In years past, I have visited many groves of the giant coastal redwoods, but as I was going to be in and around Santa Rosa today, I thought I would take some time to hike through a medium aged grove just northeast of town, the Armstrong Redwoods Preserve. I arrived in Santa Rosa about 9:45 after rising early and driving over the pass from Reno. After tending to some other business, I headed for the grove and after a relaxing drive along the swollen Russian River, arrived in the town of Guerneville. Just a few miles north and I was at the visitor center of the grove.
As I park the jeep and put on some hiking shoes, I'm overwhelmed by the humidity here. It has been an incredibly wet year so far, but this is on another level . . . rain forest level. It's no wonder the mighty redwoods thrive here. They seem to love the humidity and some scientists have even speculated that they are able to extract moisture from the fog that dominates valleys in this coastal region.
As I make my way up the trail, I never cease to be amazed by these mighty trees. They stand like telephone polls stabbing at the sky. So tall and so lean, in comparison to their cousins, the giant sequoias that grow at higher elevations. The coastal redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth, many reaching over 300 feet tall. If I'm not mistaken, the current record-holder is a tree further north known as Hyperion and reaching a height of 376 feet tall. Growing up near St. Louis, I can't help but imagine this giant tree standing near the Gateway Arch, which stands 630' tall. Many trees would be insignificant next to such a man-made monument, but not the redwoods. They demand attention.
While these giants are the ones that steal the show, this entire wet forest is crowded with many younger examples, that given time and left alone from the 'good intentions' of humans may surpass their massive forefathers. The trail dumps back out at the visitor center and I clean the mud off of my boots. I'm sweaty, but not due to hiking hard. It's simply like a cool sauna in the grove - good for the trees! Just a quick 2 miles, but well worth the visit.
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