Tomales Point
- Photographs of Pierce Ranch and
- Tule elk preserve at Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Pierce Ranch, spring afternoon. The white Pierce
Ranch buildings are the trailhead for Tomales
Point. The trail shows at the left of the buildings
and pokes-up again in the distance near the left
edge of the frame, just beyond White Gulch,
nearing the stone alignment.
When you enlarge the photo at left, you can see
the White Rock Face (near the right edge) -- the
natural feature from which White Gulch is
named. Camera is facing north, Tomales Bay
shows in upper right.
Ranch buildings are the trailhead for Tomales
Point. The trail shows at the left of the buildings
and pokes-up again in the distance near the left
edge of the frame, just beyond White Gulch,
nearing the stone alignment.
When you enlarge the photo at left, you can see
the White Rock Face (near the right edge) -- the
natural feature from which White Gulch is
named. Camera is facing north, Tomales Bay
shows in upper right.
Click on photos to enlarge view.
Pierce Ranch, winter sunrise.
Pierce Ranch, morning wall.
Copyright © Peter Neibert
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Click here to go to Farshores archive of Michael Dougan article in Oct
4, 1998 San Francisco Examiner, Stone Alignments at Tomales Point CA.
4, 1998 San Francisco Examiner, Stone Alignments at Tomales Point CA.
The "Wall" at Tomales Point is actually more of an alignment, said
to be 400 stones in a straight line pointing at the sacred mountain,
now known as Mount St. Helena, as shown in the photo at left.
However, when you step back to the west (Ocean) side of the trail
and sight again, you'll see that section of the alignment points to a
less distinctive area north of Mount Saint Helena, as shown in the
lower photograph. This change in outlook means there is a bend
in the alignment -- commonly thought to be a straight line. You
can also see this bend in the alignment very clearly on Google
Earth.
Why does the "wall," or stone alignment, bend at the point where
it is intersected by the trail?
What is the significance of the bend ? What might this bend mean
to traditional Native American appreciation of the alignment?
to be 400 stones in a straight line pointing at the sacred mountain,
now known as Mount St. Helena, as shown in the photo at left.
However, when you step back to the west (Ocean) side of the trail
and sight again, you'll see that section of the alignment points to a
less distinctive area north of Mount Saint Helena, as shown in the
lower photograph. This change in outlook means there is a bend
in the alignment -- commonly thought to be a straight line. You
can also see this bend in the alignment very clearly on Google
Earth.
Why does the "wall," or stone alignment, bend at the point where
it is intersected by the trail?
What is the significance of the bend ? What might this bend mean
to traditional Native American appreciation of the alignment?