Five Things to Know Before Coming to Redwood National Park

I preface this list with the disclaimer that this is, of course, not official. For that, please see www.nps.gov/redw. There is also a nice site, http://redwoodhikes.com/ that has information on the many redwood parks and their miles and miles of hiking trails.

Alrighty, let’s get on with the list:

1. The Tallest Tree

The tallest tree in the world is indeed a coast redwood [Sequoia sempervirens] and it just so happens to be in Redwood National Park, but don’t be fooled, it is not in the Tall Trees area. There is no trail out to Hyperion, the tallest tree on the planet at 379 feet and some inches. But, please, don’t be too disappointed. This tree likely won’t hold the record forever. Not to mention, standing at the base of it, it would be impossible to see the top; its base isn’t the widest of the trees either and one could likely walk past it never knowing which tree it was.

So why hide the tallest tree? Aside from the facts stated above, it is likely that increased foot traffic around the base of these tall trees does significant damage to their shallow root systems. When the roots are damaged, the tree starts to die. The top that fell off the top of the world’s former record holder could likely be attributed to adoring fans walking on the roots.

One other note: I mentioned the Tall Trees Trail above. If you are in a hurry, or don’t feel like walking a 4 mile round trip trail that goes down an 800 foot hill and back up, there are *plenty* of other options to see tall trees, ancient trees, you name it. In fact, there are only a dozen or so redwoods on that trail, so if you want to see many, many redwoods, check at the visitor centers for other options that are shorter, or even longer, whatever you prefer.

Tall, Tall Redwoods on Trillium Falls Trail

2. State and National Parks

When you look at a map of Redwood National and State Parks, you are going to see a narrow, but very long park that stretches from Crescent City to South of Orick. The National Park boundary goes around three different state parks, due to the fact that the National Park was created in the late 60s, enlarged in the late 70s, with the idea of absorbing the state parks. Popular opinion at the time stopped that and today the State and National Parks are run in cooperation. You’ll find state park rangers in the National Park and national park rangers in the State Parks. In terms of who has the best redwoods, it’s hard to judge, but the state parks do have the most easily accessible forests as well as the most trails. That brings me to the third point:

3. Take the Parkway!

Often, I meet people travelling South that drove the 40 some miles from Crescent City and didn’t know to take the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. This parkway cuts through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and if you came to see the redwoods when you were a child, you most likely drove this road since it is old Highway 101. While the speed limit is slower, continuing on Highway 101 will take you up a large hill [requiring more gas] and add a few more miles, plus you’ll miss out on all the redwoods!  Along the Scenic Parkway, there are many places to pull over, even hike a trail, and a very nice CCC-era visitor center tucked in Elk Prairie awaits you at the southern end of the parkway.

A Looming Redwood on the Boy Scout Tree Trail

4. Expect Fog

If you are visiting during the peak season [summer], expect fog [technically, it's stratus], but don’t let that ruin your trip! Some of the best redwood photographs are taken on foggy days when the sun breaks through and sends shafts of light into the canopy [I haven't been that lucky yet!]. It is an extremely beautiful scene. When there are no clouds, the sun makes it very difficult for even the best cameras out there to deal with the dark shade of the redwoods and the brightness of the sky. The photos will likely end up very dark. Either flash or a tripod are the best ways to cope with the darkness of the redwoods.

Related to the fog, the climate here is very cool. Sweatshirts or even coats are a must for most visitors, some of which opt to buy a sweatshirt just for their visit!

5. Play Safe!

Of course no one wants their vacation to become a medical emergency, but there are a fair number of things to watch out for in the redwoods [no, not Sasquatch!].

Windy days can send branches from the canopy to the ground with amazing force–enough to send the branch 5 feet into the ground. Best to find some other activity on extremely windy days. Luckily, they don’t happen too often in the summer!

Roosevelt Elk are a popular attraction in the redwoods. They gracefully graze in many parts of the park, but they can show their ugly sides without warning. Make sure to give elk a generous distance, especially the females in Spring and the males in the Fall.  Their tempers seem to flair the worst at those times, but the presence of RVs, dogs, bicycles and who knows what else can set them off. The mass of 1000 lbs charging at you probably isn’t the best way to spend your vacation…

Roosevelt Elk in Elk Prairie

And finally, although it does not occur too often in the summer, sneaker waves are always a concern. The Pacific Ocean here is cold, around 40 to 50 degrees, and the waves are often large. Every now and then, one larger wave will run up the beach higher than any of the other waves, sometimes surpassing the rest by dozens of feet.  It creates a dangerous, and at the very least, unpleasant, situation for anyone too close to the surf. The force of the waves is hard to escape, and if pulled out to sea, heaven forbid, belly crawling while catching breaths after a wave passes is the best way to survive.

On a lighter note, if you do happen to see Sasquatch, some cryptobiologists are looking for him. Someone needs to give him the message!

Sunset-apalooza!

Since there was no stratus deck in the way, we had to take advantage of the high clouds that lingered two day ago and catch the sunset. Even after packing dinner, driving to the chosen spot, driving back home to fetch a forgotten battery, and driving back to the spot, we had enough time to walk the beach a little before the show started.

As we walked around, we noticed a few other photographers. I wasn’t sure if they were locals or tourists [Trinidad is a fishing/bed and breakfast town], but most of them faded away before the sunset really got started.  The only things left on the beach were the dog walkers and some invertebrates drawing doodles in the sand.

