Wednesday, February 3, 2010

McCabe's Beach


Just a few miles west of the Horton Point Lighthouse in Southold is McCabe's Beach. This is a resident-only town beach in the summer months, but during the off-season no proof of residency is required. This is one of those locations that I stumbled upon while trying to find someplace else. I had followed Horton Point Lane hoping to find the lighthouse of the same name, but instead the road came to an end at this beach.

It was one of those beautiful November days which resembled September more than Veterans Day, but that is not what I remember most. What stands out more from this day was how clear the water was. For reasons I do not fully understand, the waters of Long Island Sound tend to be at their clearest during the autumn months. It has something to do with the growth suspended in the water that dies off as the days grow shorter (I think).
Clarity however, is not the same thing as cleanliness. It took me a long time to understand the difference. As an estuary, the Sound is a brackish mixture of fresh and salt water that is fed by numerous rivers and two daily tides. It tends to be a cloudy body of water; that much I know. The peaks and valleys of clarity are not neccesarily an indication of the Sound's health. There is an old saying which states a little bit of knowledge is dangerous. But looking out from McCabes Beach on that November afternoon, I remembered another old line about the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.

Panoramio: Photo And Map

5 comments:

Mari said...

it's really a wonderful picture!
I am waiting for good - warmer - weather to get to see some more places on the Sound...
(I tried to reach Mount Misery lately but I guess you really need a boat for that - unless you get satisfied with looking at the villas in Belle Terre)

Unknown said...

Mari,
Caumsett State Park is a great place in the winter. It is a big place.
As for Mt Misery; it is best to arrive by boat, however there is a way to access it on foot. There is no place to park a car however. You would need to be dropped off. Email me if you have any questions.

Mark Kreider said...

Very nice shot of McCabe's. I've caught some very nice fish while standing on that shore.

Anonymous said...

McCabe's beach looks like a great place for a walk!

Unknown said...

Thanks Mark.
I knew I was in your territory.

Peter,
It is a nice spot. There is another beach just west of it and it looks like a nice walk to go from one to the other.