MendoMoments: Savage Waves Batter the Mendocino Headlands

This morning Fort Bragg resident Wynter Rose Berlin found herself poised on the edge of the North American continent at the Mendocino Headlands. Waves pounded the cliffs sending water skyward. Berlin said it was “amazing” seeing how the “water would shoot up like a geyser. “

The harsh, austere beauty of the Headlands conjures Caspar David Friedrich’s 1818 painting Wanderer Above the Sea Fog. The European Romantics of the 1800s were fascinated with man’s insignificance in the expanse of a natural world marked by indifference and beauty.

The Mendocino Headlands attract thousands of tourists each year. Despite our affection for the place, the danger imbued in the rocks and waves always lurks, as demonstrated in the tragic death of a Southern California man in January of this year.

MendoMoments, is dedicated to showcasing the land, animals, and people that make up Mendocino County. All Mendocino County residents and visitors are invited to participate. Send photographs to matthewplafever@gmail.com including a description of what your photograph depicts, where it was taken, and any other important details.

Earlier Chapters

• MendoMoments: Fall Colors in Ukiah’s Downtown
• MendoMoments: A Sherbert Sunrise Illuminates a Blanket of Fog Above Redwood Valley
• MendoMoments: A Roosevelt Elk at Sinkyone Wilderness
• MendoMoments: A Caspar Shack with the Patina of Time
• MendoMoments: The Nearness of Autumn Comes Into Focus on the Mendocino Bluffs
• MendoMoments: The Long and Winding Philo-Greenwood Road
• MendoMoments: Surfer Rides a Wave Under the Blood Red Sun of Smoky Skies
• MendoMoments: A Gray Whale Emerges from the Pacific
• MendoMoments: A Wake of Vultures Feast on a Carcass
• MendoMoments: A Glass Beach Squirrel Gets Ornery When It Does Not Get a Snack
• MendoMoments: A Barn Owl in the Backyard
• MendoMoments: Lost in the Maze of Brooktrails
• MendoMoments: Noyo Harbor’s Baby Ospreys Emerge
• MendoMoments: Memorial Day at Russian River Cemetery
• MendoMoments: Soaking Feet in a Cool Creek
• MendoMoments: The Super Flower Blood Moon Descends Behind Duncan Peak
• MendoMoments: A Little Library in the Hamlet of Hearst
• MendoMoments: Thunderheads Gather Above the Mayacama Mountains
• MendoMoments: Lake Mendocino Through the Lens of a Newcomer

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