I rarely go to the ocean. Living in Northern California, I prefer to hike in the mountains. The Sierras are so wonderful, I forget about the beauty at sea level. I hadnāt been to the ocean in over two years and I had recently spoken to a buddy of mine about an easy little 2 mile hike to the beach. The weather report was for partly cloudy skies and a high of 83 degrees for Saturday. Downright hot for the ocean. I had no better hike planned so decided to go west instead of my normal drive east into the mountains. I was not to be disappointed.
I arrived at the trailhead parking lot at around 10:30 am. It was already pretty full, but I managed to wedge my Honda Civic in between two large SUVās. Having parked next to a lot of SUVās at trailhead parking lots, I always get a little smile knowing my Honda sits right next to these 4 wheel drive monsters. For most, this will be as rough a terrain as they will ever see. I digress.
I throw on my pack and take off past a barricade. The trail is really a fire engine access road for the area. As I look in front of me, I see these fire control roads are cut in several places along the rolling hills forming the first of the mountains comprising the Coastal Range. The hills are brown in August, except for the green of a bush or the gray or rust color of exposed rock. The walk is peaceful.
Peaceful but not lonely. People are jogging or walking all around. Couples, singles. Not tons of people, but someone normally always in sight.
To my left is a creek with the lush green of overgrown wild blackberry vines, eucalyptus trees and asparagus ferns. To my right is the upslope of the golden hills I described earlier. My hike is down the spine of this valley to the waterās edge.
I arrive at the beach surprisingly fast. With no one else to speak to, I found myself walking at a fairly brisk pace. The ocean was beautiful. The sun was shining down from over my back. The waves were crashing and making their familiar sound. The beach was relatively small. Maybe 1000 yards long. As I stepped onto the sand, it was more like little pebbles than grains of sand. My feet sunk and the toes of my boots dug for traction.
I looked up and down the beach. Couples sitting with each other. A family up to the right. I decided to walk left. Getting on to the firmer, wetter sand/rock of the beach closer to the lapping waves, I turned and got a good look up the valley I had just hiked down. A very pretty sight with the valley narrowing right at the beach. The surrounding walls of the valley came right to the edge of the ocean forming steep cliffs that cut off all access to the north or to the south of the beach. The cliffs did not appear to be climbable, but the walls of the valley just behind the cliffs were nicely sloped and looked like a good place to hike a bit later.
I found a nice level spot on the beach out of the reach of the incoming tide and reached inside my daypack and opened my beach towel. Laying it out on the sand, I sat down and reached for my pack. Thatās when I first remember seeing a young couple approaching me. They were talking to each other and I remember how captivating her smile was. You know the smile I mean. Her slim lips framed beautifully white teeth. Her smile was so natural. Here was a woman unafraid to smile widely. Not the pursed smile with an upturned corner. No, this was a genuine āI love lifeā smile. They must have been walking behind me and also just arrived at the beach. Not as prepared as I, they simply sat down on the sand.
I removed a pair of binoculars from my bag and looked out to the ocean to check out the boats. I examined the local birds on the nearby rocks (cormorants and pelicans) and then gazed up onto the surrounding hills. I was attracted by what looked to be a house far above. Upon closer inspection, though, I saw it was not a house, but a bunker of some sort. Not far above that concrete bunker was another bunker and behind that one was another.
Iām sure many of you out there are aware of the reasons these bunkers were built into the sides of these ocean cliffs just north of San Francisco. I, however, do not know when or why they were built aside from the obvious defense reasons.
I pulled the binoculars down just in time to see the girl to my right pull off her light blue t-shirt revealing a pretty light pink bikini top contrasting nicely with her light brown hair. Her male companion was already down to his oversized swim shorts and was running out to the waves. She leaned back and undid the button to her shorts. In one motion she unzipped her fly, rocked forward removing her weight from her bottom and slid her shorts to her knees. She ten rocked back onto her bottom and slid her shorts over her feet and folded them neatly placing them on the sand next to her. Her bikini bottoms were tied at her hip and were cut low below her flat belly. She rose, adjusted her bikini bottoms and trotted out to her friend.
I watched them and others for 30 minutes or so. I donāt think she ever got into the water above her knees. I myself had taken off my shoes and socks and walked into the water only to find it too cold for my tender feet and I retreated back to my towel. The ocean air felt good on my feet and legs though. I wish I had brought my swimsuit, if for no other reason than to soak up more sun. My shorts were a little baggy, so I pushed up the pant legs a bit and made do.
As I would glance around, I was always pulled back to her smile. It was intoxicating. I figure she must have been around 24 or 25. Her friend looked to be around the same. She stood maybe five foot 6 or 7 inches and had a very petite frame. Her face narrow and her nose as cute as her smile. Her legs were not short, but real long, either. Her ankles were small and her calves revealed a woman who worked out. Her thighs were firm, but not muscular. And her bikini bottoms folded around a young, firm buttock that made every guy walking past take a look.
Because she faced away looking into the ocean most of the time, it wasnāt until they returned for their clothes that I got to look at her breasts. They were smallish, but firm. Her bikini top covered them fully, except for a small amount that managed to sneak out close to her armpit. The water had stiffened her nipples behind her material.
They put on their clothes and started to walk back to the path. I figured all of the entertainment was gone and started to pack up myself when I looked over and noticed that they were ascending the hills along a pathway I had seen towards the military bunkers. I sat back down and took out my binoculars.
They reached the first bunker and explored it thoroughly. As she started to walk back to the path though, he pulled her hand back and kissed her. They stood and talked nose to nose for a couple of minutes occasionally pecking at each others lips. His hand was rubbing her back. Her hands were wrapped around his shoulders.
They broke apart and starting walking further up the hill. Soon they had crested out of my sight. I had wanted to explore these bunkers anyway, but I also thought I might have an opportunity to see this woman a little closer if I followed. Soon I had my pack on my back and was climbing up the path.
I have to admit, I have had my fair share of voyeur experiences. My first was of my next door neighbor when I was 14. The smell of wet wood fencing still brings back great memories in an instant. I remember looking through the little hole in the fence as the sister of one of my good friends would get dressed. Ah, the good old days.
I remember staying at my fatherās house in the summer and looking out the bedroom window at the next door lady. Our bedroom windows were probably no more than 10 feet apart and only separated by a chain link fence. Iād be in my darkened room and see her light come on after Johnny Carson. I never did meet her and she was probably forty five years old when I was a teenager, but seeing her remove her bra was a sight Iāll never forget.
Now it is I who is 45 years old. While not bad looking (in my own opinion), I know I wonāt be gracing the cover of People magazine.
I head up the trail with conviction. Having climbed in the mountains, this coastal trail is not difficult, though steep. I scour the hillside above me, hoping I havenāt missed my opportunity. There. Still climbing up is the couple. He is in the lead. I continue up.
I reach the bunker they had embraced at and look above. They have moved off of the trail and are now walking through two feet high grass and low laying bushes. They turn to their left and disappear. I look through my binoculars and can just make out a piece of concrete where they vanished. Bingo. They have gone into a bunker.
The fog had started to move in and it hid the direct sunlight. The breeze picked up and was rustling the surrounding vegetation. I hurriedly walked up the trail and saw the flattened grass along the trail where they had gone their own way. I decided to take a higher route and approach them from above. I figured if they emerged from the bunker and saw me, Iād pretend to be out looking for any military artifacts. Pretty lame on later thought.