Kukutali Preserve

 

I love this little tombolo between Kiket Island and Flagstaff Point, particularly the arcuate fine gravel pocket beach on the north side, which sort of underscores the challenges of simplistic beach classifications. While the overall landform is a tombolo, a type of barrier beach, this particular beach acts in most ways like a pocket beach - not an unusual situation. The one complication might be that under the right conditions, sediment might get carried to this beach by overwash from the south side, slightly confusing the otherwise simple picture of a pocket beach as an isolated sediment cell with negligible import or export of sediment.

The south beach gets more wave action and collects logs (south winds push them onto the berm on high tides). The north beach is more protected and logs don't accumulate, since south winds blow them off the beach (if they ever make it there in the first place).

Visitors are discouraged from tromping across Flagstaff Point in order to protect the vegetation community on the relatively rare rocky bald (I think that's the right name). Around the edges, we could see the Camas coming up and the rock outcrops were covered with sedums.

For shots from previous visits, check out Kukutali 2016 and Kiket Island 2009. And for a nice view of Kukutali from the air, check out the drone footage at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDrCZl65kA4'