So, a couple of years ago I wrote about Popham Beach right after we returned from our annual Christmas walk on the beach. What a difference a couple of years make! After the Patriot's Day storm in April 2008, the tides turned, literally. Erosion on the beach has made it impossible to walk out to the Fox Islands unless the tide is VERY low, and even then it is not a good idea. The chance of being stuck out there is high.
This is what the beach looks like headed in a southerly direction. To compare what it looked like a couple of years ago, check the previous blog post.
What you see above USED to be the dunes. The erosion is so bad in some spots that it is at least a 10' drop from the now-closed path to the beach. Here's an example, with Flat Stanley standing in for a measuring stick. (FS is about 1' tall.)
In spite of the erosion, it's still a great walk on the beach. It's better to plan your walk at low tide than around high tide. Along with the erosion, though, an interesting new beach area has been formed with lots of driftwood tossed up making some comfortable places to sit and just contemplate the placid, ever-changing, always the same ocean.
It's also a great opportunity to walk around to Fort Popham, along the Kennebec River. Something we're going to accomplish one of these days!
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