Trees of Mystery - the Redwoods!

This is what Roger has been waiting for - the Redwoods! His Aunt Jewel & her husband, Les, lived many years in the town of Fortuna (just south of Eureka) and Les worked for the logging industry. They are both long gone, but their stories of these trees still live on in Roger's memories. The tiny speck of yellow by the tree is Roger - and this tree is regarded as some of the 'new growth'!
As we left Eureka, we wound our way up the coast through groves of these trees to Crescent City. As we took a 'side trip' on the Drury Parkway, we encountered a herd of elk grazing alongside the road. Their antlers are just sprouting and are still covered in velvet.

It was a very cool, wet Sunday morning, and although we miss the fellowship of our friends at church while we are on the road, walking among these 'giants' was truly a spiritual experience, as you realize that some of these trees were actually here even before Christ walked this earth! On up the road we stopped at the "Trees of Mystery" (which is a tourist attraction), but we still enjoyed it. A golf cart took up part way up the mountain, where we caught a Sky Train to the top. One got a real sense of just how tall these trees are as you glided through the forest.

After enjoying the vistas, we returned to the midway point and then 'hiked' our way down to see the trees up close.

The Brotherhood Tree, for example, stands 297 feet tall and is 19 foot in diameter! I didn't mind having my picture taken in front of it; made me feel REALLY small!
As you read about these trees and learn that they do not have a tap root, but their roots spread out just under the ground, one is amazed to realize what an 'engineering feat' this is that they don't just 'topple over' from their own weight! When they do fall, the tree continues to adapt and spur new growth, with new trees growing right out of the old ones. Several will sprout right along the length of the fallen tree making for very straight 'rows'.

In the Trees of Mystery is one that has been seen on Ripley's "Believe It or Not". Two trees (each exceeding 10 foot in diameter) grew from one of the fallen giants. Testing on the 'fallen' tree dates it back 3,000 years - and the root structure is still sound! The two 'new' trees roots just wrapped around the fallen tree until they found soil. Truly amazing!

Before we were through, Roger had hiked me down one path, up another one - and what goes up must come down - so back down again. I was one tired girl, although I enjoyed every minute of it!

But back to work we must go, so back in the yellow truck! Just a short drive and we caught a glimpse of the beach at Crescent City, complete with a lighthouse! Pulled into the KOA just north of the city to find it nestled in its own grove of Redwoods. This is my kind of campground! Lots of tent sites and kabins plunked down in the natural setting. This is camping!
You get a real 'feel' for the history as you see the 'stumps' of some of the 'old growth' that has been logged out of the area. Data shows that this area was logged from 1900 -1910. The 'young sprouts' surrounding the stump were left to continue growing.


This is all right on the campground property - and it makes for some awesome landscaping!

Oops - the time has slipped up on me! Time to hit the shower and start the day!