DAY 47 - TREES OF MYSTERY - ORICK, CALIFORNIA

HOLDING CENTRAL STAGE OF THE "CATHEDRAL TREE" IS THIS MESSAGE.

THE "CATHEDRAL TREE" AT THE TREES OF MYSTERY.

MANY WEDDINGS ARE PERFORMED EACH YEAR AT THIS SACRED PLACE.

ANOTHER GROUP OF SUCH TREES IS NOW GROWING FURTHER ALONG THE TRAIL. THE TREES OF MYSTERY ARE TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR WEDDINGS THERE WHEN THEY BECOME MATURE...IN ABOUT 600 YEARS.

AS TODAY CAME TO A CLOSE, THESE STATELY ELK TOTALLY IGNORED ME AS I DROVE - THEN WALKED - TO WITHIN 25 FEET OF THEM...LAYING NEARLY ON THE ROADWAY. THERE ARE MANY "ELK" OBSERVATION AREAS ALONG THIS PART OF US 101, CALIFORNIA'S REDWOOD HIGHWAY. THIS BIG GUY HAD 4 LADIES IN WAITING.

US 101 ABOUT 1/2 MILES SOUTH OF THE TREES OF MYSTERY. AT DAYLIGHT, I WALKED FROM SPIA SOUTH ON US 101 PAST KLAMATH TOWN AND RIVER...ON UP INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND OVER THE TOP FOR 3.5 HOURS (I KNEW SPIA WAS SAFE)

A YOUNG MAN HEADING FOR BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON, STOPPED TO OFFER ME A RIDE...I WAS THOROUGHLY WASHED WITH A WET TONGUE BY HIS PUPPY IN THE BACK SEAT BEFORE WE REACHED SPIA. DOGS EITHER BITE ME OR SHOWER ME WITH SPIT...WONDER WHY THAT IS.

EARLY MORNING MIST RISING FROM THE TREES ALONG US 101 NEAR KLAMATH, CALIFORNIA

SOME FOLKS MAY NOT KNOW WHAT A SWAMP LOOKS LIKE...WELL, THIS IS A ROADSIDE SWAMP...MANY ALONG US 101.

IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, THE MOST PROLIFIC ROADSIDE PLANT IS SALAL. SINCE ENTERING CALIFORNIA, THIS PLANT HAS REPLACED SALAL. (DO NOT KNOW THE NAME OF THIS PLANT, BUT IT IS EVERYWHERE).

ANOTHER SWAMP

TOWN OF KLAMATH, CALIFORNIA. BOUGHT GAS FOR SPIA AND CHECKED OUR NEW 3-GALLON PROPANE TANK...AFTER 36 HOURS OF USE, IT WAS STILL "FULL".

WELCOME SIGN OF THE TOWN OF KLAMATH, CALIFORNIA

CALIFORNIA'S "GOLDEN BEAR". THIS FULL SIZE REPLICA ADORNS ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE BRIDGE OVER THE KLAMATH RIVER.

A FELLOW TRAVELLER...

CLICK CLICK TO READ THE SIGN. THIS IS A REDWOOD "BURLS"

PLACED IN A PAN OF WATER, THE REDWOOD BURLS SPROUTS LIMBS AS PICTURED.

PLACED IN SOIL, THE BURLS WILL PRODUCE A FULL GROWN REDWOOD TREE.

AS THE REDWOOD TREE GROWN, REGIONS OF "SEEDS" INTERNAL TO THE TREE GROWN...KEEPING PACE WITH THE YEARLY GROWTH OF THE "MOTHER" TREE.

SOMETIMES THE "SEED" AREA GROWN MORE QUICKLY THAN THE MOTHER TREE, RESULTING IN GROWTH OUTSIDE THE BARK...THIS RESULTS IN THE BURLS.

