WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS BEACH

In 2006 I almost lost my new bride to the ocean at this beautiful beach. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach near Vik is a stunning spot; cliffs of geometric pillars of cooled lava (“columnar joining”) stairstep up from a beach of black basalt rocks. Two giant pillars of rock are just offshore. But there is a hidden danger here; rogue “sneaker” waves hit the beach every so often, and some can be huge. They suck unsuspecting tourists (and locals) into the ocean with a powerful undertow. SIX people have died here since 2013.

When Bridget and I were here on our honeymoon in July 2006, we were blissfully unaware of the dangers. Only two other people were on the beach that day (hard to imagine now that Iceland has been “discovered” and a couple hundred tourists seem to be on the beach at all times now). I was taking photos and Bridget explored up the beach past the corner of the cliff. The dutch tourists yelled something to me, and I went over to see what they wanted. They told me in broken English that every seventh wave or so was a big one, and it was dangerous to walk where Bridget was. I ran around the corner just in time to see one of these waves soak Bridget from the knees down but she stayed on her feet thankfully. It may not sound like much, but it was a close call, and I kind of get a bit queasy when I think of what could have happened.

On this day, there were far more than two tourists on the beach…try 200! Much had changed since 2006; a massive paved parking lot now provided spots for a couple hundred cars and dozens of tour busses. It was a bit of a circus (I included one photo showing all the visitors) but I did manage to get some cool photos by waiting for lulls in visitors…or cropping them out of certain images.

**Note: This beach was a filming location for planet Eadu in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Another aspect of this beach that makes it so special is the three trolls just offshore. More accurately they are frozen trolls, turned to stone when daylight caught them trying to sneak to shore dragging a 3-masted ship. Well, actually, they are just basalt pillars, but certainly some of the most spectacular basalt pillars in all the world. And for a photographer, they add a layer of interest for your landscape photographs.

But you turn your body 180 degrees and there is an equally spectacular sight— Dyrhólaey Arch, an arch so big that you can fly a plane through it.

Then Bjorn ran over to me that he’d just seen a Puffin fly in to the cliff above us! Yes! A dozen or so Atlantic Puffins were nesting in their burrows in the grassy cliff above the columnar joining. I had written off our chances of sharing Puffins with the boys on this trip since we weren’t going offshore. But here they were, cruising in right above us, along with some Northern Fulmars. So cool. And about a half hour later Bjorn spotted two seals in the surf!

Time for some lunch and shopping. We found a hip little café near the lupine-laced shoreline and had a more-than-decent meal.

Perched on a bluff above the town is the Vik I Myrdal Church, a red-roofed Lutheran Church completed in 1934. The church was designed by Iceland’s state architect Guðjón Samúelsson, the same architect responsible for Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik. It is also the town of Vik’s designated Evacuation Refuge shoul Katla Volcano erupt creating a massive flash flood. But it was all peaceful today. Everyone takes a photo or six of this picturesque icon…including me!

The old guesthouse in town Bridget and I stayed at on our honeymoon was still there, seemingly unchanged.

But the old wool and woolens shop that carried locally spun wool and hats/sweaters in 2006 (I bought a headband that I wore for more than a decade, and Bridget bought a sweater) had more than changed…it had morphed into a mega-modern tourist shop called Icelandwear where I think 95% of the stuff is made outside of the country. But they cleverly put “Designed in Iceland” prominently on the tags and hid the location of manufacture. Oh well…such is the world in the Instagram age.

NEXT: Viking Horses, Little sheep, Funny Birds

We moved on to “Reykjavik’s The Pearl” (Perlan Interactive Nature Museum) next. I’m going to get this out of the way right now…It was quite expensive, like everything in Iceland, Norway, Netherlands and Germany. I will try and refrain from whining about any cost of any food or attraction from now on…You can call me out on it if I do!

It is an impressive architectural building containing a well done museum/nature center with exhibits such as a massive “bird cliff,” erupting geyser in the large atrium, observation deck that looks over the city, some impressive large-screen movies on volcano irruptions, and a real ice cave that they somehow keep frozen and intact. All interesting but not mind-blowing like the land itself. I would suggest this museum if you want an introduction to the country, or need something to do on a rainy day. But if you only have a few days in the country, better to hit the road to the hinterlands!

We still had hours to burn and our exhaustion was becoming harder to fight so we found a city natural area around a lake and let the kids nap in the car. Bridget and I hiked through the hillsides of blooming Lupines, though I got sidetracked by several birds including Redwing. I made the not-so-hard decision to leave my “good” camera at home. It is far too large and heavy to haul around all day while exploring. Plus, this was a family trip, not a photography trip. Instead I brought my very small Sony A6500 and three lenses: a Rokinon 12mm super wide, a Tamron 18-300mm zoom and a Sigma 85mm f1.4 that I rented from lensrentals.com (I could have left the 85mm f1.4 at home since I hardly used it). All this fit into a Lowepro Trekker Lite SLX 120 that I could sling over my shoulder.

