Nov. 16 – OR/CA
Day 107 – We cruised down the rest of the Oregon Coast and headed into northern California, where the redwood forest lives.
Oregon Coast
The redwoods are the most interesting forest created, though I am sure it will be a tie with the rainforest once we explore them. Like the rainforest, the redwoods are smaller then they used to be, due mostly to logging. There used to be close to 2,000,000 acres of old-growth redwood forest canopy along the coastline of California, now there is less than four percent of that canopy. Redwoods can grow more than 360 feet and up to two thousand years old! Past the 150 foot mark the branches grow thick enough to hold tree-sized trunks. With branches that massive they collect all the debris from the upper branches and it then breaks down and creates a rich soil. This soil up in the branches provides a place for thirteen diffent species of plants, shrubs, and trees. This mini-forest provides homes to many different types of small animals, mammals, and invertebrates ~ to name a few: worms, voles, salamanders, birds, owls, and flying squirrels. I am just amazed that a whole new forest can grow up on top of the redwood forest. They are just giants and they can really shut out the sunlight when you are in the forest, it gets pretty dark and very damp from all the moisture in the air. They think that is one of the elements that help the redwoods grow so enormous.
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The ‘Big Tree’ ____________________ It’s thissss Big!
A broken tree limb — looks about foot in diameter or a bit more
Our hike on the Trillian Falls Trail – a 2.5 mile trail through the forest and redwoods. It was a very beautiful hike, but I think next time I would choose a different one. Below is a Roosevelt Elk, there are many of them along the roadway just grazing away.
Tags: 07 - USA - West Coast
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