August 31, 2016 "I think I shall never see anything as beautiful as a tree..."

Today we drove about 20 miles north on Highway 101 to Crescent City, California.  After a visit to the Visitor/Information Center and a Farmer's Market we found the Howland Hills Road through the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.  Twelve of the seventeen scenic miles were unpaved; but it was worth it.

How many words can you think of to describe a tree--especially a redwood tree?  Massive; giant; awesome; colossal; majestic. 

When logging began in 1890, roughly 2 million acres of ancient or "old-growth" coast redwood forest canopy mantled the coastal mountains of California.  Today, just about five percent remains.  

Most of these trees reach nearly 400 feet tall; they are resistant to fire; they grow in colonies; the roots are a mere 8 feet deep; a hard wind can sway the trees up to 25 feet.  Redwoods are wider/thicker than a sequoia; sequoias are taller.

Pictures do not do the redwoods justice; they don't show the tallness or the width or massiveness of the tree.  Most of these pictures have a vehicle or people in them for some perspective.  Enjoy.  

 Compare Doug's pick-up to the grove of redwoods.

 Glen is standing in front of two trunks growing from one base.

This is one redwood.

Guessing...this one is about 25-30 feet across.

This is a banana slug that lives in the redwood forests.  It eats anything growing--EXCEPT redwoods!  The slug can get up to six to seven inches in length.  

Know everyone?  Mildred, Doug, Gary, Evelyn, Jeff, Marcella, Gayla, Glen

This section of a redwood is one side of the road.  Jeff.

Marcella is in the root section of the bottom half as the same tree (as above).

California sea lions in the harbor at Crescent City, California

 Battery Point Lighthouse at Crescent City, California

Glen spied this beautiful black oyster catcher on the rocks surrounding the lighthouse.

Lunch was at The "Chart House" where we enjoyed fresh prawns and scallops.

While we were in Crescent City, we had to go to Wal Mart.  We all had grocery lists!  

Klamath, where the RV park is located, has a population of 750; has no grocery store, two restaurants.