Story by John Vonderlin
Email John ([email protected])
Hi June,
After our little adventure visiting “The Notch,” Meg and I drove the short distance south to where the Monty Parker Memorial stands, perched on a blufftop at the rappel site the Merry Pranksters reputedly used to access the beach below for “Acid Tests.” in the Sixties.
I had a jar I wanted to leave at the base of the sign that declares the spot to be: “AMBS BEACH, Monty Parker’s Favorite Spot in the World.”
Inside the jar was a slip of paper with Larry’s contact information on it and several sheets of paper and a pen. On one I wrote my name, the date of our visit and MONTY LIVES.
Imagine our surprise when we found a brand new one- inch rope tethered to one of the poles driven into the ground beside the sign, and leading over the cliff to the beach below. We couldn’t see anybody on the beaches visible to the north, or south, so possibly the rope is a permanent fixture.
Later, when I communicated this turn of events to Larry, he excitedly suggested next trip that we rappel down the rope and swim through the Warm Water Lagoon Double Arch to access the Acid Beach Cove area. The thought of climbing a sheer forty foot cliff hand over hand after a long tiring swim has me hesitant. So does the skeleton in one of the pathways leading back to Highway 1. I’m not superstitious, but it never hurts to remember there is no quick emergency help in this isolated area. I just hope my upper body strength hasn’t deteriorated as much as my swimming skills. Enjoy. John
The second photo is of the rappel spot and the new rope, looking straight down to the rocky ledge beach. The other photo is the skeleton in the path I mentioned. The odd thing is, every other deer skeleton I’ve seen was dismembered by scavengers. This one probably was picked clean by the vultures we see occasionally cruising the coastal cliffs. It was kind of eerie because of its intactness.
