If you’ve been reading the blog, or following along on other social media, you know our property can only be accessed by beach in the summer. What you may not know is that, just like the road, the beach has a set of rules for driving. I like to call this beach etiquette. Because the beach is such an interesting “driveway” I thought I’d explain its rules a little. Now some of these rules are unspoken things that we’ve just picked up as a courtesy, and some were explicitly explained to us. Although I’ve geared this specifically towards driving our beach, many of these rules apply to any off-road travel. I hope you enjoy this list!

 

Rule #1: Be Prepared

Beach driving can be tricky at the best of times, and dangerous at the worst. There is quick sand like mud, rocks to crawl over (or break things on), and the tide to contend with. Essentials for being prepared for a beach drive include:

1. A tide book – for determining when you can safely travel the beach.
2. A dead man jack – also called a hi-lift. This is necessary for lifting to dig out your vehicle, or maneuvering out rocks. Tip: if it gets stuck and won’t drop, pour a little gasoline on it to work it loose.
3. Stuck boards – any junk lumber you have lying around. These are to put under tires to give traction.
4. A portable battery jumper – in case your vehicle battery dies, as there may be no one around to help jump it.
5. A winch – if your vehicle can fit a winch, it’s a great safety feature to have for pulling yourself, or others, out of the mud.
6. A come-along – this is a great secondary option if a winch isn’t possible on your vehicle.
7. Extra tow straps, rope or chain – for extending the reach of your winch or come-along.
8. Tire iron and spare tire – it’s possible to get a flat, or bust a rim, while driving the beach.
9. A shovel – digging sand and mud is no fun by hand.
10. A full gas can – just in case you need it. There are no gas stations out here!

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Rule #2 Know Your Travel Times

This goes back to being prepared and having your tide book. The tide book contains all the times for high and low tides throughout the year. Our beach has two low and two high tides every day. Because the tide reaches right to the bluff, travel is not possible during high tides. It often takes us an hour from road to home. Because we are far north, we use the tide times for Anchorage. So lets say the tide book says low tide is at 1:30pm our travel math would look like this: 1:30 + 1 = 2:30. 2:30 pm generally being the latest we could start on the beach and have time to make it home. However, bore tides, storms, and negative low tides can all swing that time in either direction. The only way to know by how much is experience.

Rule #3 Help Others

Probably the first rule we learned on the beach, when another cabin owner stopped to tow us out of the mud on our very first attempt at driving the beach (read the story here). We stop and check on anyone who looks like they could be in trouble on the beach. We’ve needed help a time or two, so we try to keep the courtesy going every chance we get.

Rule #4 Mark The Nasty Spots

Another bit of beach etiquette we learned that first time driving our truck on the beach. If you get stuck somewhere, mark that spot so others can avoid it. On our beach, anywhere you see a large stick buried upright denotes bad ground. Usually that mud that acts like quicksand. This works well as a marker because the unnatural placement of the stick is obvious. And by the time the tide washes it away, the ground is often harder and better for driving.

Rule #5 Larger Vehicles Have The Right Of Way

Okay, this is a rule that I totally made up, but also one that I’ve yet to see anyone driving the beach break. The reason this rule makes sense is that there are lots of areas on the beach that are pinch points. This is where it becomes a sort of one lane road. If two vehicles come to that point, the larger one (truck, etc) will continue through while the smaller (atv, etc) waits to the side for them to pass. Larger vehicles are more likely to sink in mud and get stuck. They also have fewer options for traveling paths through rocks and driftwood. There are plenty of spots where stopping a larger rig is unwise, so allowing those vehicles to continue through helps prevent them from becoming stuck.

Rule #6 If The Vehicle Starts Sinking, FLOOR IT

This may seem odd, but it’s a very important rule. If a vehicle driving the beach loses traction or sinks into mud, the driver needs to pick up speed to get out of that spot. On our beach, the dangerous places aren’t all that big, and it’s easy to get out of them, as long as you don’t slow down or stop. Even if the rig gets dinged, or hops a rock and needs a tire change, it’s better than losing the vehicle to the tide.

Rule #7 Watch For People

While we are using this space to access our property, it is a beach. There are places to explore, find cool rocks and camp on our stretch of oceanfront. Especially close to the road there are often many adventurers around. So, just like driving on the road, it’s one of the rules to keep an eye out for them and their safety. With no sidewalks or marked places to cross the drivable areas, people explore everywhere between the bluff and the water.

As much as it may seem a hassle, I absolutely love our beach driveway. Rules and all, I wouldn’t exchange it for a road any day 😊