Swami’s
More than just a good place to surf.

The Stairs

            Let’s take a walk down to the beach.  The present stairway to the beach was completed in the early ‘90’s.  It is a combination at the top, heavy wooden stairs supported by poles toward the bottom, connected by steps attached to a pair of massive laminated beams nearly 60 feet long and 4 feet high.  The whole design is to provide a safe and pleasant passageway between the bluff top and the beach, and to reduce erosion along the bluff.  Even toddlers can enjoy a magnificent view of the ocean from almost every step of the way down.  Plants growing along the more steep portions of the bluff have been planted (or allowed to remain) for ground cover to prevent further erosion.  In places they are growing through a steal mesh to increase their effectiveness.  Bamboo, sage, sea lavender, sunflowers, thistles, and tobacco tree border the walkway, with a variety of other plants beyond reach.  Nearer the base of the bluff, several varieties of ice plant, bamboo, and clumps of spike-rush are most common. 

            Stop on the way down at the landing before the turn to the south.  You’re about 30’ above the beach.  Look southward to the huge boulders (riprap) along the base of the bluff.  There are similar boulders under the lifeguard station and at the base of the bluff a short distance to the north.  These boulders have been brought in to reduce the erosive effects of waves at high tides.  They are normally quite helpful, but when they are beat upon by waves that result when “storm surfs” combine with tides that are especially high, all but the very largest boulders can serve as battering rams against whatever is in their way.  Once can look at the small rounded and oval rocks (cobbles) directly below and wonder at their original sizes, and at the time it took to fashion them to their present size and shape.  If the tide is high, you’ll hear the cobbles crackle as they roll against each other as the water from each wave flows back to the ocean. 

            Looking back at the bluff, behind and to each side of the stairs, reveals several plastic pipes with water running or dripping from them.  These are an attempt to bring ground water out that might otherwise find and trickle down cracks within the bluff, resulting eventually in more serious erosion.