Skywatch Friday: Chuckanut Sunset

Skywatch Friday: Teddy Bear Cove

Teddy Bear Cove

I discovered a new beach near town when a friend and I hiked down to get some sunset photos. Instead of sand, the beach is covered with crushed white shells giving it a rather Hawaiian feel. Once [notorious/popular] as a clothing optional beach, Teddy Bear cove was [cleaned up/ruined] by the long arm of the law several years back and is now a popular family destination.

Chuckanut Sandstone

The only area where the Cascade mountain range meets the sea are the Chuckanut Mountains. The mountains that comprise these are a geologist's dream, with everything from the sandstone pictured here to shale, conglomerate, phyllite, and stilpnomelane chunks unusual for their size. Probably the most interesting geologic items in the Chuckanut area are the number of leaf fossils from the Tertiary Period. Just take a drive down Chuckanut Road and look out your window; if you look carefully, you will see fossils of large, tropical fern-like leaves from a time when the Pacific Northwest was much warmer than it is today.

Someday I will get pictures of those. But for today, I present a picture of chuckanut sandstone-- a familiar sight to anyone who frequents Larrabee, Clayton Beach, or Teddy Bear Cove, where this was taken. Even though I've grown up around this rock, it never fails to delight me with its patterns of holes and waves. Through exposure to wind, rain, and salt water, the sandstone is carved into intricate designs. Like with clouds, it's easy to find pictures within the abstract designs.

Chuckanut Sandstone

Many of the sandstone cliffs at Larrabee State Park have been carved into cool formations like this one.

Seagulls at Larrabee

I know seagulls are a major nuisance and supposedly quite dirty, but if you ask me, they're very pretty. The crisp white against grey, the pale yellow beak with a dot of red at the tip. I would decorate a room in those colors. Anyway, this seagull is perched on a rock at Larrabee State Park, and as long as I'm so freely giving my opinions, Larrabee is the best state park in Washington. Gorgeous views, miles and miles of trails, an incredibly beautiful drive on the way there, and great tidepools for starfish hunting with the kids. Plus, while it feels secluded, there are two fine dining spots within a 15-minute drive: The Oyster Bar and Chuckanut Manor.