Trip Report: Wright Beach

Bengt and I had made plans to go camping this past weekend.  We’d made the plans probably back in December or something.  We bailed out of work a little early on Friday to get all packed up and on the road.  Our original destination was Salt Point State Park.  Bengt had just selected it at random really and it seemed like as good a place as any.  We were looking for some where with in a reasonable proximity for potential crabbing and it fit the bill. 

After setting out in some rain and traffic we found ourselves driving along Highway 1 in Sonoma around 8 or 9pm.  From Doran County Park, past Bodega Bay, past Jenner and off in to what seemed like just about no where.  We drove for a good while seeing a whole lot of nothing and figured we had to have passed the park so we doubled back and tried to look more carefully.  At this point it’s starting to get a little late and the winding roads are starting to take a toll on my nerves.  So we decide to head back towards Jenner and the 3 or 4 state parks we’d passed already.  We opted to continue past Jenner in the off chance the park is actually on the southern side of Jenner (all we really knew was that it was somewhere past Jenner).  Shortly after Jenner, Bengt spots Wright Beach which is a campground in Sonoma Coast State Beach and it shows the overnight camping sign so we call it good enough. 

Fortunately once we were a bit north of the Golden Gate the rain slowed up and then stopped altogether.  We were thankful to not have to set up camp in the dark AND wet.  Attempts at a fire that first night were foiled by our “seasoned fire wood” from Safeway being wet apparently.  We gave up and used the camp stove to soothe ourselves with hot cocoa spiked with bailey’s before heading to bed.  We observed that we could hear the ocean but weren’t quite sure about the distance.  During the night it began to rain and then pour.  We kept warm and dry (or so we thought) through out the night.

In the morning we surveyed where we’d ended up and determined it wasn’t a bad place to end up at all.  We had the last camp site along the beach and were literally three steps from the sand.  The roaring of the ocean made a whole lot more sense when we realized that we were on a particularly energetic and rocky span of beach with some spectacular crashing waves.  The rain had let up before sunrise and we took advantage of that to set up the dining canopy in case it rained again.  After a warm breakfast of “slop in a pocket” we explored the beach for awhile.  In the afternoon we opted to hunt up a better firestarter as I still wasn’t convinced that the wood was really wet.  We headed to Bodega Bay and stopped at Diekman’s shop.  It was the “everything” shop in Bodega it seemed.  They had fishing gear, groceries, camping supplies, and even plumbing.  On advice from someone in the shop we headed to Lucas Wharf to acquire some dungies for dinner.  We had decided that we’d dealt with enough complications already and we’d rather just purchase some live local crabs rather than go crabbing.  We did note, however, that Diekman’s had the ghetto crab hoop nets that I’m accustomed too and had been looking for.  We picked up two large live dungeness from Lucas at 4.99/lb.  

 We headed back to camp to take a nap and then to set about trying to start a fire again.  Still no luck on that front so Bengt went back to Diekman’s to pick up some kindling and (hopefully) dry firewood.  I tended the fledgling fire by feeding it twigs lying around camp and warming myself with some wine.  By the time Bengt returned I was a bit silly.  While antagonizing the crabs I named one of them Jose so Bengt surmised that the other’s name was Jos-b.  We realized we’d forgotten a hammer so Bengt located a rock and washed it so we could use it for crab cracking.  We managed to consume 4lbs of whole crab along with some potatoes that I was gleefully eating out of my hands.  With the fire going strong at this point I characteristically curled up in my camp chair by the fire and dozed off.  Bengt cooked up one of the banana boats I’d prepped before we left on the trip but I was very full of crab.  When I started getting cold Bengt bundled me off to bed and cleaned up camp (such a sweet guy).

The next morning Bengt was determined to redeem our thwarted fire efforts on Friday night and he started a blaze in the morning.  We had oranges filled with cinnamon rolls wrapped in foil that had been intended as dessert one of the two evenings.  He played around and cooked up several rolls while also heating up more eggs.  We bestowed our wet firewood on some future camper who will hopefully be able to use it once it dries out.  We started packing up camp after breakfast.  Bengt discovered on Saturday that some of the tarp under the tent was exposed on one side.  He tucked it under and we thought little of it.  When we started to break down the tent we discovered that the tent had indeed taken on some water.  Bengt’s whole side was soaked by water that had run on top of the tarp.  Fortunately we’d layered the bottom of the tent with a canvas backed blanket and foam camping pads so we hadn’t even noticed the problem.  Bengt did swear his sleeping bag was a little wet by his feet after that first night and now it makes a whole lot more sense.  At his height he overhangs the sleeping pad a bit.  Overall though we were quite pleased that despite our error neither of us was uncomfortable in the rain.  Once most everything was packed we went for a walk on the beach again. 

On our way out of the area we stopped at Diekman’s once more and picked up a the crab hoop net and a crab gauge.  Bengt insisted on stopping at Lucas Wharf again and after some insistence by me we purchase two *cooked* crabs instead of live ones.  I was concerned about our ability to keep the lives ones actually alive in the car.  We also stopped off for some salt water taffy and a fortune telling fish.

  The drive home was generally uneventful.  I dozed off as per usual.  We arrived home to be happily greeted by the kids.  Unfortunately Bugaboo got sick in the car on the regular weekend trip between my place and Bengt’s and there was a whole disaster to deal with on account of that, but we all settled down to laze about on the couch and have, what else?  Crab for dinner.

We intend on going back to the area and trying out Salt Point since we didn’t actually make it there, and try our hand at crabbing in Bodega.  The area was quite nice and we really couldn’t have asked for better weather for a winter coastal camping trip.  The rain was kind enough to only occur while we were in the tent snuggled up and asleep.