To White Sands Beach

As you might have noticed,
we are going on daily outings since we returned to Kodiak this week.

And yesterday we went north to White Sands Beach.

It's our one beach with white sands.
And the white is visible only at low tide.

It's white because it's the remnant of the white ash from a volcano that exploded a century ago, the most powerful eruption of the 20th century: Novarupta, at Katmai off the Alaska penninsula.

Approximate location of the June 6th, 1912 eruption. Ash fell on the town of Kodiak for three days and although the town was about 100 miles from the volcano, it was covered with over one foot of ash which collapsed many buildings. Map by Geology.com and MapResources.

You can check up on it at  
http://geology.com/novarupta/
and see just how strong that eruption was !

We've read it put one foot deep ash over a 3,000 square mile area and was perhaps the 6th strongest eruption of all times, according to the internet. But Kodiak was the only populated area to be significantly affected by it.

Anyway, here in Monashka bay you get to see the white sand beach during low tide,
with the darker sand and rock on higher ground.

Otherwise, it's Kodiak's typical black rock and sand,

as you see, along Monashka Creek,as it makes it's way from the grassy area to White Sands Beach.

Or along any of our other beaches.

Yes, there are many calm and serene place to see !

.