Ruby Beach, Olympic Peninsula

Ruby Beach in January is wet. Probably the other months too. It's located on the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula, about 30 minutes south of Forks.

Looking at rocks exposed on the wave cut beach. There were massive surges at the river delta as the tide ebbed and flood waters came down the river: the water level in this photo could rise by a foot in 15 seconds.

Pink flecks of the mineral garnet give the beach sands their famous flashes of color. "Ruby" is a mistaken moniker -- ruby is the gem name for the mineral corundum -- which isn't present at this location. 



Third Beach, La Push, Olympic Peninsula

Found my way to Third Beach, near LaPush, for Mother's day. The wind-whipped water turned beautiful shades of turquoise-green. I found dozens of pebbles of black and red orbicular jasper along the upper portion of the beach. Small patches of the beach were blanketed in black sand -- the sand grains made of tiny pieces of basalt that have eroded from the headlands. 

 
It's slow going mining pebbles out of the conglomerate.