The waves, relatively tame for the Pacific, splashed against the rocks as the tide pulled out. If they broke just right, they caught the sun like stained glass.

Although not the most spectacular sunset on this planet, somehow I and another photographer–by the looks a professional, managed to end up on the same small piece of sand.

As we both snapped shots, he would switch from one side of my husband and I to the other. I wanted to ask him if we should move, but he had headphones on. Hard to communicate that way.

I think in the end the pro landed in front of this rock, which looked really neat with the sand eroding around it. After he left, I began to pack up too and noticed the view he had.  I didn’t feel too bad about hogging the prime real estate then!

To see the set, please go to: Sunset at Trinidad on Flickr!

Sunsets Seldom Seen

Around these parts, the California North Coast, it is difficult to catch a good sunset. If you want to see one while in a redwood forest, you might have a better chance of spotting Bigfoot! The fog, or stratus layer, is usually what is blocking the view. The constantly rainy winters don’t offer much of a chance either.

I’ve managed to catch a couple sunsets, but not near as many as South Carolina, and a far, far cry from all of those spectacular ones in South Dakota!

Here are some North Coast California sunsets:

This one above was cheating…we drove to a point where we were above the fog. It was so gorgeous!

If you look closely, you’ll see that the sun is setting before it gets to the horizon. The stratus layer wasn’t visible out there until the sun sank below it. Sneaky fog!

Both the above shots were from Trinidad State Beach just the other day!

 

Even though clouds were in the way, this sunset at Agate Beach looked lovely!

Just moments before, the clouds weren’t there! Sneaky things!

Though technically not a sunset, the sun wasn’t seen again that day, so the small break in the clouds gave a sun-setting appearance at the North Jetty of Humboldt Bay.

Luckily, today is a really clear day. Provided it stays that way…I might have another chance at catching a sunset!

 

Subtle Changes in the Seasons

When we moved here to north of Northern California, also known as the North Coast, we were told that there aren’t seasons here, just rain during the winter and fog during the summer. The temperature only fluctuates by about 20 or 30 degrees, so that seasonal indicator isn’t of much help, either.

While there aren’t traditional seasons right here on the coast, you can go 20 or 30 miles inland and find them, complete with snow or scorching temperatures! But, if you keep your eyes peeled and pay attention to nature, you’ll notice that the seasons are in fact here, even if the temperature is the same every day.

For example, the flowers here on the North Coast go through a seasonal succession. They progress, just like other places with more ‘typical’ weather, from the Spring beauties to the final blooms of Fall.

Animals, too, follow the  subtle seasonal rhythms.  The Roosevelt Elk are starting to bugle and compete with each other, marking the start of the rut that most elk herd ritualistically participate in during the month of September.

Birds have come and gone, and others have arrived. Varied and Swainsons thrushes have migrated elsewhere, leaving the Redwood forests nearly silent, but others, like the Band-tailed Pigeon have come crashing into the cascara and alder thickets.  Swallows, both Cliff and Barn,  as well as Marbled Murrelets, hit their peak mid-summer while raising their young, and most have now completed the task and are enjoying their time “off”.

During the Spring, it was hard to find a spider anywhere, but now, especially early in the morning, you find them everywhere.  You know you are the first one to walk a trail when you walk through webs every 4 feet!

So even though we don’t get feet of snow and hot weather, Nature is still marching on and changing to the “invisible” seasons that are controlled by the Earth’s tilt and rotation around the Sun.  The breezes carry only the smell of the Pacific Ocean and its kelp, but Autumn and its sunshine are seeping in through the fog!

Big and Small: It’s All Here!

Just like the people here, there is a lovely eclectic mix of natural wonders here. Of course, there are Redwoods, frozen giants that watch as we busily scurry below their towering tops. While they are marvels in and of themselves, there is much to see on and near them.

A gray whale with her calf have been swimming in the Klamath River now for 15 days. No one is quite sure if she can get out on her own. I’ve heard she might be there for safety, to remove parasites, or she just got lost. I’m not sure if anyone knows for sure, but hopefully she will leave when she feels like she needs to. She is about the size of a school bus and feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates by stirring them up with her nose and then sucking in the food-filled water and filtering it with her baleen.

Not so large, but the largest subspecies of elk and the largest land mammal around, the Roosevelt elk are gearing up for their rut. Males are starting to lose their velvet from their antlers. The bachelor herd has been seen in Elk Prairie in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park frequently recently!

Even smaller, the Barn and Cliff swallows have been busy raising their chicks and keeping the crows and ravens from their nests.  Amazing how small their eggs are! This swallow was taking a break from insect collecting to catch its breath.

It seems the Yellow-spotted millipede [the ones that smell like almonds!] have stopped hatching out in such large numbers and have sought out their summer hide-outs in nooks and crannies on the forest floor.

The Redwood Sorrel, a clover-looking Oxalis, still has some blooms, but there are lots of new leaves popping up. These young leaves have yet to mature to the dark purple that the older ones have.

Lots of lichen abounds in this area. The redwoods are essentially the start of the Pacific Northwest Rainforests. From lungwort to old man’s beard–variety is the spice of life [or lichen]. Entwined in a symbiotic relationship, fungus and algae grow together in odd shapes and patterns.

Largely looming or sheepishly small, there is a lot of life in these quiet, ancient relict forests.

“See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the
moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to
touch souls.” –Mother Teresa