Paul wrote on May 31:

John and I had a good look the stairs to the beach and the eroded dune and all the cobble and large rocks in and around the area. In the 17 years I have been here, we have rebuilt and reconfigured the stairs, and the boardwalk leading up to them, at least half a dozen times. Each time we found a way and were able to correct it all within a week or less. Not this time.

This will take some thought and planning to develop a new scheme. The way it appears, we may have to run the boardwalk across the top of the dune (which is also covered in cobble) with the stairs going down from the dune to the beach in an area that has less of a drop-off. This may require a permit, which could delay the solution even longer.

In the meantime, we have posted signs notifying visitors of the extra caution required when accessing the beach. Reserve programs are adjusting.

The boardwalk travels over a deeded right of way. We may own the dune and the beach below it, but some residents have right of travel over the dune to the beach, whether it is safe and sound or precarious.

In the days that followed, we learned (again) that volunteers can move mountains… or at least large rocks.

Guided by Sue Bickford, a group of United Way Day of Caring volunteers greatly improved the last step to the beach. It looks like it will be good for a while, or at least until the next turbulent tide.