Strong Survivors

We feel like moles living in the dark under these magnificent redwoods. We have been sleeping late because it's so dark until 9AM. We rolled out and went to the visitor center for coffee. We met Steff (our camphost) on the way back and sat in the sun and talked. It's cold and we could see our breath!

Our first stop today is Founders Grove where the half mile interpretive trail led us through an ancient forest. This trail provided a glimpse into the past and a look into one of the greatest forests on earth. The trail opens at Founders Tree which a massive old growth, however not the largest in the grove. I laid down on the bench at the base and tried to get a picture of the whole tree, but I still missed some of it! Founders Tree is 346.1 ft high, 19.7 ft in diameter, 40 ft circumference, and 190.4 ft to the lowest limb! Walking the trail we loved how the grove grows out of an unusually dense layer of three leaf clover that looks a lot like a plush carpet, and in turn is covered with a sparse layer of ferns. We passed an old relic that had been through many fires, which is a natural occurance, and was heavily damaged. We learned that due to climatic changes Coast Redwoods now only grow naturally in a narrow 40 mile wide and 450 mile long coastal strip from southern Oregon to Monterey county in California. The floor is strewn with fallen giants that could no longer withstand the winds and rains. They give up their spot to younger trees that have stayed almost dormant for many years waiting for their day. (or years) in the sun. At the end of the trail is the Dyerville Giant which stood in the grove for perhaps as long as 1600 years! It was taller, larger, and older than any tree around it. When it fell on March 24, 1991 it was measured at 370 feet (equal to a 30 story building), 52 ft in circumference, and probably weighed over 1,000,000 pounds. Today it provides nutrients for the forest and food for other plants.

Back in the car we turned onto Mattole Rd on our way to Rockefeller Forest. This forest is the largest single stand of old growth redwoods in the world! John D Rockefeller was so impressed by this grove he donated $1 million in 1927 to preserve it. We walked the Rockerfeller Loop trail and discovered that what we thought was 3 leaf clover was really Redwood Sorrel. Although this walk was short we were it with the peaceful serenity of these groves as the sun beams filter through the tree tops. Along the trail were beautiful white Trillium scattered through the sorrel and we found Turkey Tail mushrooms.

In the car again we drove to the Bull Creek Trail that winds through the old growth next to the creek. We followed the path down to the creek and walked along the rocky beach next to the rushing water. We sat on a mound of rocks and had a snack and then hiked back to the car.

Back at camp we had dinner. Later we enjoyed a Tinta Port as we watched the campfire. We really liked this area and the trees still amaze us.