Start time: 0745
Start odometer: 25238
Weather: Mostly cloudy morning, some sun later in the day. Temperature 60 degrees F., max for the day was 70.
Had more clouds this morning, but it was a little brighter than the last few days. Dealt with rain a bit this morning, but it cleared out before noon and kept my hikes fairly dry. Got to see more incredibly tall trees, many over three hundred feet tall! After leaving the park, I headed south, visiting several towns and taking the Avenue of the Giants Road. This was part of the original Redwood Highway before Route 101 was built to replace it. The "Avenue" is quite a spectacular drive!
After stopping at a beach, I returned to the Redwoods Visitor Center to pick up a pass to a section of the park with limited access. This was to take me to the Tall Trees Trail, where some of the largest trees are located. With the pass I received the combination for the lock, so this time, I would be able to get through the gate arriving and departing the trailhead, seven miles beyond the gate.
A pamphlet describing many of the interesting points along the trail was available, so I was able to gain more knowledge of the trees, environment, and park. The amount of plant life was incredible! And looking up to the tops of the trees was mind boggling! This is a good hike to take if you get the chance. However, I did get one scare. One of the points of interest was the story of a branch that had fallen from a high point of the tree. It stabbed the ground and was in the dirt very deep. The lumberjacks call these "widow makers"! While I was walking the trail, I became startled when a branch came down near me. It was not a big branch, but it sure made a lot of noise!
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The beach south of Orick. |
Trail map in the Tall Trees area. |
The Tall Trees Trail. The following pictures were taken along the trail. |
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The sun breaking through. |
Interesting trunk. |
Another view along the trail. The aroma was wonderful! |
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This was formerly the tallest tree in the world until wind took the top part off. It is still huge! |
I thought this tree had a remarkable look. |
Looking at the tall trees from the Redwood River. |
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The Redwood River. |
Unlike my experience at Crater Lake, this time I had the combination for the locked gate! |
Looking west into the Redwood River valley. |
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This view is from the same overlook, looking south. |
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After leaving the gated road behind, I headed back towards Route 101. Along the way, I decided to stop at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. This was the location in 1968 of the dedication ceremonies for the national park, with Mrs. Johnson present. They offer a short one mile hike through the grove, with a descriptive pamphlet available. The bridge across the highway is also very interesting.
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A plaque, placed at the location of the park dedication ceremonies. |
A view of the trail through the Lady Bird Johnson Grove |
A beautiful trail bridge over the road. |
It was time to head south, so back to 101 I drove. I stopped at several towns along the way, including Orick, Trinidad, and Ferndale. The last town is known for its Victorian buildings. The cemetery was also worthy of note.
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Driving through Orick, this shop had some interesting wood carvings! |
A copy of the original lighthouse in Trinidad, California. |
This one is for my friend Joe! Did not know you had a store here! |
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Drove into Ferndale, found this very interesting cemetery. |
Victorian buildings in Ferndale. |
More buildings in Ferndale. |
Tomorrow will be a terrific day as I get to see some friends from my IBM days! Thanks to Anson for calling back and making arrangements for lunch. It will be great to talk with the group again. Afterwards, there are places I plan to see, and should be around the Bay area for a couple of days. Thank you for visiting the page!
Routes traveled today: US 101 - Bald Hill Road - US 101 - CA 254 - US 101
Lodging: Motel 6 -
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