Posted on

A place to spend eternity

The other day, while exploring the Jedediah Smith Redwoods, we stopped at tiny pullout and began, again, oohhing & aahhing over the grandeur of the trees. At the back of the pull out, we found a tiny trail heading down into the trees towards the Mill Creek below. There we found the most awesome little rocky beach tucked down in the grove. It was so nice we went back today armed with snacks, books, and something to sit on. I even gave a shot at the first swim of the season, but got turned back at knee level! While there, we noticed what we thought was a forest service boundary marker. Upon closer inspection, this is what we found. What a spot to spend eternity.

Posted on

A trip to a Fairy Ring!

We stopped to pick up a new daypack for M and one of the sales guys sketched out a rough map to the Titanic Cathedral Trees in the Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. The woods are always calling, so off we went.

“Fairy Rings” or “Cathedral Trees” are sometimes seen in Redwood forests. The death of an old tree often nourishes the growth of new trees. Sometimes the burls at the base and seeds from the dying tree create new trees that form a circle around the old. The rotting old tree in the middle eventually decays allowing for a “hole” in the canopy that gives the new trees sufficient light to grow creating a fairy ring.

Tip: The weather in the Pacific northwest can change quickly, so along with water and snacks, always pack a raincoat and an extra warm layer when hiking, even if you are out for a short jaunt.

Tidbit: The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway is a short easy paved drive thru the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. At the southern end is a visitor center and a resident herd of elk.

Posted on

California’s Lost Coast

California’s Lost Coast travels through dramatic landscapes. Within a 25 mile stretch, we went from the windswept Highlands of Scotland, to the shores of Newfoundland, to the farms of Vermont, and to the twistee steep turns of Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail. It was a magical drive that transported us to some of our favorite places. Thank you Richard for recommending the drive! The pictures, as usual, do not do justice to the scenery.

Tip: The 25 miles of road we travelled from Ferndale south along the Lost Coast was mostly paved, but it is not recommended for large vehicles or vehicles towing. There were several tight switchbacks, a few very steep inclines, and well, what goes up must come down so steep descends, and some quite narrow sections with recent mudslides.

Tidbit: The only thing that could have improved our drive was to have done it on our motorcycles!!

Posted on

Avenue of the Giants

Today we took a nice day trip through the Avenue of the Giants. The rain has been relentless here in northern California (7 inches in 24 hours), but the weather broke this morning and we were off. The Avenue of the Giants is a nice paved drive that paralles Rt. 101. Along the way, there are many places to pull over that have well graded paths that make the redwood groves accessible for those less steady on their feet or for those with limited time. We found a fallen giant at one of the pull outs and spent a while clambering about. A very nice relaxing day, and it wasn’t raining!

The paved road is accessible to all types of vehicles, but I am guessing it is quite crowded during the summer.
The paths at some of the pull outs are quite accessible. The road is right behind Darrin.
A huge fallen tree. Normally hiking in the forest we would never walk on an old tree. This one by the side of the road had seen some heavy use.
And its roots.
A beautiful drive we highly recommend.

Tip: Top off your gas tank before heading to the Avenue of the Giants. We found gas only to be available near the southern and northern ends of the drive.

Tidbit: We still highly recommend hiking one of the trails that take you deeper into the redwoods for the full effect, if you can.

Posted on

A Scavenger Hunt!

Crescent City, the wind is howling from the ocean, localized flooding predicted from the rain, sneaker waves coming over the breakwater! What to do on this wet, dreary afternoon after our Whaler Rock Adventure?

A scavenger hunt!

We had picked up a brochure at the Del Norte County Historical Society about The Redwood Mural Society, a group of artists who created murals and mosaics around Crescent City. They range in size from 7ft x 8ft to an entire side of a building and are meant to bring some history, color, and art to the community. The brochure included pictures of the murals and a very rough map of the their locations. We were off. The shipyard ice plant, the lobby of the stately old hotel, and the reservation casino were some of the places we discovered the murals!

A fun way to spend the afternoon!

Tidbit: It’s the comic book store!

Posted on

Hold On!

