I was able to get below the bluff today. Access is difficult as you can see from the photographs. The erosion damage is extensive. The bluff under the houses close to Sankaty Lighthouse is now heavily eroded with large slabs ready to fall. The area where the bluff walk ends also suffered quite a bit of damage.
Click to View Slideshow of the Bluff from the Beach
We went back to the bluff today to photograph from the beach. It wasn’t possible for us to get on the section of beach under Bluff House as we had no access available. There is a sharp dropoff and most stairs end 10-15 feet above the beach. So we went to Sankaty Head Beach Club and worked our way down from there. We got as far as Sankaty Lighthouse before the surf drove us back. We’ll try again when the ocean settles down a bit.
There has been a lot of damage to the bluff and there is more to come as large slabs are ready to fall.
Click to View Slideshow of the Bluff from the Beach
We returned today to Baxter Road in Sconset to see how Bluff House and a few others fared during yet another night of high winds and damaging tides. The house, while still secure, is being prepared for relocation for the second time in six years. Time is running out, as some of the foundation on the water side is exposed to the elements. Fifteen to twenty feet were lost to the ocean during this storm alone. We were given permission to shoot from the second floor deck to show the immediacy of the situation and to provide an overview of the losses along this stretch of the bluff.
A short walk up the road brought us to a garage that was also directly on the edge of the Sconset Bluff. It was to be demolished to prevent its falling into the ocean and spreading debris far and wide. An excavating machine made short work of the destruction, marking the end of its service to a house already gone from its Baxter Road address.
Click to View Slideshow of Bluff House
Click to View Slideshow of Garage Demo
Dirck and I went to Baxter Road tonight. The damage to the bluff from this current storm has been severe. The pictures tell the story – the edge of the bluff has reached the foundation of Bluff House and the bluff below Twin Chimney has also lost a lot of ground. We’ll get down on the beach as soon as it is safe to do so to fully document the damage. It was difficult shooting today – the wind is incredible and we were stung with icy rain.
Click to View Slideshow of Sconset Bluff Erosion
We have a photograph on the cover of the Nantucket Land Council Newsletter.
The Nantucket Land Council is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit dedicated to protecting Nantucket’s natural world and rural character by holding and enforcing conservation restrictions, commissioning scientific research, monitoring development proposals, engaging in legal proceedings to protect natural resources, and educating the public on local environmental issues.
We would like to announce our new website. We have updated all the galleries and included a new gallery called Waves. You can advance the photographs in the galleries with the arrows or with your mouse scroll wheel. If you are on a mobile device, you can swipe to advance.
Dirck and I went back to the bluff late this afternoon so we could see the face of the bluff from the beach. There is evidence that more of the bluff has broken off. We watched a large chunk fall from under the edge of the bluff at Bluff House as you can see in the photographs. There was a lot of jute on the beach as some of the jute bags were torn apart by the storm.
We made a slideshow of larger images you can see if you click the link below -
Click to View Slideshow of Sconset Bluff Erosion
Dirck and I went to Sconset Bluff and Smith’s Point today. The bluff has suffered a lot of damage. To really see the total effect we need to get down on the beach but that wasn’t possible today. We’ll try to get down in the next few days, when conditions permit. Smith’s Point was mostly cold…very cold with very high winds. We made two slide shows. Click on the links or the pictures to see them.
Click to View Slideshow of Sconset Bluff
Click to View Slideshow of Smith’s Point
Dirck and I enjoyed shooting a gorgeous sunrise for a client today, then we headed to Squam Swamp. We were the first ones there. The paths were speckled with dropped snow and twigs and the sky cleared to a beautiful blue. Here are a few from today.
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