Tag Archives: rocks

Bembridge Ledge Is a Dangerous Thing

Those familiar with the waters on the eastern end of the Isle of Wight will know about Bembridge Ledge. When the tide is in, you might be forgiven for thinking that, while away from the shore, you would be in deep water. This is not the case and there is a lot of shallow and rocky areas that stretch away from the land. You might think that everyone would stay well clear but both inexperienced and experienced mariners have come a cropper on these rocks. We were up on Culver Down and the tide was quite low. It meant that the ledge was very visible, and you get to appreciate just how extensive it is. Sadly, it will continue to claim victims.

Be Careful Coming Ashore on These Islands

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While looking down on Diablo Lake up in the Cascades, the light angle combined with the clearer water at that time of year meant it was possible to see the rocks beneath the surface of the lake around some of the islands that are in the lake. I hadn’t really paid much attention to these on previous visits. A long focal length allowed me to focus in on these islands and the hazards that lurk beneath the surface for unwary boaters. Better make sure that you are using the right landing areas and approach them appropriately. Otherwise, things look like they could get soggy quickly!

The Rocks Above and Below the Waterline

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Flying up Puget Sound on the approach to SEA, we came alongside the bottom end of Bainbridge Island at Restoration Point. The shape of the rock strata at the point were very conspicuous from the air but, not only did the land show up well, the water was quite clear and the shapes of the rocks below the surface showed up clearly too. Not surprisingly, they were a continuation of the shapes above the water level. The continuity really appealed to me as we rapidly passed it by. The shapes combined with the colors of the water and, presumably, the algae that grow on the rocks looked very interesting.

Peshastin Pinnacles State Park

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Nancy and I took a trip across the Cascades to enjoy the colors that fall provides in the mountains. Once we got to the other side of the mountains, we wanted to stop somewhere nice to have our lunch. We tried Peshastin Pinnacles State Park. A short distance beyond Leavenworth, it was just off the main highway. The rocky outcrops look pretty impressive once you get close to them. If you are imaginative, you can see all sorts of shapes in the rocks.

The following week, we were back that way again and decided to go back for lunch again. It is a nice spot with some trails that we will have to try out at some point. So far, we have only enjoyed it as a location for lunch. One of the rocks really looks to me like the head of a horse reaching towards the sky. I wonder what shapes you might find in there.

Lichenfall

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Walking along a path up the Cascades, I went passed a rocky wall that was totally in the shade. The shady and damp environment makes it the perfect place for lichen to grow. The whole of the rock surface was covered in this lichen and it blurred the shape of the surface. The effect was to make it look like water was washing down across the rocks but, since it was lichen rather than water, I felt it should be called a lichenfall.

Cannon Beach

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Cannon Beach was quite a way north of where we were staying in Oregon. However, it was on our route home so we stopped off to wander along the sands for a bit prior to hunting down some lunch. We were not the only ones enjoying a sunny day on the beach but, given the expanse of sand available, there was plenty of space for everyone to spread out so it wasn’t crowded.

The huge flat sands were most impressive and the rocks that sit out in the water look very cool. It is hard to gauge their scale when they are out like that as they are so separated from the people that you don’t have enough of a reference to work with. It is safe to say that they are pretty big though. There was a bit of sea spray in the air which made everything take on a slightly more misty look when you were looking south towards the sun. Looking north this was a lot less apparent. I could see why a landscape photographer would come here to spend some time in the early and late hours.

Bandon Beach

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We did a bit of a road trip while in Oregon. I was interested in seeing Bandon Beach again – we went there about ten years before but I didn’t remember much about it – and it was a couple of hours down the coast but we had a day when the weather was forecast to start out average and get better. Therefore, a road trip seemed like a good idea. It was quite fun seeing the different scenery as we headed down the coast but, after a while, the highway moved inland and we were getting a different type of view (or none at all for some parts of it).

We got to Bandon and checked out the view from different parts of the coastline. However, while the light was pretty good, I had not anticipated just how windy it was going to be. As I stood on the overlook checking out the beach, I was getting absolutely pummeled by the wind. It was hard to stand upright let alone hold the camera steady. Of course, if the picture ends up being sharp, there is nothing in it that would indicate how the conditions were.

Bandon is like a lot of the Oregon coastline in that it has large rock stacks sitting on or just off the beach. These make the area rather popular with landscape photographers. An early morning start and the use of tripods and strong neutral density filters is going to be pretty common here I would imagine. That was not what I was here for. I didn’t even venture down to the beach. Given how hard the wind was blowing, it didn’t seem like it would be the relaxing beach stroll that I would have liked so I was content to enjoy the view from up on the bluffs. Besides, we had the drive back to consider as well.

Stormy Santa Cruz

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The Pacific Coast is picturesque at any time. Add into the mix a decent swell and things start to look really cool. We took a trip to Santa Cruz while my mum was staying and the waves were larger than we have seen on any of our previous visits. The waves were running up to the shore and crashing against the rocks in a very dramatic way. This wasn’t a stormy day. There was some wind but the sun was out and it was a very pleasant temperature. However, something out in the ocean was a bit more active and it had driven the big waves towards the shore.

Not only were the waves crashing into the rocks along the shore, they were also crashing into each other. As one wave hit the shore, it would reflect back out to see. There it would meet the next wave coming in. Waves go in phases with times of small waves interspersed with times of big waves. (An old Navy helicopter pilot friend of mine – used to landing on pitching decks – said they come in sevens. I don’t know whether this is accurate but it seems about right.) When a couple of big waves were together, the impact of the reflecting wave on the incoming wave was pretty dramatic with the water shooting vertically in the air. I can stand and watch waves all day without any trouble. Each one is slightly different and they are so full of power. They are mesmerizing.

Rialto Beach

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If you mention going to the beach, most people will initially visualize a sandy stretch with the sun in the sky and the waves lapping the shore. While that is certainly nice, I also love a rugged beach on a rough weather day. We took a diversion during one of our day trips and headed for Rialto Beach. There was rain in the air and the wind was certainly blowing but this enhanced the atmosphere of the beach. Just offshore, large rocky outcroppings rose from the water. Their tops were almost obscured by low cloud and the waves were crashing up against them.

The shoreline was covered with debris that had washed ashore. Logs were stacked up at the high water mark where the waves had pushed them as far as they could go. The bark was stripped leaving the core wood polished and exposed. The stones that made up the beach were ridged based on how high the tide and the waves would push them. Everything looked dramatic in the damp and windy conditions. The attraction of the place was obviously high because plenty of people were there. Whether walking their dogs along the beach, taking a walk along the water’s edge or just standing up near the logs and staring out to sea, they were there in numbers.

The Needles

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The Isle of Wight is an island on the south coast of England. It is where I spent a large portion of my childhood and my mum lives there now. It is a very pretty place and a popular tourist destination. The Island has a chalk spine which, at its western end, is marked by a rocky outcrop called The Needles. This is one of the more recognizable features of the Island. A number of chalk columns rise out of the water at the end of the headland near Alum Bay. One of them was actually a thin needle shape but that fell in to the sea decades ago. However, the name has stuck.

The area has been treacherous for shipping over the years so a lighthouse is on the end of the rocks. When I was young, this was manned permanently and the crews had to access it by boat. Then a helipad was built on top to make access more reliable. Now the light is automated so there is no need for a permanent crew. The view of the Needles from the cliff top is very cool on a sunny day. We had great weather to see it. I also got to fly over the top so some of these shots are from a view that is not available to everyone. Many thanks to Pete, my pilot for the trip.