North to Alaska - The Forest Primeval
/“This is the forest primeval.”
From “Evangeline” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - 1847
Day 12 - Redwoods State Parks
Though Longfellow was describing Acadia in his famous poem, the Redwoods National & State Parks contain primeval forest… 39,000 acres of old-growth redwoods that were growing before any recorded history. A walk among these ancient trees is mind-boggling. Long before Europeans ever stepped foot on this continent, these trees were growing and thriving here. We could see, smell, and touch these millennia-old living things. How humbling.
We packed up camp at Panther Flat early and were on the road in record time. The forecast for several sunny, warm days had us pumped up and ready to explore. We headed back to the scenic Howland Hill Road and into the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This six-mile long unpaved road was once the main stagecoach route to Oregon in the late 1800s.
Jedediah Smith is a well-known name in the area. There’s the Smith River named after him, the state park and even a shopping plaza in downtown Crescent City. Smith was an explorer and the first non-native to have traveled overland from the Mississippi River across the Sierras to the Pacific Coast, proving it was possible to do so and by documenting it, opened up the possibilities of travel routes west.
The Smith River runs through the park and its waters are crystal clear and a beautiful, deep blue-green. The color comes from the serpentine, California’s state mineral, which lines the stream-beds and tints the water its distinctive color.
We’d passed up hiking the trails along this scenic byway on our last drive-through and now made good on our promise to return. Our first stop was the Stout Memorial Grove. The 1/2 mile trail is an easy walk and this grove of trees is considered the heart of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park. You get a crook in your neck from constantly looking up!
Forty-four acres of ancient redwoods were donated to the Save the Redwoods League back in 1929 in honor of Frank Stout, a lumber baron, in order to prevent them from being logged. These tall, colossal trees are the main attraction here and walking amongst them feels almost sacred, like walking through a cathedral. The giants thrive in the rich river soil and cool, moist climate growing to heights of 300’ and living as long as 3000 years.
Most of the undergrowth is dwarfed and consists mainly of sword ferns, moss, redwood sorrel and a pleasing splash of color provided by bright red and pink rhododendron and delicate trilliums.
I was fascinated with the ferns. Some looked as if they’d been the inspiration for Star Wars characters.
The Grove of Titans path is relatively new. This section of primeval growth deep in the park has long been known by the native people. It was discovered by locals and kept secret, but tourists at some point discovered it and they shared the location leading curious folks to stomp on the vegetation and cause significant damage to local ecosystems surrounding the trees. To address the issues, a new official boardwalk through the Grove of Titans was established within the past couple of years. The new elevated walkway is 1,300 feet long and it provides ecologically conscious access to the sensitive area while still allowing people to visit the tallest trees in the world. The whole path is only about 1.7 miles long, out and back. It’s easy with some ups and downs on the path and some stairs..
We moved camp to Mill Creek Campground in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. Our campsite was damp, dank, dark and soggy… everything covered with a thick blanket of moss including our picnic table which was situated in the ‘grotto’ of a giant redwood tree stump. Trees occluded the sky, so there was no solar to be had. We determined immediately that one night here would surely be enough, plus we were getting itchy to move on.
Day 13 - Celebrating Mother’s Day (again!)
We began the morning with a walk on the Trestle Loop Trail from the Mill Creek campground. After about 1/2 mile, a large sign indicated the trail was closed, but was a connection point for the Sadler Skyline Trail which seemed a reasonable alternative. The trail was well-trodden, but unmarked by sign or blaze.
Considered moderate difficulty, it leaned more to the strenuous side if you consider the number of tree limbs and branches that had to be removed, climbed over, under, or in one case, through. Deadfall consistently obstructed the path which had yet to be groomed for the season. Crested jays squawked and eyed us as we trampled through. The path finally intersected with a park road and we scampered down onto it and headed back to Blanche. We were packed up and on the road in a flash.
After nearly two weeks on the road, we decided to treat ourselves to a hotel night… a most fitting way to celebrate Mother’s Day. We had made no reservations and figured we’d stop and find a place along our route.
Still on the Pacific Coast Highway, we crossed into Oregon. We checked out several hotels on-line which either had no vacancy or were absurdly expensive. In the tiny town of Brookings Harbor, we passed a cute little place named Portside Suites that looked appealing. I called and sure enough, they had a room and the rate was reasonable (for 2023 anyway!). It ended up being a gem of a place with a well-appointed 2-room suite, comfy king bed, and an inviting balcony that overlooked the port. Perfect!
There were two restaurants nearby, but we chose to eat in. We enjoyed hot showers, then sat on the balcony in two big wicker chairs nursing a beer and enjoying the evening.
Day 14 - On the Oregon Coast
US-101 is designated as the Oregon Coast Trail here. As you’d imagine, it closely hugs the coast and provides outstanding views of the Pacific. We had acquired a copy of the free ‘Original Highway 101 Mile-by-Mile Guide’ at a Visitor Center and found it to be excellent. Beyond the usual ads, it was filled with extremely useful and fun information and we would rely on it heavily for the next few days. It’s especially great for folks who like to stop frequently (like us).
A stop at Natural Bridge / Arch Rock, for instance, would have been a pass-by had it not been described in advance. It gave us a good leg stretch and a million dollar view.
The Pistol River area is known for wind surfing and clamming, but we just took in the views.
We kept seeing signs for ‘myrtlewood factories’ and finally gave in and stopped at one shop to learn more about myrtlewood, with which we were unfamiliar. It’s a rare, aromatic evergreen hardwood. According to Oregon myrtlewood lore, it only grows in Oregon and in the Holy Land based on a Biblical passage Isaiah 55:13.
Actually, it doesn’t grow just in Oregon nor does it grow in the Holy Land at all according to the Oregon Encyclopedia website. It grows along the cool, moist California and Oregon coast and in the Klamath Mountains and western Sierras. Woodturners here turn the wood into bowls, candle holders, animal figures, pepper mills and a myriad of other wooden gift shop shelf fillers. Nice to know about myrtlewood, but we resisted the urge to buy.
The day was hot and sultry at 90F, very atypical for the coast at this time of year. We stopped at Cape Blanco Light for a look-see. Built in 1870, it’s the oldest standing lighthouse in Oregon and also the most westerly point in Oregon. The long walk up the hill was hot, but the breeze on the hilltop was most appreciated.
Next came Bandon, a cute little town that we’d been directed to specifically because of ‘Washed Ashore’, a community art project that used items recovered from the ocean to make artwork. We learned at the little visitor center that Washed Ashore was no more, but that several of the artwork pieces were still on display around town.
An added bonus to our art-finding walk was a good view of the Coquille River Lighthouse across the bay.
The 363-mile Oregon Coast is called ‘the People’s Coast’ based upon the “Oregon Beach Bill,” which in 1967 passed and signed into law a landmark piece of legislation that expanded protection of public access to Oregon’s beaches in perpetuity. Pretty awesome!
We stopped at the Sunset Bay State Park Campground for the night. It’s a fine campground with under-road access to the beach across the street. It had all the amenities except… you guessed it… no cell service. No morning newspaper read… darn!
Next time, join us as we continue up the Oregon coast… yes, slowly… because that’s what we do! Don’t be impatient… there’s lots to see on the way to Alaska!