The Magic of Redwoods

About 200 miles north of San Franciso is the small town of Garberville, CA. It was founded around the late 1800's as South Fork but was changed to Garberville in 1874, being named after the postmaster. Garberville is the gateway to the Eel River, Shelter Cove and the Lost Coast, and the 31-mile long Avenue of the Giants that winds through stands of ancient redwoods.

The Avenue of the Giants offers more than just the majesty of towering redwoods. It also passes thru several small towns that give a glimpse into the history of the timber industry. Several of these towns have been completely devastated by the Floods of 1955 and 1964 and if rebuilt, were placed on higher ground.

When we arrived in Garberville, it was foggy and drizzling rain, which we understand is pretty typical for the Spring here. Across from the RV park on Highway 101 stands the "One-Log House" which was hollowed in 1946 from a single redwood more than 2100 years old. The comfortable living quarters were made from a 40 ton tree, taking two men eight months to finish. The living, sleeping, and dining areas are completely furnished (it reminded us of the old RV's without slides). Amazingly, enough wood chips were produced from the hollowing to build a five-bedroom home.

Upon waking to a bright and sunny day, we decided to take the 31 mile drive down the Avenue of the Giants and it was certainly spectacular to look several hundred feet into the air and be in awe of the majestic beauty portrayed by these trees. The road was quiet and tranquil and built as a stagecoach and wagon road in the 1880's. It parallels Highway 101 and the Eel River. Fossil records show that redwoods grew naturally in many places across the Northern Hemisphere. Due to climatic changes and other factors, Coast Redwoods now only grow naturally in a narrow 40 mile wide and 450 mile long coastal strip from southern Oregon to southern Monterey county in California. Redwoods are taller than any other living thing. They can live over 2,000 years and withstand most fires, floods and insects. Only the greatest fires can kill mature redwoods because of their thick fire resistant bark and lack of resin. They also contain a great amount of tannin, a material that insects find particularly distasteful. Redwoods are so immense that they live in three climatic zones at once. The base of each tree is in one set of climatic conditions, the stem in another, and the crown in yet another. Redwoods need great amounts of moisture. The 65 inches/year average rainfall plus the summer fog moderate the climate. Redwoods help create their own microclimate through the transpiration of moisture from the leaves to the atmosphere. A very large redwood can release up to 500 gallons of water into the air per day.

When towns were originally built along the Avenue, it was because of farming and logging. Now they rely on the tourists. Humboldt Redwoods State Park covers over 52,000 acres, 17,000 of which are old growth coast redwood forests with trees whose average ages are 400 - 600 years.

We followed the auto tour, stopping and taking the half mile hikes back into the forest. Sunlight peeks from the clouds and foggy treetops, streaming down onto the needle packed paths. The silence is unbelievable as you hear only your steps crunching along and an occasional bird voicing its melodic chant. Founder's Grove, dedicated to the founders of the Save-the-Redwoods League, contains the 346 foot tall Founders Tree and the Dyerville Giant. The Dyerville Giant was recognized as the "Champion" Coast Redwood as certified by the American Forestry Association until it fell on March 24, 1991. Before it fell, it was at least 362 feet tall. That is 200 feet taller than Niagara Falls or comparable to a 30-story building. It is also 17 feet in diameter and 52 feet in circumference. It probably weighs over 1,000,000 pounds. The events that caused the Giant to fall are common in ancient redwood forests. During the rainy season the soil became saturated with water. Another large tree fell one week earlier, hitting a second tree causing it to lean. A week later the leaning tree fell, striking the Dyerville Giant, causing it to fall. No one actually saw the Giant fall, but a park neighbor, who lives a mile away, reported hearing a large crash and thought it was a train wreck! A tree over 50 feet away had mud splattered 15 feet up its trunk from the impact of the Giant hitting the ground. Unless fire consumes it, the Dyerville Giant will continue to lie on the forest floor for many hundreds of years, fulfilling an important role in the healthy life of an ancient forest. As the decay process gains a hold on the Giant, it will become the host, home and food source to over 4,000 kinds of plants and animals that will live on or in it. Even in repose, however, the tree is an impressive sight.

Among one of our stops was the Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor's Center. Inside were exhibits that offered a "hands-on" experience for children, historical and cultural videos and realistic displays of the fish and animals in their forest environment. Inside the center resides a curious vehicle which may just have been the original RV! In 1917, Charles Kellogg, an American naturalist and lecturer, hoisted a six ton hollowed-out giant redwood log onto the chassis of a Nash Quad, a large truck the Nash Company built for the military in World War I, one of the very first 4 x 4 vehicles. Kellogg used an axe and an adz to hollow out the log, and fashion it into a cabin on wheels. Inside the log, he built a complete home, with a kitchenette, lockers, beds, dining table, dresser, electric lights, running water and a guest room. And this was over 90 years ago! The log is completely solid; the walls, ceiling and floors are all one piece. To help preserve it, Kellog hand-rubbed 12 pounds of beeswax into the wood. Kellogg first toured the United States in his Travel-Log to sell liberty bonds for the war effort. After the war, Kellogg, also known for his surreal ability to imitate bird calls, traveled the states to promote preserving California's giant trees. He crossed the country four times in his lumbering motorhome!

A final stop was the Immortal Tree, one of the most durable trees in history. The Immortal Tree is over 950 years old and has experienced more trials and tribulations than any single tree should. It has been a victim of lightning strikes, fires, floods and the logger's ax. Yet it still stands and continues to grow heartily. Looking up, you can see a wooden fish attached to the trunk where the color of the bark changes. This indicates the high water mark when the area flooded in 1964. There's also part of an ax stuck in the tree where loggers tried to cut it down, but eventually gave up when the tree would not give way. Several times, the Immortal tree has been hit by lightning. The evidence of these strikes is on its scarred trunk. During its lifetime, through many forest fires, somehow this magical tree never burned down! The Immortal Tree is considered a truly exceptional specimen.

While sitting in the forest, surrounded by these huge awe-inspiring giants, we are reminded of the magical qualities imparted. Burls on the trees become faces, rabbits, Roman soldiers, or other imaginations of our minds. The more we study these forests, the more we realize we are just beginning to understand a small part of their dynamics. The simple act of walking thru an undisturbed area will change it and we need to make sure that we preserve all this beauty for our children and grandchildren so they are provided a glimpse into the past and a look into one of the greatest forests on earth!