When I was telling some of my friends at Surfrider about this summer's expedition, they all wanted to make sure that we wouldn't be giving away any secrets about which beaches along the Olympic coast were the best for waves. I assured them that we would give out information only on a need-to-know basis and hey, I don't want to broadcast the locations of secret spots any more than the next guy.
It's a pretty common feeling, whatever name it goes by. There's a drive to claim a place as our own, whether it really is or not, to protect it from all those who may follow, without really realizing that we are hardly the first to do so. I got mine, now get out! It's not always a malevolent urge - in fact, it can be quite the opposite - but it is often a misplaced emotion. "Like a couple of fleas arguing about who owns the dog," is the way Crocodile Dundee put it.
(And, if I get to the point that I'm quoting the philosophical musings of Crocodile Dundee, you know it's a lean day, metaphysically speaking.)
This past weekend, the Ikkatsu crew did an overnight to Anderson Island here in the south Sound, a chance to iron out some of the issues we still have, gear-wise and with regard to survey protocol. I'll probably get into these areas a little more in posts to follow, but over the course of the short trip I was hit by the similarities between the way I feel about our camp location and the way that surfers feel about their secret spots.
It's not a mystery, where we stayed. That's a photo of the place up top and there on the right, and there are precious few other places it could be on the island. Whether I come out and name it here really doesn't matter. Furthermore, it's not my place. I have no claim, legal or otherwise, to the beach, the lagoon or the uplands. It's a public park.
But it's my favorite place in the south Sound to pitch a tent. My favorite beach to watch a sunset from, to have a fire. The beer tastes finer here, the barbeque is better. Even the waves lapping on the shoreline as I fall asleep seem more like music here, more soothing. Secret or not, it's my "secret spot."
There was a bit of wind that died during the night. Morning was warm and calm. Steve even mentioned that the only thing wrong with the trip was that it was just a one-nighter. I would have to agree.
4 comments:
Your post got me thinking about where I live here on Kodiak Island in the North Pacific. So far we really have not really had to worry about 'secret spots', but i've noticed it has started to happen. Here on Kodiak until very recently you could camp and hangout where ever you wanted. But recently land ownership issues and increased competition have started to come into play. Nonetheless, there are still bazillions of 'secrets spots' here on the rock. Still your blogpost has got me a little worried - we need to keep it this way!
You know, no matter what "this way" is, you can't keep it so... enjoy every sandwich. That was Warren Zevon's advice for a happy life. Fighting change is like putting the whiskey back in the bottle: it's pointless and futile.
I completely understand your sentiment, however. I grew up surfing a beach in Goleta, California, that was in the middle of noplace. Therre's a resort there now and the waves are closed - more or less - to the hoi poloi (like me).
"Enjoy every sandwich," enjoy the wide open while it's still wide open. I think you have more of a time cushion than the rest of us, living up there in paradise, but just love the day.
And thank you for reading and throwing in your 2 cents!
I've always been uncomfortable with the 'secret beach' thing especially when applied to obvious exposed places along highways such as the 112. One Surfrider gal rolled into the Crescent Beach parking lot last fall after a sesssion down the Strait. We asked her where she surfed, she said she couldn't tell us. Knowing the area well and the conditions for the day, we (3 of us including 2 who had surfed the NW since the 60's) all said simutanously 'oh the Lyre!', and she quickly denied it.
Even if Surfer Mag published 'epic' days on the Strait, the cold, fickle waves, and long drive would still keep it from becoming over crowded, or even a crowd at all.
the great thing about freighter waves is that i can tell anyone, and they still don't believe me.
Love your blog but...I see some irony in the surfrider member who wants to keep "secrets" if I enjoy something in nature visually or physicallly like riding a wave (a wave that passes and is no longer mind you) does that deminish your enjoyment of the same?
I implore you to spread the word of natures wonders, photograph them, GPS them and share them. I guartantee what you receive in return is greater that what you will get out of holding a secret.
If enjoying nature alone is your passion do that, spread the word and move on to the next discovery I guarantee you won't run out of places to discover in your life-time even in your own back yard.
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