More North Coast Pix

The Sea Ranch is built on a series of ocean terraces, which used to be underwater but dried out as the land rose and/or the sea receded.  This rock used to be a sea stack, blasted by the surf thousands of years ago.  It's now perhaps 80 feet above sea level and a quarter mile inland. 

The rocks here are obviously still being hit by the waves, but could look like the one in the picture above in a few thousand years.  Or these rocks could be well underwater and the sea could rise onto its old terrace.

I finally found out the name for these eroded pockmarked rocks...they're tafoni.  They are caused by wind and spray gouging indentations into soft spots in the coastal rocks.

The Gualala River is running low and sluggish.  But it's producing reflections of remarkable clarity.  BTW the river is right on the San Andreas Fault!  At the Ranch, the fault runs parallel to the coast just a mile inland, and so does the river, for at least thirty miles.  There is a ridge, several hundred feet high, between the river and the sea.

Monday I hiked in Salt Point State Park, just south of the Sea Ranch.  I enjoyed this typical seascape on a rare day with little wind.  Another factor in favor of hiking was the dryness of the countryside due to the ongoing drought.  Usually in late January, this area is seriously waterlogged.  Not this year.

The state park encompasses some old ranchland.  An outhouse remains...but not for much longer.

The Russian River estuary at Jenner.  This is actually a remarkable picture.  It's the first time I have EVER seen the river fail to reach the sea...in any season!  Usually at this time of year, the Russian pours into the Pacific at least 50 yards wide, muddying the ocean a half mile out to sea.  The drought is becoming remarkable.  Much of Sonoma county has had less than 10 percent of the normal rainfall so far this winter...and no significant rain is in sight.  Today there was good rain/snowfall in the Sierra, and yesterday in far northern Cali...but not here or to the south.

Fine winter light over the Pacific near the Russian estuary.

I stayed an extra day in the north Bay, and went hiking yesterday at Point Reyes.  The combination of little wind and dry ground was too rare to pass up.  On the trail near Drakes Bay I came upon this coyote.  There were plenty of cows around, but they were a bad matchup for this critter so he was probably looking for rodents.

The cliffs at Drakes Beach, near Point Reyes.  Sir Francis most likely careened the Golden Hinde here in 1579, and named the region New Albion as the landscape reminded him of the white cliffs of Dover. 

Surf breaks observed from above.  My excursion on Point Reyes Tuesday afternoon was a perfect combination of peace, solitude, and scenic nature.  Point Reyes on a calm winter day is sublime.

Return to the Ranch

Last weekend I hung out at the Sea Ranch for awhile...didn't go last year for the first time in probably a decade.  Last Friday the surf was big (that was the day the Mavericks big wave contest was held) and a southeast wind chopped the tops off the waves, resulting in maritime drama.

A massive wave crashes ashore.

The spray hitting this headland at Black Point is about 30 feet above the ocean.

Brisk winds sweep the wave tops away.

A nice seascape.  This photo was taken from one of the ranch's rest logs, which are situated along the coastal trails.

Here is the rest log.  Many have been in place for several decades and have been overgrown by the surrounding vegetation, making them little nooks in the bush.

Gnarly vegetation is the rule at the Ranch, where the wind blows vigorously and often.  It was windy there last Friday, but after that the winds were unusually calm right through Monday.

I had a nice, modern home on the hillside far above the sea.  Last Friday high clouds made the sunset spectacular.

Awesome end to the day.