STANDING AT THE FEET OF GIANTS
I’ve stood among the Californian Redwoods and Giant Sequoias before, the tallest trees in the world. But while the treehouse we were so close to the Californian border and the Redwood national forest that it seemed like an opportunity missed to not see them again. The trees truly are awe inspiring and to stand among them is an experience that has yet to grow tiresome for me.
Stepping into a grove of Californian Redwoods really is like walking into one of natures own cathedrals. The forest the air is thick with the smell of pine and the fallen needles make for a soft carpet like feel under foot.
It amazes me to think that a Redwood grows from a seed the size of a tomato seed yet it can grow to around 360 feet tall, that’s taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York City.
Redwoods typically live for around 500 to 1,000 years, though some live up to around 2,000 years old, and with a base some 22 feet in diameter they are incredibly resilient trees able to withstand even the effects of fire due to their foot-thick bark.
The coastal Redwoods (where we were) are the tallest but the nearby Giant Sequoia’s grow to around 3,000 years old and though they don’t reach as tall they have a huge base some 44 feet in diameter!
As we began to descend into Crescent City you couldn’t see the sea at all. Heavy coastal fog hung in the air making for a dull and overcast day for those at the beach. But the fog was so low it took no time to at all to climb out of it and reach clear air and blue skies along the weaving coastal highway 101.
As we drove along highway 101 through the coastal Redwoods, sea fog swept in and presented us with an amazing scene as great shafts of evening sun shone through the trees. What few words I can think to describe this seem completely inadequate. It was simply breathtaking, but even that sounds cliched.
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Redwood State Park
United Nations world heritage : Redwood National Park
Wrote the following comment on Sep 19, 2006 at 2:19 pm
Beautiful pictures.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 19, 2006 at 2:52 pm
awesome pictures!!!
Wrote the following comment on Sep 19, 2006 at 6:01 pm
Nice pics Simon as always.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 19, 2006 at 9:48 pm
Great pics….there is also an awesome Redwood Forest in the San Juaquin Valley…not sure what city it is in. I love the serenity.
ryc….yeah she is a lazy ass! So when are you leaving? I will be in Houston the weekend of Oct 13th. I think you leave before that :( Hope you are having fun.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 19, 2006 at 11:42 pm
Thank you for taking us along in your travels. Beautiful pictures.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 20, 2006 at 2:43 am
love them trees.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 20, 2006 at 1:02 pm
breath taking.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 20, 2006 at 2:46 pm
Beautiful shots. I love Hwy 101. I remember the first time I saw the Redwoods as a kid, still takes my breath away.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 22, 2006 at 7:12 am
I know what you mean about not being able to find the words to describe something so gorgeous. The pictures definitely help but being there would have been better. I’m glad you got to see it and now you have it forever in your memory.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 22, 2006 at 11:37 am
Ah, so that’s what “magic” means…!
Wrote the following comment on Sep 22, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Indeed, it had magical qualities Joelle :-)
Wrote the following comment on Nov 16, 2006 at 5:13 am
Hey from the land down under.
Nice use of light , makes a nice distraction from the usual forest shot.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 16, 2006 at 12:41 pm
Thanks Richard. I like to try and look at things differently when I take a photograph. On an unrelated note, one of my friends is called Richard Bartlett too, though we call him Rick. :-)