LOOKING AT A BURLS, ONE SEES TINY "WHITE" PINPOINTS. THESE ARE THE GROWTH POINTS. IN THE EVENT "MOTHER" TREE IS ATTACKED OR INJURED, THESE "SEEDS" DROP TO THE GROUND, SPROUT AND GROW, ASSURING CONTINUED LIFE FOR THE TREE.

WALKING PATH THROUGH THE TREES OF MYSTERY TRAIL.

ELEPHANT TREE HAS MANY GROTESQUE (ALSO BEAUTIFUL) ABOVE GROUND ROOTS. THIS WA CAUSED BY THIS TREE GROWING OVER THE REMAINS OF A FALLEN TREE. WHEN THE "HOST" TREE ROTTED AWAY, THE ELEPHANT TREE ROOTS RETAINED THE SHAPE OF THE FALLEN HOST TREE.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A TREE WITH EXPOSED ROOTS WHERE A ROTTED-AWAY "HOST" TREE USED TO BE.

THE "TRINITY" TREE IS 297 FEET TALL...NOT UNUSUAL FOR A REDWOOD TREE...THIS TREE IS THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD (ONE RING FOR EACH YEAR)..ALREADY AN OLD TREE WHEN THE ROMAN EMPIRE BEGAN.

REDWOOD TREES - ALL OVER 200 FEET TALL.

CLICK CLICK...BROTHERHOOD TREE. 19 FEET IN DIAMETER.,,297 FEET TALL AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD.

BROTHERHOOD TREE

NEW GONDOLA SYSTEM WHISKS VISITORS THROUGH THE TREE TOPS TO A MOUNTAIN-TOP VISTA HIGH ABOVE THE TREES OF MYSTERY.

TRIED TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS, THE THE GONDOLA WINDOWS WERE NOT CLEAN AND COULD NOT GET PICS. A PITY WHEN ONE CONSIDERS EACH GONDOLA COSTS $32,000.00.

VIEW FROM THE GONDOLA VISTA POINT, LOOKING WEST TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN

VIEW FROM THE GONDOLA VISTA LOOKING EAST OVER THE "COAST RANGE"

OF MOUNTAINS - WHICH BECOME THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS.

LOOKING DOWN IN FRONT OF THE RETURNING GONDOLA...WINDOW WAS A BIT BETTER IN FRONT.

MOSS ON VEGETATION ALONG THE TREES OF MYSTERY WALKING TRAIL.

HAVING WALKED THE ENTIRE "RAIN FOREST" OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN COAST, I MUST SAY THAT THE RAIN FOREST IS NOT JUST AROUND THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS.

THE ENTIRE COAST LINE OF WESTERN UNITED STATES COULD EASILY QUALIFY AS A CONTINUOUS RAIN FOREST.

THE BIG BULL ELK AND HIS HAREM OF 4 "COWS". THIS FELLOW MUST OFTEN FIGHT OTHER MALE (BULL) ELK TO KEEP HIS LADIES. THE LADIES SEEM NOT TO CARE MUCH...THEY SEEM TO KNOW THEY WILL HAVE THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE MALE TO KEEP THEIR MATERNAL LINE STRONG.

DAILY REPORT: WALKED 16 MILES TODAY

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: CREDIT 16 MILES @ $0.02 = $0.32 FOR THE DAY.

THIS AFTERNOON, WAS OFFERED A PARKING PLACE FOR SPIA BY JIM AT HIS AUTO WRECKING BUSINESS ON THE SOUTH OUTSKIRTS OF ORICK, OREGON.

IN THE MORNING, WILL WALK THROUGH ORICK AND NORTH ON US 101 FOR 5 MILES TO MEET UP WITH YESTERDAY'S TURN-AROUND.

THEN, WILL WALK SOUTH ON US 101 TO ...REALLY DON'T KNOW...I AM BECOMING A BIT WEARY AND TIRED...NEARLY TWO (2) MONTHS WALKING WITHOUT A DAY OFF.

WE SHALL SEE...