Tall Trees Talk

We have people that stop by our office and ask questions about Redwood National and State Parks.  Most of the questions revolve around where different trails heads are, food options in the area, how to get to Fern Canyon, where is the dive through tree etc.  However, inevitably the conversation ends up focusing on two items: 1) Where is the Biggest Tree in the World and 2) Are there Mountain Lions?

The article below addresses both questions.  The author, Mario Vaden, is a tree expert and very passionate about Redwood Trees.  Has put in countless hours (years?) studying and documenting old growth Redwood Tress here in Redwood National and State Parks.  Please check out his web site for great information and some spectacular photos.  www.mdvaden.com

Hyperion ~ World’s Tallest Redwood

In the hills of Redwood National Park

Copyright 2009 by Mario Vaden

Hyperion coast redwood, discovered 2006 by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor in Redwood National Park, is the tallest in the world. 2009 measurment 115.61m or 379.1′ high, 15.88′ dbh. The meaning of dbh is diameter breast high, 4.5′ above grade.

Access is not limited to one direction of approach. There are several ways to approach this tallest redwood in the world, depending on whether the area is approached from redwood creek far below, or mountains that flank the valley, logging roads and cat tracks, horse trails, or a combination of those. Presently, my favorite story of a search by other folks is a 2007 Metroactive Redwood article. It sounds like they may have picked the Redwood Creek trail trailhead with the parking lot off Bald Hills Road, near Highway 101. That redwood article opens with them weighing options in hours and pints of blood.

This area has been nicknamed Fog Valley too, in a book by Richard Preston, describing Steve Sillett and Michael Taylor heading downstream into the rugged region. Again, not headed up a brook, but downward.

Hyperion is on a hillside, but I saw no vague resemblance of a “keyhole” in the natural landscape, a description used for the area. The location will of course be as broad as the imaginations of the few who know where it grows. The area is not neccessarily uncharted or lost because virtually all of Redwood National Park is on a map: the mountains and valleys. But “lost valley” is fitting.

Near Hyperion, were scads of fresh bear footprints, claw marks on logs and scat. By far the most bear signs I’ve seen in redwood groves during the past few years.

My entrance into the remote area involved several wet episodes. Sometimes, crossing water, its hard to tell what is ankle deep or waist high. Eventually the search focused solely on hillside and forest. The wooded habitat near the tallest redwood Hyperion had diversity: Mahonia, sword fern, alder, sorrel, tan oak, bigleaf maple, some huckleberry and plenty of moss. The Bryophytes, or moss, added to the scenic beauty of this forest area.

As with other redwood groves, Hyperion withstood forest fire, evident from a few burns on the trunk. The lower trunk has no significant damage like large Goose Pens. The circumference of the lower stem a plentiful wrapping of cambium and bark. The trunk base has a quick taper for the first 14′ or so, then a gentle taper and no significant lean. It is a single stem: slightly elliptical. The bark furrows are more vertical than spiral like some other redwoods.

The forest floor around Hyperion redwood and grove is thickly covered with thick organic: leaves, needles and twigs. Its like a sponge. There is substantial coarse woody debris as well. I had trouble finding this redwood again the 2nd time, because the vegetation is pretty thick in some spots around it.

Some folks consider Hyperion as the holy grail of redwoods. One naturalist wrote in reply to once that they would not set foot on that earth because it was sacred ground. That sounds imaginative. But it was not like frogs and bears there genuflect. Hyperion redwood is a rare and unique component of the park. For now the location remains secret. Hyperion is very remote. My edge was mainly decades of professional arboriculture work and being able to read the forest. Maybe it’s location should be called Hyperion Hill since it’s up on a hillside. Most folks won’t recognize redwoods like this. Note that I photographed lichens on Lost Monarch and did not realize which redwood it was until 6 months later. These redwoods are more obscure than some folks realize

The traces of bear near there reminded me of Blue Ledge Mine east near Applegate Lake, where in 4 visits I saw black bears twice and traces once. One time coming back down from the mountain, fresh prints were in snow overlapping mine: the bear had sniffed my tracks, but left. Another visit approaching a cliff, a black bear was up a trunk just below, looking for food. 6 months later I saw another bear running into the forest. Again, that was east near Red Buttes Wilderness.

Black bear attacks are exceptionally uncommon but trend predatory when they occur. So far no face to face for us in Redwood National Park, but I heard that Michael Taylor encountered a bear near Atlas Grove, and others have seen them yearly. One part of Hyperion Valley had a couple of Mountain Lion tracks. Although I didn’t see Mountain Lion around Hyperion, I watched 3 Mountain Lions running in the same Redwood National Park, not far away. These cats can leap 16′ vertical and 30′ horizontal. I’ve also seen Mountain Lion tracks in the next park to the north: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park The image at right below is one of those Cougar tracks from Prairie Creek, to show how large their prints are. About 3.5″ to 4″ wide. Black Bear tracks I’ve seen look much more even around the front, but the Cougar toe digits seem pronounced.

Mountain Lion notes in case you find tracks in Redwood National Park:

The Parks office may appreciate a report about sightings of the Mountain Lions.

• Look for overall round shape of the track, common to most felines. The mountain lion’s front foot has 4 toes and heel that registers, which means they make an imprint.
• The front foot is larger and more asymmetrical than the rear.
• The palm of the track is almost twice the size of the digits, unlike canine tracks.
• The heel has a dimple in the middle at the top of the pad just under the two middle toes.
• Between toes and palm pad, is a curved ridge, which some trackers call a linked ridge. Canines have a diamond or pyramid shape in this area.
• Toe shape is oval, and the most striking characteristic is that toes are offset. They point in a different direction from the heel pad with one toe ahead or forward of others.
• One of the outer 2 toes is forward of the other. Dog toes point straight or slightly toward each other.
• If you try to draw an X between a mountain lion’s toe pads, note that the X crosses into the heel pad.
• If you draw an imaginary X between dog toe pads, the X does not go into the foot pad. Sometimes you can see claw marks left by a dog above toe pads of the print, not always obvious.

The X trick is not really needed. It’s doubtful you will be casting fresh tracks: but just hiking.