FRIDAY, AUGUST 28

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28:

      After a morning of doing laundry and then relaxing, we had a chance of pace from forests. We drove into town in the afternoon to the harbor area, where we wanted to see the Battery Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse is operated strictly by volunteers, and is only open at limited times, partly dictated by the tides . . . to get there, you have to walk across an area exposed only at low tide.

 

                                          
 

 

     The tour was great, done by the 4 volunteers (2 husband-wife teams). Gave the history of this lighthouse (built in 1856, California's 10^th ), introduced some of the keepers who lived in it, a few of their original furnishings, a couple of the tragic stories which took place in the sea close by. We climbed to the top of the Cape Cod style dwelling (this type of lighthouse meant that the narrow circular stairs to the top were built right into the center of the house, so that the keeper wouldn't need to go outdoors in the nasty elements to change the oil for the light nor the weights for the clock which turned it, nor for any other myriad of jobs surrounding the keeping of the light).

 

                                                                

At the top we saw the 5^th order Fresnel lens, which is still being operated (automated) on a voluntary basis; the official lighthouse was de-commmissioned in the 1950's. But apparently some boats still depend on it; if the light goes out for some reason, the first thing the resident lightkeeper does is notify the U.S. Coast Guard.

      The Del Norte County Historical Society, which owns & operates the lighthouse, has a unique system which we've never encountered in our numerous tours of lighthouses in the past couple of years. They enlist volunteers to actually live in the lighthouse year-round, for a month at a time. They are the ones who host the tours, and maintain the upkeep of the lighthouse. So one pair of our guides has been living there since August 1; they're from Neosho, MO! There is a 3-year wait list to get to stay here!

      This would be a perfect way to get to storm-watch in the winter! And as safe as you could get . . . when the tsunami created in 1964 by the Good Friday Alaskan earthquake hit here, it destroyed a good part of the town and killed 11 people. But it didn't affect the 2-feet thick stone walls of the lighthouse. Same with the 2011 tsunami from the Japan earthquake – destroyed several boats in the town's harbor, but nothing at the lighthouse. In fact, our guide told the story of an 88-foot wave which crashed over the 70+ foot lighthouse a few years ago . . . would have been both thrillng and terrifying to live through that – but it did absolutely no damage to Battery Point. Hmmmm . .. maybe we'll look into it!

      It was a fairly clear afternoon, so we had some pretty nice views from the grounds and up at the top. Some of the last views of the coast and ocean we'll have on this trip.

                                                                         

 

THURSDAY, AUGSUT 27

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27:

       A gorgeous day – sunny, perfect warm temperature in the 70's. We took advantage and walked/hiked in 2 different redwood groves, both in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Actually, we had passed through this stretch last year on our way down from the Oregon coast and back up to Grants Pass, and were blown away by our unexpected short encounter with the redwoods. Still blown away!  As the Park pamphlet ssays, “Remaining Coast Redwood forests grow naturally only in a narrow strip along the Pacific coastline from central California into southern Oregon. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park proects 10,000 acres of these first-growth primeval treasures.”

 

      About halfway through our walk on the Simpson Reed trail, we ran into a Park Ranger. We just started talking, and before long, it was like we had our own private Ranger-led hike, one of our very favorite ways of experiencing our national parks. Ranger Mike explained why this Redwood grove, typical of most, has lots of secondary and tertiary trees (conifers and hardwoods, respectively), as well as lots of brushy undergrowth.

 

 

                                            Exposed roots of a tree blown over: 

          

 

                                                                 

 

He also explained why Redwoods live so long - their inner layer contains tannin, an acid, which is highly resistant to insects, fungi, and rot; the trees are also highly resistant to fire because they contain no pitch. He said that it's very fortunate that these trees are so hardy, in that there is ever increasing “poaching” of their burls – the knobby growths usually seen near the base of the trunks, which often have complex and uniquely patterned wood grains.