Interesting fact about the Lupines is that they are not native to Iceland but now have spread across many lower elevation parts of the island, especially along roads and in towns. There is a real controversy among the locals and government on whether to eliminate them or not. Many photo tour groups come from all over the world to photograph them in June/early July. We did not see many once we got away from civilization.

We headed out of town along the Ring Road towards our cabin, but still had lots of time to explore. But we were still fighting crabbiness and exhaustion as we made our way east.

So naturally I decided we should go spelunking; a great thing to do when you can barely keep your eyes open! Actually it was a roadside tour. The tour takes you down into the old Raufarhólshellir lava tube which was the result of the Leitahraun eruption, which occurred east of the Bláfjöll mountains about 5200 years ago.

You put on a hardhat and a headlamp and follow the guide (and about 30 other tourists) down into the lava tube. It is very cold down there. In fact, it is too cold for any insects so there are no bats or other critters living in the lava tube. It is also not a cave in the sense that there are no stalactites and stalagmites. It is also not claustrophobic; the diameter of the tunnel is maybe 30 to 50 feet wide. Our guide was good, but like lots of tour guides, it sometimes seemed like he was just reciting very quickly his rote routine, including his not-so-great jokes. He was also hard to hear at times. Semi-interesting I guess but probably very interesting for folks who really dig geology.

Finally we made it to our “farm stay” AirBnB cabin. It was about 5 miles inland, the last few miles on very rough, “wash-boardy” road. Bonus were the Viking ponies and little sheep we passed on the way. Well, I had to stop and take some photos of these cool animals (future post). Did you know that no horses are allowed into Iceland. This is to insure that the genetic lineage of these Viking-era descendants stays pure. The boys had their own cabin, and like ours, it was tiny and brand new. The listing made it sound like you were actually going to be surrounded by farm animals, which Bridget would have liked, but really you just drive through their farmstead to get to the cabins. But an orange cat and a couple dogs did come visit us.

NEXT: A waterfall you can walk behind AND the world’s most dangerous beach!

CACTUS IN MINNESOTA?
Yes, actually two species of Prickly Pear Cactus occur in southwest Minnesota…Opuntia fragilis and Opuntia macrorhiza. And Blue Mounds State Park is a great place to see them for yourself. No, not giant cartoon-type cactus but a low-growing cactus with GORGEOUS and HUGE yellow blossoms. They should be blooming now! To make sure, call the park office in advance.
If you squint, you can almost imagine a time when tallgrass prairie covered the endless landscapes of southern and western Minnesota. And Purple Prairie-Clover (Dalea purpurea) was part of that rich mosaic of prairie wildflowers.
This species is a legume with a taproot that may reach down 6 feet into the soil! This root system helps prevent soil erosion. It is a true prairie plant that has evolved with fire, and does not tolerate shade. Pronghorns are even known to eat it.

A looming thunderstorm provides a dramatic backdrop to these grazing Bison. Don’t let me mislead you…There is a fence around the entire herd, and they are not always visible to park visitors.

In 1961, the park added three bison from the Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge near Valentine, Nebraska to start the present bison herd. Today, the Blue Mounds’ herd is maintained at more than 100 bison.

Notice the deeply cut leaves and extemely reflexed ray petals of the Pinnate Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) (sometimes called Gray-headed Coneflower). To emphasize the incredible five-foot height of this prairie native, I crouched down with my wide angle lens and put the flowering heads “in the clouds” so to speak. This photo would not have had much impact if taken at “eye-level” with the flowers.

Gray Partridge, the bird formerly known as Hungarian Partridge, are not easy to find…anywhere. So I was very fortunate to run into this breeding-plumaged male near the park. They are one of the few birds that utilize seemingly barren crop fields that surround the park. I lost the original of this image when I dropped a hard drive years ago, but fortunately I printed a 4×6. This is a scan of that 4×6 print.

A Turkey Vulture soars over the prairie at Blue Mounds State Park. This is the same tree and Sioux Quartzite outcrop as in another photo in this post.

Cliffs can be habitat too. This Great Horned Owl has made a home of the Quartzite cliffs on the east side of the park. Hiking trails parallel the cliffs along the base and also on top of the bluff.

We rarely see Great Horned Owls in flight during the day. So when this guy took off, I held down the shutter. He/she then obligingly banked to reveal the full spread of its large wings and a full tail fan. The fact that he/she peeked over his/her shoulder at me was a bonus.

RARE FIND
I found this singing Rock Wren at the top of a cliff several Junes ago. The closest this western bird regularly breeds to Minnesota would be the Black Hills of South Dakota, over 300 miles away! Unfortunately, this guy did not find a mate here and likely moved on.

