Week 52: High Tides to Close Out the Year

Week 52: December 24th-30th, 2023

It is officially the last week of the year and I'm very happy and proud to report that I successfully stuck to my New Years Resolution for 2023 to try Something New Every Week!

This week, to close out 2023 officially, I was lucky enough to spend time outside enjoying nature with my mom. Both of my parents planned to come down to San Diego for the holidays, but unfortunately, after three lucky years, my dad finally caught COVID and had to stay home. It was a bummer, and on top of that, our family dog Kingsley had to have eye surgery (his whole eye had to be removed!). Even though I wish I could've seen my dad, I'm glad he is back home to take care of Kingsley.

My mom has been staying at my sister's house, where we had a small Christmas Eve and Christmas celebration. I got expert help from my sister and my brother-in-law to build my PC (and I love her so much!), and alas, the nerdiness continues.

In an effort to get out of the house, away from my beloved screens, and enjoy the sunny San Diego Winter, my mom and I went to Torrey Pines State Reserve during the King Tides. The water level was insane, and there were so many people out hiking and enjoying nature! I kept saying "Shouldn't all these kids be in school?" despite it obviously being Winter Break.

We parked at the North Beach lot for $10 because it was insanely crowded at the main parking lot and the free street parking was all filled up. This was a good call because we walked a long way past tons of impatient cars waiting for parking spots in the busier areas.

The bathrooms at the North parking lot

Walking through the pedestrian underpass was a bit wetter than expected because of the high tide. We had to time our journey underneath properly and used the raised curb to navigate around the slippery parts, but we made it across.

The pedestrian walkway was flooded!

We witnessed a handful of people's shoes get wet because they weren't quick enough to avoid the waves crashing against the sidewalk. Silly them, they weren't as nimble as me and my mom.

The tide was so high that the lifeguard tower was in the water!

We walked alongside the rocks and makeshift pathways above the rocky beach, weaving past tons of families and parked cars. Normally, I assume people walk on the beach itself, but the tide was so high that we were limited to the rocks higher up by the road.

The line of cars waiting to park at the South Beach lot

Heading toward the hill where more hiking trails were, the view was fantastic. We stopped occasionally to drink water and survey the view, and I found myself appreciating nature more as we got further up the hill.

The view from up the hill a little

We chose a short-ish loop hike that circled around with a view of the ocean. I like hiking in San Diego and noticing the differences in the environment from Northern California hikes. In San Diego, things are much drier, browner, and sandier.

The beginning of the loop trail

During the hike, we noticed a bunch of weird contraptions that we initially thought might be sample collection sites or water collection systems.

These weird contraptions were all around the trail!

I am so glad I didn't look closely inside of them because they were actually beetle traps! I am not a fan of beetles or bugs up close. Apparently the traps are for studying the Bark Beetles. They are a native insect that can be harmful to the Torrey pine trees when there is a drought and a lack of tree sap.

The sign about the Bark Beetle traps

The crisp San Diego ocean air during the hike was refreshing, but the sun kept us warm enough to shed our jackets. My mom and I laughed at snippets of overheard conversations and it was really nice to spend time outside, especially with my mom. I'm glad San Diego winters aren't real winters, either.

Though this is officially the last week of the year, Week 52, I'm looking forward to continuing this "Something New Every Week" thing and expanding the range of my experiences.

See you next week (year!)