Feeling Old?

In early November, we took a short trip to southern Oregon to visit an elderly relative. After that we headed to the coast to see some elderly trees: we spent the last two days of this excursion on the coast, starting out in Crescent City, California. We chose this spot so we could spend a bit of time in the Coast Redwood groves of the area. In particular, we drove through Jedediah Smith State Park which is one of the few remaining places where old growth Redwoods still exist.

Light is filtered by the tall canopies.

When I say "old," I mean upwards of 1,000 years. These trees are some of the oldest living things on earth. You'll feel like a real youngster when you walk around these beauties. The cool, wet, and foggy environment along this coast is ideal for these trees. Before logging started in the mid 1800's the Redwoods thrived on an estimated 2.1 million acres in southern Oregon and northern California. Now, the remaining 125,000 acres are in state and national parks, created to preserve the remaining stands.

Kyle ponders the heavy duty bark.

It is not unusual for a Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) to grow over 200 feet high and some reach over 300 feet. The oldest known tree is about 2,500 years old. Their bark is resistant to insects and fires, making it a well evolved species.

The trail is soft from years of needle accumulation.

We hiked the half mile from the road down to the Stout Grove, where a loop trail takes you through a remarkable stand of older, larger trees. As we walked the soft trail in this completely silent spot, it reminded me of a natural cathedral or sorts. It was hard not to be in awe of these magnificent survivors.

There is enough light for these Sword Ferns.

After about 90 minutes of the "natural yoga," we left the park feeling uplifted, spirited, and younger! For more photos and information, use the links below.

Links:

More of our photos

Wikipedia article

Ken's NW Conifers website