I’ll take a quick break from stories about adventuring around the desert to share with my readers something I noticed yesterday – the return of the red tide here locally. Yes, that’s right – it’s baaaaaack – and with a vengeance! As I was doing my tune up run for the Xterra 5/15K at Mission Gorge (http://www.trailrace.com/missiongorge.html) yesterday at Torrey Pines, I noticed that the water near the shore was that distinctive muddy brown color of the red tide. I also could not help but notice the distinctive red tide smell of decay. So, after my run, and after the sun set, and running a few errands, I went back at nighttime, and watched the sea seethe and glow yet again. In my humble opinion, this red tide is much stronger than the one a couple weeks ago, but still not quite at the champion “I make the sand and surf glow” level of late summer.

With the Memorial Weekend coming up, this is a great chance to get in some prime viewing of the red tide at night. Again, I recommend Torrey Pines State Park – it’s a long stretch of beach, with few lights (aside from any cars that may be coming and going along the 101). And, in terms of water quality for beach-goers during the day, the water appears safe, if you don’t mind the smell (http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/deh/water/pdf/BBcurrent.pdf), but it’s always a good idea to touch base with the local lifeguards. If you’re interested in more information about the red tide, you can check this out: http://www.lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2010/5/11/red-tide-red-tide.html, and hopefully everyone gets out there and has a great weekend seeing the eerie glow, racing, or doing something equally fun. See you out there!