Did yo ever go south of monterey? john Mellor’s stellar effort has added dimension to my reverie and a purpose beyond my immediate day to day life that can be threateningly comfortable…the board construction now takes on an interesting turn to perhaps take every thing to swayloholix at plaskett creek…this being impossible the dream persists of smelling rich fall morning air and questing saline amongst the seagrass and cobble stone strewn coast made familiar in my intrepid youth…thanks for providing the refuge ,truely one of the greater Johns of this short life…ambrose…as the time draws near
should you be on the plane, not to be confused with planar surfaces or tools for making things planar, don’t hesitate to keep heading to the East. 'Cos you’ll always find a very warm welcome out on this side of the continent.
Being born and raised on the coast of California I did find myself taking for granted the magnificence of this coastline. Driving down to Plaskett last year I was parked at the ocean, at the base of the road from Hunter Ligett to the coast, waiting for my brakes to cool off after that god awful steep ride down from the mountains. Standing on the cliff watching the kelp sway with the surge of the crystal clear water, set off by a blazing sun, towering green mountains and cool salty air. I was in complete awe of the beauty of this place as if it was the first time I’d ever seen it.
The beauty of Big Sur comes in multitudes and variety. In some ways it’s like surfing Jalama. Over the years you get all of these different looks that add up to special individual visits, or trips; paying your dues for one or two of the free passes. Having surf and sunny weather is wonderful, but those foggy, drizzly days w/ partial clearing are one of the bonuses that make the coastal strip special. Rain gear and a sweater could be a good thing in the end. It might push the un-aware tourist to stay at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or Hearst Castle. In my interest of Plants and trees, I’ve heard that an average of over 11 inches of precipitation fall in the Big Sur micro climate annually in the form of fog. This makes last year’s event all the more special.
Pray for surf and sun, but bring your gear just the same.
Redwood Forest
If there is one tree that most non-Californians identify with this state, it is certainly the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) (fig. 77). These giant trees, famous for their size and longevity, form dark, primordial groves in moist valleys and canyons, and large ferns and a lush understory suggest a different, earlier time. Big Sur is the southern stronghold of California’s redwood forest, and the species reaches its southern distributional limit about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) from the Salmon Creek drainage in southern Big Sur. From this point, the redwood forest stretches north 725 km (450 mi) just across the California-Oregon border. The trees grow in the narrow belt of fog that hugs the California coast and are rarely found more than 48-64 km (30-40 mi) inland from the Pacific. [indent]
Figure 77. Sequoia sempervirens, coast redwood [/indent] [indent]
Redwood Forest [/indent]
Redwoods have not always been restricted to this foggy belt of maritime California. Fossil evidence indicates that these trees and related plants were once widespread throughout the northern hemisphere, including Greenland, Europe, and Asia, about 50 million years ago. Climatic conditions then, even in the far north, were similar to the mild temperatures and high humidity seen today along the northern Pacific coast. In fact, a closely related species once thought to be extinct and known only from the fossil record was discovered in a remote area of China. However, due to the changing climate, says botanist Robert Ornduff, the coast redwood “should be considered a species that is on the way out in an evolutionary sense.”
The redwood’s distribution in Big Sur reflects this trend and is more patchy than that of the redwood forests to the north. The trees usually occupy the steep coastal canyons where summer fog is channeled. They have been recorded growing at elevations as high as 1100 m (3600 ft) and occur less frequently on the north-facing slopes of the interior valleys.
The redwood is a water-loving species and is thus restricted to areas of ample moisture. Many of the creeks flowing through the redwood-filled canyons dry up during the summer, but the summer fog supplies important supplementary moisture to the trees. The fog not only lowers temperature and increases humidity, but it also condenses on the flat needles of the redwoods and falls to the ground as fog drip. Studies in northern California have found that fog drip can add as much as 26 cm (10 in.) of precipitation to the annual total in redwood forests.
Differences in temperature and moisture are also evident within the redwood’s range along the coast from Oregon to Big Sur. The warmer and drier climate of Big Sur is probably responsible for the smaller size of Big Sur’s redwoods, both as individuals and the forest in general. The redwoods in Big Sur, as large as some of them are, do not come near the size of the northern redwoods of Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Those giants may be the tallest trees in the world, the largest reaching 112 m (367 ft) in height (some Australian eucalyptus trees may be as tall or taller). The largest redwoods in Big Sur are 61 m (200 ft) tall and are found in the canyons and valleys on the coastal flank of the mountains, such as along the Little Sur and Big Sur rivers and in Partington, McWay, Big Creek, and Palo Colorado canyons. To the south, the trees become noticeably smaller.
Epac,
That’s great info, thanks for sharing it. Living a half hour from Big Basin, I should visit there more often. I am always blown away by the redwoods there.
See ya’ at Big Sur
Gary
My grand mother was such a redwood freak my mother was a reactionary and we never fixed on the redwood info ,thanks for the redwood primer…Tharps log lingers in my memory and this coastal redwoods story eclipses the sequoia input, the sherman and the big trees there are smaller than the coastals? how bout that…interesting …ambrose…hmmm
Ambrose - They’re all BIG. Wandering around in a Redwood or Sequoia grove can be a real mind bender.
Coastal Redwoods = Tallest, General Sherman Sequoia = Biggest (by volume)
thank John Muir… Sherman didn’t march through the south , in california… he made a real bad rep in georgia for preservation …1st branch 383’?..ambrose…recalling a 50 year old memory-------looked it up 274.9’ tall nope the first branch has gotta be lower than that but it sure was high up there
I’d given up drinking for the surgery. Now, a glass of Zin for the evening glass off. I’m up for ceremonial home brews w/ serpentine coasters. Am I getting excited or just stuck in the house too long?