Flakstad, Lofoten Islands, Norway.
In summer under blue skies, this is a wonderful beach that is often crowded with people. In early January it is a cold and windswept place – which is perfect for me because there are no footprints.
Nikon D700, 24mm tilt-shift lens.
Unstad beach, Lofoten islands, Norway.
An unrelenting storm had been hanging over the islands all day, but the weather on the islands can be quite localized, so I took a gamble that the north side might have some better weather, and indeed it did. Emerging from the tunnel to Unstad, the snow had stopped and been divereted around the mountains that surround the village. I wish I had arrived earlier as the day was already late and darkness – and more snow – was soon to come.
Utakleiv, Lofoten islands, Norway.
After a night in the Mt. Shasta Area I headed west, through the winding mountain roads of the Trinity Alps and out towards the coast north of Eureka, almost to the Oregon border. This area is the home to Redwood national park and numerous smaller state parks. My favorite being Prairie Creek Redwoods state park, a mixture of thick redwood forests and beautiful beaches. This area is so from my home in southern California (it is a shorter drive from Seattle, Washington than from Santa Barbara) that I only first came through here a couple years ago in the summer and then again in the autumn of 2007.
There is this super cool campground at Gold Bluffs beach, set amongst coastal dunes with the endless crashing waves of the Northern Pacific ocean just a couple hundred feet away.
Roosevelt Elk lazily wander and graze throughout the tents and campsites. I would have liked to get a photo of them walking along the beach, but I never saw them there this time. More reason to go back again.
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