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Tall Trees

Grove of the Old Trees.
Grove of the Old Trees.

Dropped down from Tahoe into the mayhem of Bay area traffic. Crawled through it and headed north on Hwy 101 up to Santa Rosa where we were visiting friends Candice and Richard. They invited us on their 50 cent tour and first stop was off the beaten track Grove of the Old Trees. An excellent introduction to California’s Coastal Redwoods.

Coastal Redwood.
Coastal Redwood.
Interesting tree architecture.
Interesting tree architecture.
There once was a redwood here.
There once was a redwood here.

There are a number of small circular groves where once upon a time a big one had stood in the middle. It got felled but the “offshoots” around it survived into trees of their own.

Just walking.
Just walking.
Usual example of fire damage & perseverance.
Classic example of fire damage & perseverance.
I would grow artichokes just for their flowers.
I would grow artichokes just for their flowers.
Lunch down at the coast.
Lunch down at the coast.
Plenty to be found in the Redwoods National Forest.
Plenty to be found in the Redwoods National Forest.

From Santa Rosa we went north on 101 through the many construction zones and found our destination at Elk Country RV Resort near Orick and just south of the combined Federal and State Redwood parks. We had seen a clip of the Elk RV resort on an old Huell Howser TV show and then a neighbor had told us that we just had to visit the Redwoods. The two were co-located and a plan was formed.

Nowhere to look but up.
Nowhere to look but up.

First day we hiked the Foothill and Prairie Creek trails where the forest is at about 600′ and close to the ocean. Plenty of rainfall provides for an abundance of fern and moss vegetation that gives the forest a moist succulent environment compared to those of the higher found groves of Redwoods and Sequoias. We really enjoyed walking here.

Along the ? trail.
Along the Foothill trail.
Count the rings.
Count the rings.
Solotude.
A floating bridge.
Clusters.
Clusters.
Overview.
Overview.

The following day we set off for the Tall Trees Trail. Here you need to get a permit to drive to and park at the rather remote trail head. First six miles along Bald Hills Road where you can stop and look back to the coast at Redwood Creek Overlook, then through a locked gate and a further six miles down a gravel road towards the grove. Story has it that the grove survived because there was no way to extract the trees even if they had been felled down in this remote hollow.

Trail down to the Tall Trees.
Trail down to the Tall Trees.
Gnarly trunk.
Gnarly trunk.
In the Tall Trees grove.
In the Tall Trees grove.
What they call a "seasonal" bridge.
What they call a “seasonal” bridge.
Playing with light.
Playing with light.
Tree off of a branch?
Trees off of a branch?
More light.
Moss covered trees.
Skyward.
Skyward.
Love the Redwoods.
Love the Redwoods.
Campsite at Elk Resort.
Campsite at Elk Country Resort.
School house.
School house at the RV park.
Roosevelt Elk in the meadow.
Roosevelt Elk in the meadow.

On the morning of our departure the Elk came down for a graze in the meadow behind us. They seem to graze and then sit down for periods before resuming their breakfast across the meadow and down towards the 101 where more passers by can see them.

Morning grazing.
Morning grazing.