Fusion Giant Redwood | aka Melkor

Continued from: Coast Redwoods Information and Photography

Copyright 2009 by Mario Vaden

This redwood is Fusion Giant, aka Melkor. It has also been incorrectly spelled as Melcor. Around 2008, its dimensions showed up on a Humboldt State University web page, anonymously with no name, as a new 2nd largest coast redwood. Previously, Iluvatar was the 2nd largest. For reference, 2009 data for Fusion Giant is: 348.8' or 106.3 meters tall, 22.4' at dbh or diameter breast high, measured 4.5' above grade, and 1107.2 cubic feet of wood volume.

The coast redwood is memorable for me because of the first search for it. I found another redwood before this one on the same day, which had a trunk diameter almost as wide: which I named Episkopos. The name refers to how high up the slope its rooted, in a position that oversees much of the Redwood Creek Valley in that area. After finding Episkopos, I realized that undiscovered Titans could be anywhere that has been unexplored, indicative that giants can live high up in the hills. Some months later, I learned that Prof. Sillett of Humboldt State University discovered another titan high on a hillside in the same park, while exploring with Kenneth Fisher. Mr. Fisher is a businessman with with extensive knowledge and concern for redwood forest ecology.

In 2011, Melkor became a co-champion coast redwood with American Forests point system. The 2011 New York Times article spelled the name Melcor plus a typo of 7 ft & 4 in. for circumference. Later corrected to 70 ft. & 4 in.. Although, many other sources that fed from the story source, retained the 7 ft. error. This trunk is 3 x 7 ft. wide plus some.

Our son Michael is shown below next to Melkor Coast Redwood, in 2009.