The Mendocino Coast

[gf beranek]

Immediately south of Pt. Arena Light is the Stornetta Public Lands. About 2 miles of ocean front. A few of you may remember I posted these pics before. But I think there's a new one or two in the bunch. Pasture lands, sandstone bluffs to 60-70 feet high, and few waterfalls along the way.

The orange coloring on the rock is a lichen.

 

[Burnham]

More!

 

[stig]

Yep.
Please.!

 

[Buddy]

Have you ever found anything cool that washed up on the beach?

 

[MasterBlaster]

That lighthouse is awesome!

 

[FireFighterZero]

Lighthouses are cool.

I have never seen one in the wild, but I think I would like them.


They look lonely.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I would enjoy myself up there.

 

[FireFighterZero]

That would be really cool.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I could see for miles and miles...

 

[FireFighterZero]

Speaking of that, I wonder how the fire tower ended up that Gary was working on?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Dang! That's been awhile!

 

[mdvaden]

The coastal photos are refreshing. I went to the ocean a lot with my parents when I was young. About 1.5 hours from Portland area. Years later, I still drove down monthly in my 20s and first 15 years of marriage. I think we will be going on more ocean drives after a couple years passes and we figure out what parts of the coast to spend a couple days at a time at.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Lighthouses are cool.

I have never seen one in the wild, but I think I would like them.


They look lonely.

I was up in the Point Arena light house with a group of 15 or so people listening to the tour. It was a windy day and between the wind and people climbing stairs I could feel the old building moving and swaying. Creeped me out, I got down as soon as the talk was over. (It's going to crumble some day.)

 

[gf beranek]

Russian Gulch

Russian Gulch is yet another State Park along the Mendocino Coast. It is located approximately 6 miles south of Ft. Bragg. Fairly good size, 1000 acres or so, extending inland to the head of the small watershed there. There is another Russian Gulch in Sonoma County, much smaller, just a beach, I think.





And then, to the north of Russian Gulch, there is the Pt. Cabrillo Light. Don't forget it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

OKAY!!!

 

[Tree09]

That is absolutely breathtaking Gerry.

 

[mdvaden]

You've sure been capturing some nice clouds and mist in these photos you are sharing. Sure flatters the west coast.

 

[Merle Nelson]

I didn't realize there was another lighthouse so close up the coast. Will have to plan to see it and do a hike some time.

 

[gf beranek]

SCHOONER GULCH

Now here we have Schooner Gulch. Located on the beautiful Mendocino Coast between the towns of Gualala and Point Arena, which would put it at approximately State Highway milepost marker 12.

Schooner gulch hosts some unusual geologic features not found elsewhere along the coast. The parent rock is low grade ancient marine sedimentary deposits: cracked and tilted with concretions, and it forms the locally famous Bowling Ball Beach.

These bluffs are composed of soft, mostly crumbly, parent material, and erosion is high along the beach from wind and waves.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I was wondering why it was called Bowling Ball Beach!!!

 

[gf beranek]

Yeah, it's pretty obvious. It's a blind beach they say, during storm and high tides there little to no beach at all.

 

[Burnham]

Fine, fine, fine. You have the eye and the skills to capture these images so well, Jer. Thanks again.

Reminds me of Cape Arago on the southern Oregon coast. The geology is quite similar. M and I were there just this past March. Stellar's sea lions galore.

https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=66

 

[stig]

It reminded me of Moeraki boulders in New Zealand.
https://www.google.dk/search?q=Moer...luraAhVOiaYKHXF4DlYQ_AUICigB&biw=1760&bih=850
Keep them coming, Ger.
As you well know, the Mendocino-Humboldt-Del norte coast is my favourite part of the world.
I'm getting such joy out of seeing your pictures.

 

[pantheraba]

These last ones are some of your best...cool cliffs...bowling balls and 10' round upthrusts that Mrs. B is perusing...wonderful.

 

[Mrs.B]

We call those rocks "The Biscuits". Really cool.