GS5 - Sunday, May 15th - REGISTRATION IS OPEN ON PAGE 21 and closes 4/15/11

Stories from the Cove

I'd like to share some Good Times and informational pieces from my times at the Cove, so I'll add them here vs bogging down the open board with my ramblings.     I've logged dozens of Cove stories on NCKA over the years, so the search feature is a good source of info too.

Shelter Cove Campground - Ruled by Skunks!

Back in the 90's my family held several Summertime reunions at Shelter Cove.  We'd fish, dive, surf, BBQ, drink and enjoy our time together as a family of salt lovers.  The days were filled with activity on, in and around the water, and, after huge meals and even more voluminous liquid intake, most of us would crash hard by midnight for sure.  I was in my 20's, so I'd either be the first one slurring or the last one down for the count!  It was one of those 'last one down' type nights when my college buddy Mark and I witnessed what no buzzed 25 year old should be so enticed with around a latenight campfire where no one is present with intentions of keeping reasonable decision making as a focus. 

My brother, about 6 years my senior and guilty in his own right of training me in what some would view as the ways of mischief, had successfully paced himself over the course of the evening - beers, dinner, a few tequilla shots, a few more beers, part of a s'more, and, around 11PM, a comfy sleeping bag on the ground right by the fire.  He was in deep slumber - not passed out, but I wouldn't have wanted to have had to wake him - that's likely just my own rationalization coming through, as I may still feel guilty 17 years later.     We'd stayed at the campground many times over the years, and a tent was part of the equation on every visit outside of those crashin-in-the-cab-of-the-truck type nights when you'd blaze to the Cove in the evening, take in a brief fire and several beers, and get whatever sleep you could prior to the next morning's fishing or abalone mission.  So on this reunion we'd all brought tents, but Kevin, that's my brother, had decided to enjoy the unusually calm and windless evening by sleeping on the ground by the fire, as I'd previously described.  He wasn't in danger of burning up - it was a reasonable distance and at the proper angle where even if a breeze came up and threatened to stir the coals he would be safe from sparks and smoke.  Mark and I were enjoying a few more beers before we retired ourselves, and I remember a mood of contented mirth; so happy to be celebrating a fun day and looking forward to another adventure when the sun would rise again.  We gave Kevin shit for a minute as he deliberately set up his fireside nest, but he wasn't having it - off to sleep he went.  As we sat across the firepit from Kevin's sleeping form we could see his face; his calm respirations and a placid look of restfulness were starting to bring on our own instincts for fulfilling the requirements of that all powerful human universal, the Circadian Rhythm.  With the heat and glow of the fire and half a green label hanging loosely in my hand I could likely have spent the night quite content in that folding chair, but then the action started, and there was no way I'd ever consider sleeping on the ground at the Cove Campground again!

When we were kids in San Jose we ruled the block.  My grandmother owned a good chunk of it - there were large Victorians split into rentals that had overgrown yards with forgotten fountains and ancient fig trees, and there was an old shed behind her board and care home where no one knew all the contents, much less how long they'd been there.  We weren't supposed to go in there, and it was likely due to old hazards such as rotted timbers and redwood plank subfloors soaked in motor oil.  Those things don't hinder the spirit of kids who are ready to discover and rule the world, so we were all thrilled when orders came down from Aunt Gina:  find those wild cats and their kittens and earn some cash!  We got into the old shed and searched through junky treasures from who knows when and found those kittens - I remember my feelings of being thrilled by that mission overshadowing all of my Mom's lecture about getting scratched up by those kittens!  We'd taken on what felt like wild animals, and we were of course victorious!  (I wasn't thrilled when Gina threw them in the pool wrapped in a burlap sack, but those are the hard lessons of childhood...   )

Later interaction with critters in the wild, outside of fishing and abalone hunting which are inextricably tied to water experiences instead of a terrestrial challenge, were largely limited to sightings of bears, snakes, and scorpions in the mountains, falcons, hawks, and eagles, and, sadly, roadkill!  What kind of statement is made about Americana when many of us have had our most frequent interactions with wild animals on the highway?...  Anyway, I've seen lots of roadkill - possums, porcupine, a bear or two - that's always sad, more deer than could be counted in the average lifetime, foxes, squirrels...  all of those, and there's one that we all know - the skunk.  Odors can create very vivid and unique memories, and a skunk's spray probably has its own dedicated little section within our primal brains.  We once had a skunk spray on the back porch of the house I grew up in here in Loleta - there's never been a stronger smell of skunk!  That kind of proximity to the real thing makes driving by a skunk seem like sniffing a rose!

