Visitor from around New Zealand

The CA coastline was paid a visit by a very LARGE sized South West swell recently. That statement is actually a bit misleading in that this swell originated from a storm way down below New Zealand and actually paid a visit to much of Mainland Mexico, the Baja Peninsula, Southern CA, Northern CA and above into Oregon and Washington. So based on the extent of it's reach you can begin to understand the type of energy that was released by the storm that generated it.

Summertime is typically the doldrums for Northern CA surf community. We typically rely on short period local north west wind swell, or if we are lucky south swells originating from the southern hemisphere. And if you are really devoted and graced with an extra $4K you'll fly off to Indonesia for a 2 week boat trip and score enough perfect waves to forget about the darkest Summertime surf season. But from time to time we are graced with a significant south swell similar to what hit this past weekend.

Nowadays these events can be forecasted and planned around a week in advance. There are a multitude of forecast websites one can check to track these swells (I particularly like StormSurf). Technology has really lent itself well to the surf community. Log-on, read and plan accordingly. Exactly what I started doing on 07/17.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP... BEEP, BEEP, BEEP... CLICK!

Off with the alarm clock at 5:30am saturday morning 07/24. Gotta get a jump on the day and begin scoping the coastline. My itinerary will have me traveling south toward Santa Cruz stopping every so often to check each nook and cranny the coastline has on offer for this particular swell. Oh and by the way, I've got 6.5 hours to complete this mission - remember I am a Dad. Get down south, find a good break, swim out, snap a few pics (or just paddle out and surf), hightail it back north in time to take over for my wife, have lunch with my daughter and take her to the park.

Long story short, made the trip south and scoped all the spots which resulted in absolutely zilch. Didn't get wet or snap even one pic. The swell was showing, guys were in the water but the waves were just not working that well in the spots I checked. The moral of the story, no matter how good the technology, no matter how "accurate" the forecast, you are never guaranteed that our beautiful CA coastline will cooperate. Don't get me wrong, just down the road in Santa Cruz people scored great waves. I was just not in the right place right time.

Some might think that I'd be bitter by the turn of events above, hardly. Not the first time. Don't they say it's not all about the Destination, it's about the Journey. I think so. Besides I'm already planning where my next itinerary will take me during the next BIG south swell. There is a lot of intriguing coastline north of San Francisco.

Here are some interesting links documenting the 2009 Mega South Swell:

Video footage of Santa Cruz

Mega South Swell Write-up

Video footage of the WEDGE

Article on death of body surfer at the WEDGE

Article on Puerto Escondido, Mexico

On second thought...

...perhaps the EXODUS will be televised. Or at the very least documented through the Chronicle. How timely. Can't say that I feel for the guy!

Chris Daly sends his family out of S.F.

The EXODUS will not be televised!

Some theorize that you cannot raise a child in San Francisco, CA. I'm not convinced, although I'll admit my wife and I are early on in the process with our Daughter. No formal education just yet, only daily trips to the park, excursions to other neighborhoods for play dates and the once in awhile trip to see Great Grandma out in the East Bay. My wife and I love the City and all it has to offer, the diversity, the density, our neighbor Golden Gate Park, living walking distance to the Pacific Ocean.

Were not unlike the family pictured above. There I am, often leading my Family on a leisurely walk, the brisk fresh Sunset District breeze blowing my wife's beautiful hair, our daughter happily keeping pace (she is 16 months old). Disregard the woman and man behind us but for the sake of the analogy - friendly, multi-ethnic neighbors. A damn near perfect all American picture.

So what is the big deal? Why have so many people migrated out of SF and hightailed it for the burbs North and East of us? Will we fall prey to the same external forces that drive this mass exodus? Some would almost think it was the end of the world.

Well that is why the City has the advantage, thank god for Jehovah's Witness. DING DONG! Nicely dressed and eagerly awaiting your presence to talk and perhaps supply you with some information. In this case they clearly have supplied me with the answer in how to survive the end of the world, for free to boot, right at my front door step! A neat flyer. Doubt that would happen if we were living in Ross or Orinda.

I'll report if we read any helpful hints.

Rugged Individualists

My Grandparents. My father's side of the family. My Granddad in the middle and my Grandmother on the right. I'm convinced they had good senses of humor. My grandfather wearing my Grandmothers hat and my Grandmother wearing my Granddad's hat and pointing his pistol (maybe hers) directly at the photographer! Different times. Won't speculate where they are or what has inspired them to take on these personas, all I can say is that I like this pic and hope that some of their humor was passed to me.

Getting back to my original post on this blog, CA was a bit different back when my Grandparents roamed this land. As the previous picture illustrated, "packing heat" was not as much of an issue. My Grandfather was a passionate hunter and fisherman. The pic above shows him with what would be considered a trophy Rainbow Trout by CA standards these days. 

Hook'em and cook cook'em! The days when fishermen were awarded with a full creel and stomach of fresh trout and not just "the sport" of it. These days it is Catch and Release on the majority of Fly Fishing worthy rivers, lakes and streams. Not a bad catch above either. Not too many specimens below the 12" size, with some looking to tip the 20" size.

The current issue of California Fly Fisher (AUG 2009), Richard Anderson the Publisher and Editor, opens the issue with a remark that much of the local waters of CA still fish just as good as much of the Great American West waters did back in the 80's and that he may have become spoiled by predominantly fly fishing the Golden State. My observation is that if you really want good fly fishing these days in CA, you have to seek it out and work hard for it. Become a rugged individualist and not follow the pack.

I think my Granddad (and Grandma) would do well these days.

Son this ain't...

...your Dad's CA no more.

And it sure as hell is not my Granddad's! So much change and so much development has truly reshaped CA over the past 100 years. Only family momentos and stories passed down from generation to generation to assist in gauging the extent. I've also picked up a few books recently to help educate me about the History of the land I inhabit and from time to time take for granted.

"From Wilderness to Empire, A History of California 1542-1900" by Robert Glass Cleland

Picked it up used (The Great Overland Book Company) a couple months ago and been nipping at it. What a timely book to read with our current State financial woes etc. Its almost like reading a reenactment. As we all know, our fellow CAians went through a significant time of  tremendous prosperity in the form of the Gold Rush (1849). It wasn't too long afterward that CA went through a severe financial hangover, not dissimilar to our current situation. A lot stemmed from Real Estate debacles - sound familiar? Very interesting read!

From Cadillac salesman / entrepreneur (my Granddad) , to small town Hardware Store Owner (my Dad), to Graphic Design Director (me), how will my story unfold and how will I impact the State that I have grown to love? How will it shape me? At this point it is a toss-up, but I know for sure that I'm making observations that will guide me and my family's path and taking samples along the way in the form of photography that I intend to share through this medium.

I'm optimistic (eternally) about my future and the future of CA, after all, they don't call it the land of milk and honey for nothing. If only there weren't so many damn people!