Redwood National Park California Reminds Good Old World

Sometimes, when the morning fog caresses the great trees, you can imagine the past flowing through the long, misty shadows. Vast redwood forests flourishing across a lush and humid North America. After the final ice age, a last stand here in the sustaining climate along the Pacific coast. Tree after tree falling to the loggers. Then, in a windswept moment, the past vanishes and you stand beside other visitors, gazing up at the Earth's tallest living things. That is the essence of Redwood National and State Parks as a part of North California, USA.

The park, near the northern limit of the coast redwood's narrow range, preserves the remnants of a forest that once covered two million acres across the globe and, at the turn of the 20th century, was badly threatened by logging. The state of California and the Save-the-Redwoods League came to the rescue by acquiring hundreds of groves and protecting them within 26 state parks. Three redwood state parks—Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek—were encompassed by the national park when it was created in 1968.

Logging on surrounding private land, however, threatened the parks' protected redwoods. Soil and sediments from the logged-over tracts washed into the rivers and creeks, settling to the bottom downstream. Silt deposits can smother redwoods—for the giants are amazingly vulnerable. And the waterlogged soil weakens the trees' resistance to wind. Their roots are shallow, often only ten feet deep.

In 1978 US Congress added some 48,000 acres to the national park's 58,000 acres, including about 36,000 that had been logged. The raw, clear-cut land, a park official once wrote, had "the look of an active war zone." Today, in an epic earth-moving project—a redwood renaissance—crews are beginning to reclaim vast stretches of logged-over lands. Hillsides, carved away for logging roads, are being restored. Most of the 400 miles of roads are being erased. It will take at least 50 years for the scars of logging to disappear and another 250 or so years for the replanted redwood seedlings to grow to modest size.

The renaissance has added a new dimension to the traditional rite of staring up at redwoods. Today's visitor can look at hillsides shorn of giants and know that generations from now the trees will grow there again.

Tree-lined US Route 101, the Redwood Highway, runs the length of the park. From the south, we took US Route 101 to the information center near Orick, about 40 miles north of Eureka. Though there is another approach to the Park  through Crescent City, also an information center site. From the east, one may take US Route 199, another redwood-flanked highway, to Hiouchi. There are two airports close to the Park :  Air Arcata and Crescent City.

Year-round. Summer draws highway-clogging crowds, so think about a visit in spring or fall. In both seasons, bird migrations enhance the redwood groves. Rhododendrons burst forth in spring; deciduous trees add color in fall. Rains, welcome to the redwoods but not to visitors, drench the park in winter.

Route 101 which is also called Pacific Coastal Scenic Highway, with its many redwood sentinels, gives  a windshield-framed panorama of the trees. But to appreciate the redwoods, one has to walk among them. As we  had only a day to visit this 50-mile-long park, stop and see the Lady Bird Johnson Grove and Big Tree. Also been to Trees of Mystery park area privately managed.

Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox

When we arrived at the Reception Centre and parked our car,  we were just impressed to see 54 feet tall man structure called Paul Bunyan and his Babe Blue Ox. Paul greets and talks to visiters ,  interact with them specially with the children.There is a trail called Trees of Mystery. We took this trail and were amazed to see some of these  nature’s wonders :

The Brotherhood Tree

Even after losing 74 feet of it's top in a in a storm, its still one of the largest living things in the world. The Brotherhood Tree  was named fin hope for the brotherhood of man. It is over 2000 years old, 19 feet in diameter, 60 feet in circumference and 297 feet tall. It is truly awe inspiring to stand next to this massive living entity and realize it was here and growing for much of recorded human history. This tree is one of the mighty sequoia sempervirens, or Coast Redwood. There is evidence on the bark of a recent (within the last 500 years) fire. The bark of these trees chars before it burns, forming an ablative shield, protecting the living tree. The area in which this tree stands was logged in the 1950s, but this magnificent specimen was spared for some unknown reason. Here it stands today in it's solemn majesty. Access to the base of the tree and views of the top from a vista of about 300 feet are available. This tree stands on the Forest Experience section of the trail.

The Cathedral Tree.

A group of nine trees growing together as one - making this the world’s largest "cathedral" tree! Approximately 800 to 1000 years ago a very large tree stood in the middle of this formation. When it fell it didn't die. The roots and burls of the stump sprouted and these nine trees happened to grow together in a circle around the original mother tree's stump, which has long since rotted away. This tree is the site of Easter services each year. Lot of couples come here for getting married here ! For us it was not possible to get married again at this amazing tree but we decided getting photographed  there for the record sake.

Cathedral Tree

The Candelabra Tree.

The Candelabra tree is another example of the Redwoods incredible will to survive. A fallen Redwood will commonly send shoots up as new trees and indeed this is how many trees get their starts. This one is a remarkable specimen because of the open space underneath.

                                   The Elephant Tree.

There was a time when the “Elephant” might have been a little easier to see than it is now (some people have an easier time seeing an octopus). Elephant or not, the over-extended root system of this special tree exemplifies how redwoods manage to “hang on to life” despite changing terrain angles and levels of soil - they simply reach out further and make whatever “adjustment” they need to make in order to steady or right themselves and survive - showing a remarkable adaptability and flexibility in their struggle to exist.

One of the most appealing and exciting features of the entire Trees of Mystery experience is the nearly one mile journey through the forest tree tops via the unique SkyTrail gondola ride. Surely nowhere else are you going to have the chance to get an up-close downward perspective from the tops of redwood trees that measure 100s of feet in height. A total of 8 Gondola Cars continuously make the approximately 8-10 minute, 1570 foot trip up the mountain each day - giving riders not only spectacular views of magnificent redwoods, but a fine mountaintop ocean vista at the observation deck at the summit as well.

Inside the park, a leisurely stroll along one of the interpretive trails will bring you to Brotherhood Station where you can climb aboard! A shuttle is also available for those who cannot easily walk the trail to get to the station. There is much to see along the way however, so take your time. Skytrail runs all day, so there is no reason to hurry.

Once there, one can see that the cars and machinery - which began operating on June 18th, 2001. Each of the comfortable Swiss-made, CWA Omega Series cars carry up to 6 passengers, are fully enclosed, and handicapped accessible. The lift mechanism itself was designed and manufactured by Poma, in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Austrian-made cable is 42.5 mm (or about 1.5 inches) thick and tested to 296,000 pounds - which is enough to lift all the towers, drive station, return station, bullwheels, all of the concrete and both control shacks!

 SkyTrail gondola travels through the redwood forest at about 11 mph. There are three short periods where the cars slow down to about 1/2 mph in each direction allowing for great picture taking opportunities. Once at the top you will be afforded some amazing views of mountains, forests, and the nearby Pacific Ocean and more chances for taking pictures and looking at the distant scenery through binoculars.

Hike or just stretch your legs  along the Coastal `Trail and savor the Pacific prospect of the park. For a longer stay, visit the Tall Trees Grove, drive Howland Hill Road, and end your visit with a splash in a kayak on the Klamath River or a jouncy drive to Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach.