Beth wrote, “I saw this enormous face in the cliff while walking the bluff trail from Stump Beach up to Fisk Mill Cove in Salt Point State Park. It almost looks sculpted by human hands, but we know what a fine artist Mother Nature is!”
What a fun sighting! Thanks to Beth for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Mary Sue Ittner once again trained her camera on the beauty at her feet. First you will see Cream Cups, Scarlet Pimpernel, and California Poppies.
And then Goldfields and Earth Brodiaea.
Plus Sea Thrift, Dudleya and Meadowfoam.
I will share two more of Mary Sue's photos tomorrow. These were taken at Salt Point State Park.
Tomorrow's event is titled "Discover Our Lands." Along with Laura Baker, I will be leading a nature walk at noon on the less-explored northern parts of the Lands. It's free and the walk will take about an hour. We meet in front of the gift shop. Hope to see some of you! Below you will find all the details.
The Point Arena Lighthouse and Friends of the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands, in association with the Ukiah office of the Bureau of Land Management, will present Discover Our Lands on Saturday, June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is intended to celebrate the Point Arena-Stornetta Unit of the California Coastal National Monument and educate visitors about the varied features and sights it offers. All Discover Our Lands activities will start at the Point Arena Lighthouse, located at 45500 Lighthouse Road in Point Arena. Admission to the event, Lighthouse grounds, Gift Store and Museum is free. Guests wishing to climb the tallest lighthouse on the Pacific Coast can do so for a discounted Tower Tour price of $5.
This event will feature several guided walks on the less visited Northeast quadrant of the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands, bordered by the Garcia River and the Lighthouse property. Several local experts in various fields will educate guests on what the Lands have to offer. Themes of the various walks, which will occur throughout the day, will include the cultural significance of the Lands to the Pomo people, native plants, the many species of birds on the Lands, geology of the Lands, and the various flora and fauna that inhabit the Lands. Birding and geology specialists will also be in the Lighthouse Tower to discuss what can be seen from that vantage point. In the Whale Watch Room inside the Fog Signal Building will be an expert on marine debris and its environmental impact, and outside on the grounds a seabird expert and a birding enthusiast will have spotting stations with scopes and binoculars to view the winged inhabitants, visitors and passersby of the Lands. Jeanne Jackson, naturalist and author of Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year, and Laura Baker, naturalist and ecologist, will lead a nature walk on the bluffs at noon. The Mendocino College Coastal Field Station will also be holding an open house in conjunction with Discover Our Lands between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The Lighthouse staff and volunteers will be offering homemade Lightkeeper’s Strawberry Shortcake and brownies for sale and Tracy Du Pont of Pier Chowder House and Tap Room will be selling their award-winning clam chowder throughout the event, or until it runs out. Children 16 and under will be able to choose from a wide variety of kites at 25% off in the Lighthouse Gift Store that can be flown on the Lighthouse grounds (BLM regulations do not allow kites on the Lands).
For more information, contact the Lighthouse staff at 707-882-2809, ext. 1 or visit PointArenaLighthouse.com. To see the other hikes, here is a link to the event:
http://pointarenalighthouse.com/discover-our-lands/
http://pointarenalighthouse.com/discover-our-lands/
Salt Point State Park is know for its tafoni. Tafoni are also called "swiss-cheese" rocks. Beth Kattleman recently photographed tafoni with the wildflower, Seathrift, blooming in the foreground.
The natural rock cavities are caused, in part, by the salt spay of the ocean's waves.
Thanks to Beth for allowing me to share her photo with you here. We are getting a few drops of rain today, and then...and then...sunny, warm weather is the prediction for this weekend!
Margaret Lindgren, owner of Unbeaten Path Tours, was on a tour at Salt Point State Park, one of my favorite parks. Look at the beautiful waterfall she found near the south end of the park.
She found several creeks too.
Winter is a wonderful time to be on the Mendonoma Coast.
Thanks to Margaret for allowing me to share her photos with you here. To learn more about Margaret's fascinating and educational tours, here is her website: http://www.unbeatenpathtours.com/
I can personally vouch for her tours - I learned a lot from her while having a fun hike.
Rain coming back tomorrow. The waterfalls will be pumped up, for sure!
Mary Sue Ittner and her husband, Bob Rutemoeller, were exploring Salt Point State Park last week. They came across two wonderful finds of rare wildflowers. The first is Nuttall's Milkvetch, Astragulus nuttallii, var. virgatus. There are a few white flowers left, but you are mostly looking at are the large inflated seed pods.
And the second one is Pleated Gentian, Gentiana affinis, var. ovata.
Great finds and wonderful to see! Thanks to Mary Sue for allowing me to share her photos with you here.