My brother lay there by the fire, the perfect example of ideal sleep, and, as I'd said a couple paragraphs back, Mark and I were melting away toward our own sleep plans, when we noticed something scampering along the campground road just out of discernable fire light.  At first I thought it was someone's pet, but it was too late, and I've never seen a pet with such a quiet and dainty stride.  Before we knew it we were witnessing the funniest and most frightening event of the weekend, as a skunk approached my brother's sleeping form and sniffed his face!  Less than 20' away across the fire, and apparently out of the range of curiosity of the skunk, Mark and I were barely able to control ourselves - the desire to bust out laughing was so strong, but we knew that if my brother awoke with a skunk 2" from his nose we might actually be in danger of some kind of brother-kills-brother-and-brother's-friend type scenario!  So we sucked it up, stayed quiet, and watched as that skunk and a second one spent some time investigating every aspect of Kevin's unwittingly calm countenance.  The skunk show made for a good reason to drain a couple more beers and to zip our tent doors all the way shut that night.  I don't think Kevin ever did believe us when we later told him of his incredible good fortune - even though we'd done everything we could to keep him safe, I think he still looked at it like we'd somehow set him up!   

We went on to see what seemed like many skunks over the next couple of nights that year, but they've never been back in such numbers as far as I've seen.  Jack and I discussed it the other day, and there seems to be a cycle to it - more possums this year, more foxes next, then skunks...etc.  Wherever we are on the critter cycle, I'd advise against sleeping on the ground at the Cove Campground.   

Great story, great advice.  You couldn't make up stuff like that. 

 

I haven't encounter with a Skunk in Shelter Cove yet but saw lots of deers came out at night.  Thanks for a good read Eric.

OK Sunday it is. I changed my motel reservation back to the way it was originally booked. Arriving Saturday, 5/14, checking out Monday morning. I'm gonna bottle the brew this Saturday. It will be ready to taste 2 weeks later allowing time to make another batch before GS5 if something goes wrong. This is the first time for dry hopping. Sunday and Monday, (next week) are allocated to clammin' with the Loose Screws team at Lawson's Landing, Tomales Bay. Clammin' in the morning / beer and chowder in the evening. it doesn't get much better than that!

Thanks, Gabe and Sonny, for reading through my entire skunk story!   

Martin - aren't you at The Tides?  They're giving a 3 nights for the price of 2 deal - are you saying you cannot stay for 3?

Just so everyone can be clear on it (hopefully):  The tournament is on Sunday, May 15th!   

The Tides was sold out when I made my reservation weeks ago.  I'm at the place next door and there's no free night deal.

Martin

The Tides was sold out when I made my reservation weeks ago.  I'm at the place next door and there's no free night deal.

Martin

Now I remember...  Sorry, Dude.     I'm glad you're coming and can't wait to try that home brew.   

Funny about that skunk!
Had the same experience in Yosemite in the 70's - awoke to see a skunk sniffing my backpacking buddy's nose poking out of his mummy bag!
About laughed out loud, would've been a bad idea...

BTW: just sent my waiver and check for GS5! Can hardly wait to fish the cove.
I'll be piling into the group area camping on Sat., hope to throw the bivy sack down or just sleep in the car.
Thanks for organizing this Eric!

Funny about that skunk!
Had the same experience in Yosemite in the 70's - awoke to see a skunk sniffing my backpacking buddy's nose poking out of his mummy bag!
About laughed out loud, would've been a bad idea...

BTW: just sent my waiver and check for GS5! Can hardly wait to fish the cove.
I'll be piling into the group area camping on Sat., hope to throw the bivy sack down or just sleep in the car.
Thanks for organizing this Eric!

I'm glad you're coming!   

Looks like we are very likely to be fishing for salmon south of Horse Mountain on 4/2!!!   

Horse Mountain is a few miles north of the Cove, so we're looking golden as long as the opener goes all the way north to Horse Mountain.  (it should...)

Looks like we are very likely to be fishing for salmon south of Horse Mountain on 4/2!!!   

Horse Mountain is a few miles north of the Cove, so we're looking golden as long as the opener goes all the way north to Horse Mountain.  (it should...)

Sweet,
 Something to fish for the Saturday before the tourney

I'm stoked!

Tad
 

Looks like we are very likely to be fishing for salmon south of Horse Mountain on 4/2!!!   

Horse Mountain is a few miles north of the Cove, so we're looking golden as long as the opener goes all the way north to Horse Mountain.  (it should...)

Sweet,
 Something to fish for the Saturday before the tourney

I'm stoked!

