Gary- While they're both far from our humble abode, I'd definitely attend! -Don > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected]> Subject: [ENTS] Re: > Big Basin Redwoods State Park, CA> Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:25:13 -0500> > > > Hey Gaias,> > We need to do a meeting of the ENTS and WENTS in the coastal > redwoods > (or giant seqoias) area. Anybody out there want to host it?> > > Gary> On Nov 16, 2008, at 12:20 PM, James Parton wrote:> > >> > Will,> >> > > Going out west to see the redwoods have been a dream of mine for> > years. > One of these days I hope to make it out there.> >> > Wonderful post. I think > those are taller than the " Boog "!> > ~Laughing~!> >> > James P.> >> > On > Nov 16, 9:08 am, "Will Blozan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:> >> ENTS,> >>> >> > In October I was invited as a guest speaker to a corporate meeting > >> in > Santa> >> Clara, CA. I was honored to be paid to fly out (with my wife too!), > > >> get> >> picked up in a limo, three nights in the Marriott, gourmet food > and > >> drink.> >> Well that part is over, unfortunately. BUT I was able to > spend a > >> day on> >> "free time" to meet for the first time the > superlative coastal > >> redwoods.> >> From our hotel we could look to the > west and see the redwood spires > >> on the> >> Santa Cruz Mountains, and to > our east the mountains were bare and > >> covered in> >> scrub and grass. The > fog influence was very pronounced and we dried > >> up> >> quickly in the > arid 15% humidity of Santa Clara. What a difference > >> a few> >> miles and > elevation make!> >>> >> I was a bit embarrassed as a big tree hunter to have > never seen the> >> redwoods- and the tallest I have ever personally measured > being a > >> twig on> >> the Montpelier Estate in VA. Well, I bumped up my > personal best to > >> a hair> >> under 300' tall. My wife Heidi and I spent > several hours in Big Basin> >> Redwoods State Park, CA which was the first > park in the state. > >> Although much> >> of it appeared to have been > selectively logged many fine trees > >> remained> >> which had over 100 years > of growth since park establishment in 1902.http://www.bigbasin.org/> >>> >> > Heidi and a "big" redwood> >>> >> I was immediately struck with the height > and density of trees but > >> also with> >> the low diversity of canopy > trees. The canopy was mainly composed > >> of two> >> species, redwood and > coastal Douglas-fir. A mix of tanoak > >> (Lithocarpus> >> densiflorus), > Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii), and various > >> shrubs filled> >> out > the bulk of the mid-canopy and understory. The ridges made for > >> a quick> > >> forest transition to unimpressive (as in small trees) dry site > >> > species of> >> oak and twisty madrone. Well, they could have been impressive > but I > >> had no> >> idea what species I was looking at. The visitor's > center was > >> surprisingly> >> lacking in useful guides to trees, unless I > purchased a book. The > >> madrones> >> were awesome and looked like huge > rhododendrons.> >>> >> I was truthfully more impressed with the Dougies and > tanoaks than the> >> redwoods. I knew I had no chance of any new records for > any species,> >> specifically redwood so my interest was drawn to other > species. I > >> roughed> >> out many heights all day and was impressed my > laser battery did not > >> die. I> >> focused on the Dougies but soon took > notice of the tanoaks. I had > >> never seen> >> the species before and was > interested in them because they were not > >> conifers> >> and likely have > not been intensively sampled due their obvious sub- > >> canopy> >> stature. > Several quick shots indicated that these slender members > >> of the> >> > beech family were in excess of 120'- which is admittedly pretty > >> > impressive> >> for this family in NA. I spotted one that although winding its > way > >> beneath> >> the redwood and Dougie canopy reached 144.3 feet. Their > wood must be> >> seriously strong since this tree was only 6'10" in girth!