Coast Redwood Parks Forest

Scouting, Exploring, Learning

This page is an off-shoot of Largest Coast Redwoods

Continue to page end for a few tips about Bushwhacking in the Redwoods

Copyright 2009 by Mario Vaden.

The year of 2009 provided a few opportunities explore with Chris Atkins and Professor Steve Sillett in Redwood National Park and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The days were strenuous, yet enjoyable exploration. Miles of deep forest exploring. Bushwhacking is a figurative name used for exploring off the trail without carrying a machete'.

The work and effort that they put into scouting and research is almost inconceivable. This was also an opportunity to see how meticulous they are with data and equipment, and how they work together as a team as a network of professionals.

Although our focus was redwoods, one find included 2 Port Orford cedar side by side, mostly surrounded by Sequoia sempervirens. One of the Port Orford cedars looked promising for a tallest ever-recorded of any cedar-like species according to laser readings. That was deep within Jedediah Smith redwoods. On a repeat visit with Dr. Robert Van Pelt, another fine Port Orford cedar was spotted. Its a small grove of Port Orford cedars secluded within redwood country.

We wrapped up another day with a cross country bushwhack to another part of the park where a tall redwood soars overhead: a new 2nd tallest known coast redwood within that Jed Smith park. A few photos from the bushwhacks will be added to the photos. The new 2nd tallest redwood became part of a new study plot.

The amount of time to measure a single tree can be substantial. It was surprising in Redwood National Park, to see where Atkns and Sillett set up a tripod: across a ravine and about 200 feet upward on steep slope coated with sword ferns. It took hours to measure just 2 redwoods next to each other. This image at right shows the terrain. Sillett's head is level with Atkin's knees, and likewise Atkin's head level with my knees while taking the photos.

This led to an opportunity for me to help Chris Atkins measure some of the tallest redwoods. Every 10 weeks or so, I drove down to the parks near Crescent City and Orick, for 2 or 3 days of work. Equipped with GPS for navigation, Atkins packs in a Laser Technology rangefinder and Leica Geosystems surveying prism. My part was to accompany him since the forest is loaded with hazards, help set up tripods, photograph tree tops, and other odds and ends. Flashlights are essential: at least twice we ran out of daylight in thick woods on slopes. Moving through the hilly parks is an art, virtually a trade secret once you master it.

The trees we looked for, and will look for, are LIDAR trees. Funding from Save the Redwoods League, and I believe from Kenneth L. Fisher, funded a plane to fly over some redwood parks to read points on the ground and in the canopy with laser. About 80,000 points per second. The data is used to make a type of map, which suggests tall redwood canopy hunting grounds. Atkins, a couple and I would go to those locations in many wild rugged locations within the parks, spot the tops, then measure them. A couple of other men helped with this project too.

Wherever he took his first reading - his "window" - is where we take a zoom photo of the redwood top. We work our way to the base of the tree, finally measuring high and low grade and averaging the difference. The measurement and photo are kept on file for future measurements to learn about the tallest of this species. This was a good learning experience and I had a chance to see many parts of the park where people just don't go alone, if at all.

2008 included an interesting exploration as well. November, 2008, I met Michael Taylor for the first time, at the prairie of Prairie Creek redwoods along Drury Parkway. We traveled to the forest around Lost Man Creek and Larry Dam Creek. We found a pretty good size redwood, now called Dog Soldier: approximately 21,000 cubic feet. And Michael spotted a very tall redwood that he came back for again later, to measure.

Bushwhacking Tips + Nature's Call

When you hear Nature's Call . Yes ... taking a dump ... pinching a loaf ... going to the bathroom. Ever realized how many people go behind a tree and just leave that bright white paper sitting there? Rather than a quick dump and run, be courteous: grab handfuls of needles, twigs or duf, and cover your pile and paper. It will retain moisture, help decomposition and hide what otherwise looks like litter. If not, the paper just sits on top for months, maybe a year or two. A lot of people must simply hurry behind the first big redwood they find where there is space to walk. A moment of consideration often would indicate that those are exactly the same redwoods that people are walking around to look at or take photos of. Why relieve yourself behind the first redwood? Go back a couple of hundred feet to the 2nd, 3rd or 4th redwood deep. This applies in deep forest as well as by scenic roads and trails. This advice is worthwhile even if you are bushwhacking deep in the redwood forest.