Some outcrops of Sioux Quartzite are more red than others, and this one also has excellent patterning with crusted green lichens. This scene is near the drive up to the Interpretive Center. The Box Elder (I think it’s a Box Elder) adds to the composition that might be a little boring without it.

A dawn rainstorm spawned a sunrise rainbow. The clouds, 180 degrees from the rising sun, lit up a beautiful pink color. In order to get the entire arc of the rainbow, I used my 10mm lens (equivalent of a 16mm lens as it was on my camera with a 1.6 crop factor) and placed the Bison underneath. I tried everything I could think of to get him to lift his head, but to no avail. I still like this unique image.

Bison rarely run, so when I saw this stampeding herd, I quickly switched my camera settings to Shutter Priority 1/30 of a second and panned with them. I got one shot that portrays the speed of these huge animals.

Blue Mounds State Park has always been a favorite place of mine. The expansive prairie, Bison herd, rocky cliffs, and Dakota Indian history add to the exotic flavor and very “western” feel in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Located in extreme southwest Minnesota, the park is part of the Prairie Coteau (Coteau des Prairie) landscape; A plateau that rises a couple hundred feet above the surrounding prairie in parts of eastern South Dakota, North Dakota and western Iowa and Minnesota.

I camped here over the Memorial Day Weekend. I was down with my folks for my cousin’s wedding but squeezed in a few hours of photography.

The escarpment of Sioux Quartzite at Blue Mounds rises vertically about 100 feet from the surrounding prairie. Local lore insists that the Lakota (i.e. Dakota, Sioux) used to use the cliffs to their hunting advantage, stampeding herds of Bison off the edge and to their deaths, then collecting the carcasses at the bottom. Locals claim that early settlers found huge piles of Bison bones at the base of the cliffs. But the MN DNR claims that no evidence exists to substantiate this scenario.

The best place in Minnesota to see Common Nighthawks in their natural habitat and performing their “booming” courtship flights is the parking lot area of Blue Mounds Interpretive Center off CR8. A startlingly loud “WHOOSH” comes from the sky just above you. Looking up you see Nighthawk going into a dive, air rushing over the leading edge of its arched wings to create the sound. The booming is used to attract mates, signal territory and possibly to drive off intruders. [Canon 7D with Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, handheld]

Nighthawks are neither nocturnal nor a hawk. What they are is a member of the Caprimulgidae, or “Goatsuckers”, another unfortunate and inaccurate name. A possible story on how this name came to be may be rooted in European lore. There are relatives of this bird in England, and they will feed on aerial insects kicked up by herds of livestock. Maybe a shepherd 150 years ago noticed these birds flying around his goats one evening, then just by chance they gave poorly (milk) the next day. The shepherd puts 2 and 2 together and comes up with 5…The birds must have sucked the milk from his goats! Of course this is a ridiculous idea and not true in any aspect. [Canon 7D with Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, handheld]

And here is the Nighthawk in flight! Though it is hard to believe that this bird’s tiny bill will open up to reveal a large gaping mouth, it is essential to their feeding style. At dusk and again in the morning, Nighthawks take to the air to feed on flying insects. They dive and perform aerial acrobatics as they inhale hundreds of mosquitos, midges, flies and other insects. Aerial Vacuum Cleaners! [Canon 7D with Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, handheld]

The rosey Sioux Quartzite compliments the pink of the Wild Roses.

The Blue Grosbeak is a rare bird in Minnesota. Blue Mounds State Park (especially near the Interpretive Center of CR8) is the best and easiest place to find them in the state. Here is a highly cropped image of a male..They are not easy to get close to! Minnesota is at the far northern edge of their U.S. range. [Canon 7D with Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, Canon 430EX flash and Better Beamer, handheld]

I took a side trip to the nearby Hardwick, Minnesota Sewage Ponds. Even though it was Memorial Day weekend, I found a very late Greater White-fronted Goose and this male Wilson’s Phalarope preening peacefully. Of course, we always want to get eye-level with our subjects so I had to crawl on the goose-poop laced grass of the sewage pond to get the shot. Who said wildlife photography is glamourous? [Canon 7D with Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, handheld]

I do not have many photos of Warbling Vireos (fairly uncommon in northern Minnesota) so I took the opportunity when there were several near the swimming beach defending their territories. [Canon 7D with Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, Canon 430EX flash and Better Beamer, handheld]

Not the Baltimore Oriole we are all familiar with, this is the smaller cousin, the Orchard Oriole. Found in wooded edges, farmsteads, groves, and backyards across southern Minnesota. This is my first semi-decent photo of one. I’ll take it! [Canon 7D with Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, Canon 430EX flash and Better Beamer, handheld]

I can never pass up a good silhouette. This Canada Goose family was swimming on the small reservoir at sunset. I underexposed by a couple stops to create the silhouette and rich colors in the water. [Canon 7D with Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, handheld]

Next time, more photos from past trips to Blue Mounds State Park in extreme SW Minnesota.