> > >>> >> Tallest tanoak> >>> >> My goal for the day was to find a tree over 300 > feet tall. I know, an> >> arbitrary number but it was a goal nonetheless. As > Heidi and I > >> traversed> >> several trails and explored small coves and > ravines I measured and > >> measured> >> and measured. The website I looked > at before the visit indicated > >> trees up to> >> 329 feet tall in the park. > As the day went on I had a hard time > >> breaking 240> >> feet. Near a > campground we came across a small, sheltered cove with > >> really> >> > impressive redwoods towering above huge cut stumps. I figured the > >> > remaining> >> trees would have bolted to the sky- and they looked it. The > packed > >> redwoods> >> were very dense and had burned bark up to 120 feet > up the trunks. The> >> charcoal contrasted beautifully with the red unburned > bark and the > >> green> >> foliage. Beautiful and thrifty as they were an > hour of searching and> >> measuring a dozen trees or so did not yield a > single 300 footer. I > >> hit> >> 294.6' and 296.7'. Perhaps elsewhere in the > park a 300 footer can > >> be found-> >> maybe closer to the ocean. After > all, there are 18,00 acres of > >> forest and I> >> only saw a tiny bit.> >>> > >> The tallest redwoods measured> >>> >> Also near the campground grew what > to me was the most impressive > >> tree of the> >> day. It was a Douglas-fir > that shot like an arrow from the side of > >> a small> >> stream. I shot the > laser to the top and thought it was reading > >> erratic. Holy> >> moly! this > tree was roughed out to be over 250 feet tall! Few > >> redwoods had> >> been > seen all day that tall so it deserved some more detailed > >> attention.> >> > Heidi helped with a basal target and the impressive tree turned out > >> to > be> >> 22'4" cbh and 269.1 feet tall. This one tree was worth the trip!> >>> > >> Huge Douglas-fir> >>> >> Upon returning to the visitor center to meet our > ride we discovered > >> that the> >> 329 foot tree- listed as the tallest in > the park- was right by the > >> parking> >> lot. We quickly found it and in > true ENTS style I set about > >> measuring it as> >> carefully as possible. I > used a repeatable trunk flare spot as a > >> reference> >> to base all shots > upon. I found two solid sightings very close to 180> >> degrees apart so as > to provide a good replicate for height > >> determination.> >> This giant > tree, 15.3 feet in diameter is called the "Mother of the > >> Forest".> >> I > don't think it is the biggest tree by volume that we saw but it > >> is a > huge> >> beast with a straight trunk and no obvious reiterations. The top > > >> appeared> >> well formed but due to the relatively short distance I was > able to > >> move away> >> from the tree and still see it I could have missed > the highest > >> point by a> >> few feet (see photo below). I explored the > top intently for a long > >> time with> >> the laser and the two shots > yielded heights of 287.4 and 287.7 > >> feet. There> >> is no possible way > this tree could be 329 feet tall- even with the > >> "tangent"> >> method > :-). I'd like to know how this tree was measured but > >> needless to say,> > >> not accurately!> >>> >> The "Mother of the Forest" taken from the first > laser measuring > >> point. Maybe> >> in a century or two the sign will be > correct.> >>> >> After we were picked up by our gracious hosts- my dad's > cousin and > >> family-> >> we drove to Santa Cruz to see the Pacific Ocean > and watch seals and > >> surfers.> >> The placid scene was accented by the > gnarly Montezuma cypress > >> dangling over> >> the cliffs. An awesome day!> > >>> >> Will F. Blozan> >>> >> President, Eastern Native Tree Society> >>> >> > President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc.> >>> >> image010.jpg> >> > 94KViewDownload> >>> >> image009.jpg> >> 94KViewDownload> >>> >> > image008.jpg> >> 33KViewDownload> >>> >> image007.jpg> >> 104KViewDownload> > >>> >> image006.jpg> >> 94KViewDownload> >>> >> image005.jpg> >> > 88KViewDownload> >>> >> image004.jpg> >> 66KViewDownload> >>> >> > image003.jpg> >> 97KViewDownload> >>> >> image002.jpg> >> 45KViewDownload> > >>> >> image001.jpg> >> 72KViewDownload> >>> >> image012.jpg> >> > 18KViewDownload> > >> > > > _________________________________________________________________ Get 5 GB of storage with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_5gb_112008 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org
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