Water or Filter. You can bring water. But if you plan to be near creeks ocassionally, carry a small straw and filter to reduce pack weight. Similar to what is shown on my emergency kit page.

Water shoes. Or thongs or sandals. In case you need to remove and carry your boots. I clip mine to the outside of my pack. Thongs can stuff in a pack. So can water shoes. Few things are more miserable than hiking several miles back with saturated socks and hiking boots.

LED Flashlight + LED Flashlight. Not one, but two flashlights. Several times, we would have been stranded in the redwoods without a flashlight. On the trail and in the forest. Sometimes you just don't know when you will get out. After seeing how a flashlight spared getting our asses handed to us by the terrain at night, I bushwhack without two of them. Or two people with one each. 80 to 100 lumens should be adequate. You can get small flashlights up to 500 lumens now for $70 to $150. For a bit more, one even fries eggs.

Hiking Stick. If you don't mind carrying a hiking stick, they help with balance through water and walking on some logs. If you can't see through vegetation, you can push the stick through prior to dropping your foot and leg down into a hidden cavity.

100' Tape. If you are looking for trees, how will you know the diameter without something to measure with? Unless you carry a lightweight string on a spool with premeasured increments. Keep in mind that there may be yew, spruce, Douglas fir, Port Orford cedar and a host of hardwood species undiscovered out there regarding largest or tallest. Don't just look for champion redwoods that have been found. But keep an eye on all the species. If you don't have a laser rangefinder, search online for the "stick method" of measuring. There are articles and videos. In case URLs change, I will leave that search up to you.

Camera. Its hard to explain what a tree looks like without a photo. Also, if your budget is moderate, don't bring a camera worth more than about $400. I've fallen off logs onto my backpack twice. Did not break a camera yet. But I'm not going to carry a $500 to $1500 camera off-trail for general bushwhacking. At least 12 x zoom is recommended if you want to reach some canopy views.

Pants. I like the feel of jeans normally. But in the redwoods, I learned that lightweight pants are the way to go. Something like you might find are REI. Like convertible nylon ripstop or polyester material. When jeans get wet, it adds noticeable weight and the material clings to skin, reducing flexibility. Water seems to shed from the lightweight synthetic pants, and they dry off faster.

GPS unit. A GPS is a smart move. And I don't mean for marking any redwoods that you find. The main reason that I carry one is to get myself out. A compass is decent if you are only going in 1500 feet or so. But for a 1/2 mile or more, the GPS is excellent to have. Plus the compass.

Poison oak ID. I don't think that Prairie Creek redwoods has any poison-oak. If it does, it's minimal. But Jedediah Smith, Redwood National Park and Humboldt Redwoods SP have it for a fact. Know what it looks like and remember that it won't have leaves in winter. If you only know how to ID it by leaves and walk through bare stems in winter, you will pay the consequences.

Huckleberry the Nemesis. Salmonberry thorns are pretty harsh sometimes, but those don't seem to tangle at all the way Evergreen Huckleberry does. Another thing about Huckleberry, it flourishes in very low light levels. Lower limb of other trees or shrubs typically die in low light, decompose and become brittle: allowing fairly easy passage. But the Huckleberry branches remain alive at head level, waist level and ankle level. Proving both a blockade, a tripping obstacle, and sort of a hook because the limbs curve. You need to get your attitude psyched in advance so your day remains a positive experience even if you encounter some big patches.

Found a Titan? If so, how about preserving the area aesthetically so others can get some nice photos in the future. Don't cut or bend foliage and twigs to improve your shot. Just move the tripod or camera and capture the best view which you can. Don't walk so high up the trunk that you dislodge ferns, sorrel and huckleberry. Ferns don't break if you lift the fronds upward as you move, rather than barging-through. Climbing the bark wears lichens off and removes the natural "patina" so to speak.

Master bent knees. Learn to walk without fully straightening your legs. If your foot punches through debris and you begin to fall, it's essential to crouch immediately and bend your leg or legs. Better a few bruises than snapping your joint the wrong way. Likewise walking across logs, in case you need to drop and sit when you hit a slimy patch or the bark gives-way. Sometimes the center of the log is decayed enough for your leg to punch into the log.