Coast Redwood "Navi"

Redwood National Park Area

by Mario Vaden

 

This mighty coast redwood is called Navi after the fairy in the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Navi is one of the more challenging redwoods to photograph and capture color due to the heavy shade and fuzzy bark texture. I stood by the redwood years ago, but photographed it for the first time in 2018. Aside from the huge size, my favorite feature on this tree are the green sprouts on the trunk. This happens on other coast redwoods, often near the base, but the ones on Navi are exceptionally bright and straight. They remind me of asparagus sprouts in a garden. The side shown is uniquely fluted, and I have no idea why it developed like this.

The sprouts are not easy to see in detail from the ground, and are one more example why I correct people who say photos can't do redwood justice. At home, I can view higher resolution images and review intricated details of the stems, needles, bark and color. Photos are not a substitute for visiting, but an aid to enhance understanding and preserve memories.