 

They're highly prized for furniture and artwork, worth thousands of dollars, and people come into the parks at dark and illegally cut them off of the trees, leaving huge scars. This would leave most trees very susceptible to insect and fungi damage, leading to death. But, unless the damage is severe, most Redwoods can heal. Nevertheless, it's sickening to think of the wanton disrespect those thieves have for these magnificent showpieces of nature. He said that they have been able to trace a few of the stolen burls, and have successfully prosecuted some. However, the approach that the NPS is really taking in order to combat this is to educate and rally public support -e.g., if you're about to purchase an object fashioned out of Redwood burl, ask what the source is. If the seller doesn't know, pass on it.

     Our second walk was through the Stout Grove. Because this grove is situated near a river, it periodically becomes flooded, and therefore prevents much of the understory growth. As a result, the old growth Redwood trees themselves are showcased here maybe better than anywhere else in the world. Walking through this forest, it almost had a cathedral-like feel to it, hushed and serene, dappled in sunlight as though through stained-glass windows.

                                                               

And a feel of mystery, too, when the canopy obscured the sun.

 Or when we came across really monster-resembling burls.

                                                      

 

     A real contrast when we came out of the woods into the warm, bright sunshine shining on the crystal clear river.

 

                                                                 

 

      A really, really nice day enjoying these easy walks through sublime and awesome beauty.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26:

 

 

      Just took it easy today. Went to town to get some groceries, napped, and took a long walk around our campground. It's just splendid! One of the best we've ever stayed at. The sites are very far apart, and scattered, not in any kind of “parking lot” row at all. And it's all wooded, with lots of beautiful redwoods. There's even a trail here – like our own little corner of the Redwoods.

 

 

      Temperature only in the 60's, but with partial sunshine, doesn't feel too cool. We could stay and relax here for a long time! We'll see what the weather looks like . . . 

 

                                                                   

 

         
                                          
                                       
                                      

 

 

 

 

                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

                                                             

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25:

      Left our campground around 8:30. Connected with Hwy 101 via Hwy 20 again. Bill didn't relish the thought of driving that very curvy, up-and-down road again for 30+ miles. But it was the best of 3 bad options – there's just no clean & easy way to get from the coast to 101, since the entire coastal range of mountains lies between. But as one Californian said, “Why do you choose to vacation in California? Is it because of the flat landscape? Nooooooo! So stop complaining, you flatlanders, about having to drive through mountains. If you don't want to do that, take your next vacation in Nebraska!” She does have a point!

       The truck did make it over fine, thanks to the new transmission, but it was still grueling – worse than coming over east to west. The Californian quote above notwithstanding, she wasn't pulling 8 tons! We stopped to pick up some breakfast at McDonalds in Willitt, and then headed north for the 200+ miles to Crescent City. We didn't really know how long a trip it would be – how many more stretches of tight curves, steep grades, etc., so we planned to allow all day if needed.

      Very scenic most of the way. Mostly through forested land., much of it Redwood forest. We took one expressly scenic detour, a 33 mile stretch called Avenue of the Giants. It parallels 101, and part of it is Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It contains some of the largest stands of old growth Coastal Redwoods in the world. It was absolutely magnificent. Even though you see pictures of these trees, until you see them in person, you just can't imagine the impact they make. Their tall dignified grandeur transports you to a place where time stands still.

 

                                                                         

Though not the oldest nor the largest living thing on earth (that honor goes to their relative, the Giant Sequoias found in Yosemite and, of course, Sequoia Nat'l Parks), they are the tallest. And many of these Coastal Redwoods do obtain a very ripe old age – some up to 2,000 years – and the associated mass.

                                                                     A display at the Visitors Center:  the metal plates depict what was happening in recorded human history at each ring of this 2,000 year old specimen:  

 

     It's fascinating to observe the micro-climates here. We were in and out of fog all day . . . some places were thick with it . . . then, a few minutes later, we'd be in bright sunshine. Fog is essential for these Coastal Redwoods, and some scientists worry that with rising average temperatures, the summer fog will decrease to the point where the redwoods and the creatures that depend on them will be endangered.

      Arrived at our campground just before 5:00. On first sight, it was absolutely beautiful – widely spaced sites, wooded areas throughout the grounds, including some redwoods. We'll explore it more tomorrow – tonight we just recuperated from the day's journey, ate, and went to bed early.