A Walk On The Bluff With David & Joan Griffith

I'd heard about the bluff erosion. I'd read about it. I'd seen pictures of it. I'd talk to knowledgeable Sea Ranchers about it. But, until I spent an hour walking the bluff with David and Joan Griffith, I never had a true feel for it and how it impacted those who lived on the bluff.

David and Joan live on the bluff.

Thursday morning dawned gray, wet and blustery. I wouldn't have expected anyone to join me for a 60 minute hike in those conditions. However, after only a few hundred yards, David, Joan and their dog Molly joined me and my wife Barbara. I had considered taking my Chocolate Lab Truman with us, but as I've mentioned to folks before, he more resembles a flying house than he does a dog. And, frankly at that size, I felt he was likely to exacerbate bluff erosion. Consequently, Truman didn't make the traveling squad.

David was a wealth of information with regard to conditions on the bluff. Not only did he explain how the different layers of soil contribute to the erosion process, he also pointed out where water ran from beneath the bluff edge down the rocks and into the sea. It was most illuminating.

Then I discovered we had some rather unique common ground. We had both been ranchers prior to moving to The Sea Ranch. David had a large cattle ranch in Colorado. I had a small horse ranch in the San Joaquin Valley. Ranchers are pretty self reliant and often times are required to make repairs and solve problems in short order.

David then began to explain how he might handle the erosion problem. It was pretty simple actually, requiring only a couple pieces of equipment. It sounded pretty good to me, as it was reminiscent of how we dealt with drainage problems in our riding arena. But, David and I don't live on our ranches anymore. We live on The Sea Ranch.

And, that's a whole new ball game.

When we lived on our ranches, we didn't have to worry about public access. We didn't have to worry about environmental impact reports. We didn't have to worry about the Coastal Commission. We didn't have worry about Sonoma County politics. We certainly didn't have to worry our next door neighbors, because next door was generally measured in miles, not feet. Pretty interesting, I thought.

My entire perspective changed when we came to a place on the bluff trail at the end of Main Sail, where a small fence bordered the trail only a few feet away from a terrifying and treacherous ledge. One small misstep here could result in a potential and likely fatal fall. David then turned to the east and pointed to a house only short distance from where we stood and said,

"That one is ours."

The point I'm trying to make is this:

We can talk about soil layers. We can talk about water flow. We can talk about any number of possible engineering solutions. But, until we talk to those who live on the bluff and are most impacted by erosion, we haven't talked about the most important thing of all....Sea Ranchers.

The Sea Ranch Association is now in the process of addressing bluff erosion. This is extremely sensitive politically and requires a cool head and a steady hand. I've had conversations with Community Manager John Fox and Board Chair Jim Jordan regarding the bluff. I am convinced that they have cool heads and steady hands.

Having said that, I am also convinced that the bluff top erosion issue should be pursued and solved sooner rather than later. The Griffiths and their neighbors on the bluff deserve nothing less.

Finally, I'd like to thank David and Joan for taking the time to provide me with one of the most pleasant experiences I've ever had at The Sea Ranch. Sea Ranchers are like that!

*The next walk on the bluff is scheduled for March 2 at 10 AM. It will start on the bluff trail just north of Salal Creek. See you then!