Tad
 

Oh yeah, Baby!  The salmon bite at the Cove will fluctuate, and I've seen some nice consistent bites in March, April and May.  It can be day to day, but there's really always a chance of hooking one.  I've had days where every anchovie in the bag got bit, and I've had days where I didn't need more than one chovie because of the lack of bites.  We'll hope for the former!  It's a fantasy of mine that we'll be out there in numbers and the salmon will be biting good - our group could catch a few hundred salmon!!!  OK, OK, let's shoot for "some".   

Looks like we are very likely to be fishing for salmon south of Horse Mountain on 4/2!!!   

Horse Mountain is a few miles north of the Cove, so we're looking golden as long as the opener goes all the way north to Horse Mountain.  (it should...)

Sweet,
 Something to fish for the Saturday before the tourney

I'm stoked!

Tad
 

Oh yeah, Baby!  The salmon bite at the Cove will fluctuate, and I've seen some nice consistent bites in March, April and May.  It can be day to day, but there's really always a chance of hooking one.  I've had days where every anchovie in the bag got bit, and I've had days where I didn't need more than one chovie because of the lack of bites.  We'll hope for the former!  It's a fantasy of mine that we'll be out there in numbers and the salmon will be biting good - our group could catch a few hundred salmon!!!  OK, OK, let's shoot for "some".   

That would totally make my day to catch a salmon from the yak. It's on my list of things to do.

 Stories from the Cove

If you know the Cove at all you know Dead Man's.  It's a reef about a quarter mile east southeast of the boat launch, and it's the local surfing spot.  Popular with long boarders, surf camps are easily spotted in the gulch above the mouth of the creek in the summer months.  A good south swell can bring quite a crowd to Dead Man's Reef, and its position compared to the boat launch and the most sheltered water can put it very near to offshore activity at times. 

I was down there in street clothes watching my Dad surf around 1989.  It was an overcast June day - summery and 90 degrees over the hill, but a nippy 58-60 degrees and foggy at the Cove.  The surfers didn't mind the weather in their wetsuits, and hanging out along the beach was more tolerable due to a campfire several of us were sharing.  I didn't pay much attention to the fishing scene back then - it was just part of the Cove that I'd grown up knowing of, but I was an easy sea-sickness victim, so I didn't have any interest.  Catching a box full of 5-7 pound rockfish and scoring multiple 20+ pound lings was the norm then - it was the case that "bottom fish" was really just a second class type of pursuit, and even salmon fishing on the Big Blue was just a whimsical extension of what was really quite easy along local rivers.  I'd been out bottom fishing at the Cove with my Dad and a friend of mine in one of my Dad's friend's boats several years earlier - when I was maybe 12 - and I'd gotten so seasick that Dad had to bring me in and drop me and my buddy Troy at the beach for the rest of the day.  I never heard the end of it:  "We never did get back on the good bite after bringing Eric in!..." 

So I wasn't paying much attention to boats going in and out of the launch area, and the surfers were doing their usual thing when suddenly there was an emergency - some fishermen had capsized their aluminum boat and they were in the water just outside of the lineup.  On shore we were aware of a rescue taking place, and we received the victims at Dead Man’s Gulch and got them by the fire and out of their wet clothes.  It was a very sudden and surprisingly shocking episode, and I found myself caught off guard by how affected the unfortunate fishermen were.  It was quite apparent that their foray into the surf in light gear had nearly resulted in their deaths right there in the harbor area, and I’ll never forget the look on the bearded face of one in their group – he was the most coherent, yet he was in horrible shape – obviously in shock and with hypothermia, he expressed how stupid they’d been to have gone out unprepared (I never did know what led to their capsizing, but they certainly had an air of ill preparedness about them…).  What was notable, and I still remember it and refer to it in reference to my own calculated risks in the outdoors and the water environment, was that this fellow who was barely in good enough shape to make a comment after being rescued was the only one in a wetsuit!  His farmer john had not kept him from the elements after capsizing, and, even though he was clearly in better shape than his buddies in street clothes, he was obviously re-thinking his decisions about how to face the challenges of the ocean.

I don’t feel right if I’m not ready to jump in the water at any given time.  It took many years to develop the knowledge and skills needed for that mindframe, and I know that I must never relinquish that commitment to avoiding the type of fate that those ill-prepared ocean trekkers displayed that day.

If you cannot immerse yourself and be OK for an extended period of time due to your gear and your preparation, you do not belong on the ocean.  It’s that simple.

Can’t wait for GS5.    

Word.