13-15 May 2023, California Coast: Russian River, Ft. Ross, Salt Pt., Sea Ranch (Sonoma County, CA)

[From South to North:]

Russian River, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_River_(California) (18.3.2023): … the second-largest river (after the Sacramento River) flowing through the nine-county Greater San Francisco Bay Area … The … estuary is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy …

Cf.: https://rfehr.eu/new-places/hydrogeography-hydrogeografie/pacific-ocean-pazifik/

Fort Ross, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ross (18.3.2023): … 1812 bis 1841 eine Niederlassung der Russisch-Amerikanischen Handelskompagnie … im heutigen Sonoma County … südlichster befestigter Außenposten Russisch-Amerikas … Stützpunkt für die Pelztierjagd … Versorgung von russischen Handelsniederlassungen in Alaska mit Lebensmitteln … Mit dem Rückgang der Seeotterbestände und unzureichenden Erfolgen in der landwirtschaftlichen Nutzung … seit den 1830er Jahren zunehmend … unwirtschaftlich … – … 1812 begann Iwan Kuskow mit 25 Russen … und rund achtzig Ureinwohnern Alaskas … mit dem Bau des Forts. In der Konstruktion folgten die russischen Handwerker dem Vorbild der traditionellen Holzgebäude Sibiriens …

Cf. 4.9.2008, https://rfehr.eu/2008/09/15/28-aug-15-sep-2008-usa-2/

Salt Point (State Park), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Point_State_Park (18.3.2023): … in Sonoma County … a rough rocky coastline … The constant impact of the waves forms the rocks into many different shapes … The native Kashaya Pomo collected salt from this area … They used abalone chisels to scrape the salt off the rocks … The eyebolts used to anchor ships down are still visible at Gerstle cove … sandstone and wood were loaded onto cargo ships … at an elevation of about … 168 m … within Salt Point State Park is a pygmy forest including the Mendocino cypress … The reason these trees do not attain their normal height is due to the highly acidic soils with minimal nutrients and a hardpan layer close to the surface … The rocks of Salt Point are sedimentary, mainly sandstone … The rocks at the north end of the park’s coast are younger than the rocks at the southern end. Salt Point is named for the tafoni where the ocean water crystallizes in the honeycomb like crevices. This tafoni is caused when the salt crystals interact with the sandstone making parts of the sandstone harden while other parts soften …

Sea Ranch, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Ranch,_California (25.6.2023): … community in Sonoma County, California … that was developed as planned community beginning in the 1960s … known for its distinctive timber-frame structures designed by several noted American architects … The community’s development played a role in the establishment of the California Coastal Commission … A progressive residential community was envisioned that would be built in a way that was not only in tune with nature, but driven by nature … The building typology … draws on the local agricultural buildings for inspiration … The majority of the 1800 or so homes are smaller second homes, though there are about 300 full-time residents … The buildings could be considered a hybrid of modern and vernacular architecture, also known as the “Third Bay Tradition” … Landscaping … is regulated by a design manual that prohibits perimeter fences and limits non-indigenous plants to screened courtyards … Condominium One (completed in 1965) [i.e. the first unit built at Sea Ranch] was awarded the American Institute of Architects Twenty-five Year Award in 1991, and was added to The National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The Sonoma County Regional Parks Department provides coastal access from six places …

Cf. 1.9.2008, https://rfehr.eu/2008/09/15/28-aug-15-sep-2008-usa-2/

Local sign: „WW II Practice Bombing Target 1944-1946. Naval pilots based in Santa Rosa practiced dive bombing here as part of their final pre-combat training. They used Gualala Point Island, a prominent offshore land mass, to identify the target, which was in the vicinity of the large mound seen in the meadow about 50 yards from this spot.“