Tree Politics Remembered

Friday,  November 7, 2014

There is an interesting parallel with the book I am currently reading: As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto. Avis and her husband Bernard championed public lands and conservation of natural resources. Bernard was advisor to Governor Stevenson on public lands policy. 

These are photos from our drive to today's trail, an hour's drive from our campsite:

                                                         "Name's Roosevelt, Roosevelt Elk."

About Coast Redwoods http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22257

                                    Watershed Restoration: The bare patches are from logging.
                         http://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/upload/water%20rest%2007.pdf

The visitor's centre gave us a combination to open the gate for the road to the trail.

It was a six mile drive to the Tall Tree trailhead.

Info at the trailhead about some dwellers of the forest: 

                                                Located next to the trailhead vault toilets

 We crossed the path of four deer--three females and one juvenile. They grazed in the area to the right of this picture. One female attempted to graze close to another female, but the female charged at her and she sought safety in the trees to the left. We waited for the deer to finish grazing then, as they began walking away, we continued with our hike. This was our last glimpse of the family.

                                                                     Rhododendrons

More photos of mushrooms!

The previous two photos show trees that were left where they fell. This bracket fungi grew on a log that was cut in half when it fell on the trail. 

                                                                  Rainfall Gauge

We entered an area of the forest in which we were surrounded by trees with branches covered in moss. These branches stretched far and sometimes intertwined with branches from other trees. 

Near the end of our hike, we listened to a woodpecker build a home in a dead redwood tree. Each tap scattered bits of bark around him. Then we heard a thud when a large piece of bark fell to the ground. No more tapping as, we assume, the woodpecker was enjoying some grub after his labor.