heavier than they appear. Once you scout a good area clear of the incoming tide (because this is going to take a while) start collecting sturdy logs and get creative. Some forts I've seen stay assembled for weeks. They are either being added to by a community of buiding enthusiasts or doted on by the original architect, I can't say for sure, but I like finding them. Not interested in hauling large mounds of lumber through sand? Look for a convenient collection of logs near each other and align them in a series for an obstacle course. This activity is especially helpful for turning rambunctious toddlers into sleeping toddlers by a decent bed time. You can thank me when they are asleep.

5) Enjoy a Campfire (Safely)

 

You know what really stinks about hot, sunny beaches? No one wants to make s'mores there.
 Yeah, I said it! After a long day soaking up heat rays the last thing anyone wants to think about is oozy, melty, chocolatey-marshmallows crammed inside some graham crackers. Can you imagine how they must feel? It's sad, really. I think cozying around a flickering ball of warmth is one of the most wonderful ways to spend an evening. Or morning. Or anytime, really. Even on the sunniest of days here, you can bet when the sun lets off it's final beams for the day, everyone on the beach is going to need a sweater. At least. So bring a close to your day at the beach with a night around a fire. Grab those stray logs left unused in your rendition of Stonehenge and circle them around a cozy pit of awesome. Bring some meats fit for roasting on a stick, some cold (or warm, I don't judge) beverages, and don't forget the marshmallows. No matter what you plan to char over that flame of fantasticness, you are guaranteed to go to bed with warm cheeks and wake up with a pile of clothes that will smell of fire for weeks. The rules for fires on my closest beach are to keep them under control at least 100 feet from the dunes. Make sure to check in with local officials before lighting a match and remember Smokey before leaving smoldering coals to their own devices.

No, we don't really swim here. Bikinis aren't really a good idea either. Our beaches are more than just spots for sunbathers.  They are big, beautiful dunes of opportunity. How do you beach?