The Mighty Redwoods

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July 9th 2013

Published: July 9th 2013

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NancyHaverty

Redwood Forest

Our last day in the Redwoods

FINALLY…we had a low tide this morning!!

All three of us were up before 6:00am to inspect the seashore (thank goodness, the shore was just outside our hotel door)

Lo and behold, the tidepools revealed themselves!!

Not quite as colorful as the tidepool at the Ocean World Aquarium, but lovely nevertheless.

Today, we finish our Redwood adventure, going south of Crescent City.

First on our list was the historic Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail. This walk winds through upland stands of ancient redwoods, douglas fir, and tanoak to the site where the First Lady, Mrs. Johnson, stood to dedicate the Redwood National Park in 1968. This area is known for its foliage in amongst the redwoods. In the spring, rhododendrons and azaleas abound.

Next, we drove along the Newton B . Drury Scenic Parkway. This parkway passes through the old growth redwood forest. It was a beautiful paved road…big enough for TWO cars to pass. Every few miles we stopped to follow a little trail into the woods just to see what was there.

We learned a lot about redwood trees these past two days.

· Trees grow

Battery Point Lighthouse

Lighthouse as seen from our hotel window at 6:00am

in families. Young trees sprout from the root burls which form around the parent tree.

· These root burls are dormant until the parent tree is stressed by drought or fire.

· A new sprout can grow 30 feet in one single year.

· The bark on a redwood is very thick and not as flammable as other trees because the sap is so watery.

· Coast redwoods are the tallest trees in the entire world.

· Heavy winter fogs and rain keep the trees continually damp, even in summer droughts.

· Coast redwoods thrive in a small area along the northern California coast and into southern most Oregon.

Exploring the redwood forest has been an amazing experience. Walking amongst these ancient giants as the sun filters through the lush canopy overhead was extraordinarily spiritual.

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