What do we do on a rainy day when they are predicting 20mph winds, with gusts of 40mph, and 20ft waves? Why we hike out to the top of Whaler Island in the Crescent Bay Harbor!

A little overall view. The lighthouse is behind me.
Those breakwaters are about 15ft tall. The jetty is doing its job, notice how calm the outer harbor is.
Darrin’s hair likes to normally stand up straight, but this time it is the wind creating the Cupid Doll look.
Brought back fond memories of our trip to Newfoundland where a ‘bit of wind’ means high winds. There was ‘a bit of wind’ today!
A wee flower thriving on the edge.

Tidbit: Whaler island used to be 10 acres and home to a rendering facility (thus its name). Today it is just under 4 acres and home to the Coast Guard Station. What happened to the other 6 acres you ask? Why it was blasted and used to build the inner jetty.

Posted on

Tough Duty, The St. George Reef Lighthouse

The St. George Reef is the peak of a submerged volcanic mountain six miles off the northern coast of California. Rough weather with howling winds and crashing waves create a mist that obliterates the peaks and creates dangers for mariners.
The St. George Lighthouse was built in response to the sinking of the Brother Jonathan. It took 11 years to complete and cost the US almost $705,000. The top of the lighthouse is almost 150 ft above the ocean.
The only way to access the lighthouse is via a 60ft boom.
A large hook would hoist small boats onto the rock.
The winter of 1952 was the harshest in history at the reef. During one storm, 160-foot waves swept over the lighthouse, shattering a window in the lantern room.
Model by Peter Cruttenden on display at the Del Norte County Historical Society.
In 1937, the lightkeepers were cut off from the mainland for over a month because of harsh weather. The crew, who had worked together for years became so tense and stir crazy they stopped conversing and even ate meals facing away from each other. It was said to be unbearable. The weather finally broke after 59 days, a supply boat arrived and life at the lighthouse returned to normal.
Poster on display at the Del Norte County Historical Society.
St. George was decommissioned in 1975, replaced by a navigational buoy. The 6,000 pound Fresnel lens was removed by the Coast Guard in 1983 and is now on display at the Del Norte County Historical Society.

Tidbit: Living conditions at the lighthouse, 7 miles from shore, were rough. Of the 80 men who served, 37 resigned and 26 requested transfers to other stations.

Posted on

The Sinking of the Brother Jonathan

July 30, 1865 was the last voyage of the Brother Jonathan. The paddle steamer departed Crescent City, California for Vancouver BC after dropping off cargo. Upon leaving the bay, she ran into a nasty storm near the new Oregon state border. The captain quickly decided to head back to the safety of Crescent City harbor. Within minutes of turning back the ship struck a shoal and began to sink. Although there were ample lifeboats, only one was able to clear the sinking ship. Of the 244 souls aboard only 19 individuals survived making it, at that time, the worse shipwreck in the US.

Artwork by Gene Olson
Courtesy of Del Norte County Historical Society
Courtesy of Del Norte County Historical Society
Artwork by Gene Olson
Courtesy of Del Norte County Historical Society
Passenger list at the memorial cemetery.
One of several remaining gravestones at the memorial cemetary.
Posted on

Walking Among Giants

Today we hiked among the Ancient Ones in the Jedediah Smith State Park.

The silence in the woods was as dense as the trees. Not a bird chirped nor an animal scurried.
The trails we hiked weaved in and out of the standing giants.
We were humbled in their presence.
And recharged by their energy.
The old lay down to nourish the young.
And we met 3 nice young men from Wales who are here on their own 2 week adventure! Have a great time!!

Tidbit: Some of these trees were upwards of 2,000 years old. We could have stayed all day to absorb their wisdom.

Posted on

Battery Point Lighthouse

Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City, was first lit December 10, 1856. A beautiful Cape Cod style lighthouse, it has provided safe passage in and out of the Crescent City harbor for over 150 years and is uniquely placed on a point that is only accessible at low tide.

Tidbit: In 1879 a large wave hit the kitchen shed side of the lighthouse toppling the chimney, and knocking the kitchen stove over which started a fire. The family quickly started pulling water out of the cistern to put out the fire when a second wave crashed ashore, swished down the remnants of the toppled chimney and extinguished the fire!