~ The Sanctum of the Sea~
_Martin Buxbaum
Second Beach is located near the Village of LaPush, it is an exceptional stretch of wilderness coastline on Olympic National Park. The broad sandy beach and picturesque sea stacks, relics of ancient rocky headlands, make it a perfect place to observe the grandeur of the primal forces of nature. Second Beach is part of the only 58 miles of uninhabited coastline in the lower 48.
This is the Gig Harbor boat marina with Mount Rainier as a backdrop. The morning I shot this, December 9th 2009, it broke an all-time weather record, for being the coldest day ever recorded in the Greater Puget Sound area. I couldn't adjust my camera with gloves on, so when I returned to my truck my fingers felt like they were going to break off like an icicles, and shatter on the ground. I'm usually excited about capturing scenes like this, but It was miserable, until I arrived home to a hot cup of coffee.
Tongue Point is noted as being the eastern-most located habitat example of open rock coast intertidal habitat in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Everyone returned to their campsites as soon as the sun dissapeared. I waited until the day's light extinguished and the night grew dark and silent save for the gentle sound of the surf lapping against the rock formations.
Second Beach is located near the Village of LaPush, it is an exceptional stretch of wilderness coastline on Olympic National Park. The broad sandy beach and picturesque sea stacks, relics of ancient rocky headlands, make it a perfect place to observe the grandeur of the primal forces of nature. Second Beach is part of the only 58 miles of uninhabited coastline in the lower 48. I could hear the surf, and smell the salt in the air as I scrambled over beach logs, and stepped out on the wide strand of Second Beach. This scene looks warm and peaceful, however it was taken in March. As the sun disappeared, it became windy and bitterly cold. I kept busy jumping around to keep warm.
The Bremerton & Seattle Ferry, passing below the Olympic Mountains. Washington State Ferries, owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation, serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the largest fleet of passenger and automobile ferries in the United States. The night before, it snowed quite a bit on the Olympic Mountain Range. The surprising part is that it was a clear morning, which doesn't happen very often. I waited about 15 minutes until the ferry was centered below the Olympics.