Thoughts from Salmon Creek Beach
I’ve often thought that many of northern California’s beaches have an otherworldly feel, particularly if I’m hiking on a windy, foggy day. It’s rocky and wild, with a surf you can’t turn your back on due to an abundance of sneaker waves. It’s also very cold; in the summer there’s often a 20 degree or more temperature difference from my home 10 miles inland. I’ve taken to hiking Salmon Creek Beach a little more in the past few months because I feel a certain kinship with the shoreline. Last winter’s storms completely changed the beach here, much as the last few years have changed me. My children are older and fairly self-sufficient, and my husband’s business no longer requires my free labor. I feel at home hiking along this beach, where storm erosion has left jagged scars on the banks and changed the outlet of Salmon Creek. Over the past two decades, I have changed as well. I don’t mean to be trite; I know everyone changes over the long term. But, immersed as I was in motherho