Coast Redwoods

Stout Grove Memorial Trail, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Stout Grove Memorial Trail is the next ancient growth coastal redwoods trail we explored after the Simpson Reed Grove Trail, both of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in the Redwood National and State Parks area. The picture above may not look different from the pictures in the Simpson Reed Grove Trail, but definitely the experience was different. If Simpson Grove trailhead is right next to highway 199, the Stout Grove trailhead is 0.5 mile down the shoulder of Howland  Hill Road. Howland Hill Road is unpaved and amidst the woods. It was a one of a kind experience driving, squeezing between, and zigzagging through the woods. After parking at the dirt turn out, we had to descend 0.5 mile to the trailhead without seeing the redwood groves first, the trail almost parallel to the river. But after a half mile descent, the spectacular Stout Grove loop trail greets our hearts with a warm welcome, suddenly, the trail meanders on these giant and tall trees.

Standing amidst these tall trees is like going back in time. The coastal redwoods forest contains descendants of some of the oldest plants on Earth. I know some left comments in my previous post envisioning dinosaurs crashing through this forest. This is not a far out thought, since fossil records show relatives of today's coastal redwoods thrived in the Jurassic area 160 million years ago. In fact, in one of my upcoming posts, I will share a place within Redwood National and State Parks where Steven Spielberg shot some scenes for the Jurassic Park movie. However, while the dinosaurs have long been disappeared, the coastal redwoods continue to thrive only in this part of the world.

California's North Coast provides the ideal environment for the coastal redwoods to thrive. The cool, moist air coming from the Pacific ocean keeps the trees continually damp, even during summer droughts. Fog accounts for 1/4 of the precipitation needed so that these mighty coast redwoods can survive. Even in the height of the summer, the temperature here is just in the 50s ( mid 10 Celsius and below) with occasional 60s, and during the winter, it does not get colder than below 40s ( does not go below freezing). The Pacific ocean provides a temperate climate for this ancient forest to thrive. 

There are three members of the redwoods family, these are the: 

     1) Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) - found in California coastal fog belt.

     2) Giant Sequoias ( Sequoiadendron Giganteum) - found in California's Sierra Nevada.

     3) dawn redwoods  ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides) - found in Central China.     

Though sequoia and redwoods are often used interchangeably, but the two are very different trees. If the giant sequoias are the biggest trees in the world in terms of volume, the coast redwoods are the tallest trees. The giant sequoia can live up to 3200 years, the coast redwoods can live up to 2000 years. The giant sequoia reproduces by seed only, whereas, the coast redwoods reproduce by both seed or sprout. 

Here are some more pictures we've got from the Stout Grove Memorial Trail

Looking at the Tree or Looking for an Opportunity to Shoot?

(the 2 pictures that follow were shot from where I was standing in the above picture)

Hikers in the Midst of Coast Redwoods

Ancient Coast Redwoods

Just Having Fun

A Walk at Stout Grove Memorial Trail

For my next posts, I will cover what else are at home other than the coast redwoods at Redwoods National and State Park. We will explore the ocean, the one that consistently supplies this ancient coast redwood forest with thick fogs even in the summer to survive.

False Klamath Cove, Redwood National and State Parks

( thick fog hugging the hills and dampening the coast redwoods)

More of Redwoods National and State Parks to come.......

sources: 

Redwood National Park Information page

            Redwoods National and State Parks visitor guide

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