Redwoods! Again?

[gf beranek]

Yeah, again. But we found some good trees this time. Though the lighting was not the best, but we will make it back on a better day to capture these trees the way they should be. There was a lot of smoke in the air. Lots of fires right now. Enjoy!

 

[MasterBlaster]

It's a shame to see them on the ground.

 

[pantheraba]

It is amazing to me to see them on the ground.. especially with Mrs. B beside them or Jerry on top...adds another dimension to the scale of those behemoths.

 

[stig]

Excellent. No such thing as too many redwoods.
Where is it?

 

[flushcut]

Beautiful!

 

[woodworkingboy]

Great photos there, Jerry!

 

[gf beranek]

Excellent. No such thing as too many redwoods.
Where is it?

Avenue of the Giants, Stig. The River Trail, starting at Bull Creek, going up the South Fork of the Eel to Decker Creek and Corner Creek. Short, only about a mile and half. Some excellent flats along the way. Great trees and windfalls all the way. The next morning we went to Kent and Mather Groves along the old highway. We found the big double redwood there, first pic in this series. Now, all the times we been in those groves I missed that tree, but in the light yesterday morning it stood out, and so we went to check it out. Great tree.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Jerry, do you find the wood in those fallen trees to still be in good shape after a lengthy period on the ground? I was wondering of the durability of Redwood in that situation. Thanks.

 

[gf beranek]

Jerry, do you find the wood in those fallen trees to still be in good shape after a lengthy period on the ground? I was wondering of the durability of Redwood in that situation. Thanks.

Jay, within 30 years the bark will have fallen off an old-growth windfall, and the sapwood will be pretty much rotted. The heartwood can persist indefinitely. Absent of the bark and sapwood they are called Buck-skins. So long as they are not shook (cracked / splintered) a big windfall can last hundreds of years. Though fire usually consumes them much sooner than that. The quality of the heartwood lasts. Though I will say the wood can dry up and shrink in the smaller ones and bring on some problems finishing it. But in the large windfalls the wood really doesn't turn all.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Phenomenal durability of a relatively soft material. Now I see some mention on the web of people salvaging material from the uprooted trees, and some extremely old ones.

 

[gf beranek]

The active ingredient behind the longevity of the heartwood is tannic acid. No surprise really. Albeit, the concentration of tannic acid in the heartwood varies from tree to tree. Some redwoods rot, and others last. But the relative concentration of tannic acid in the wood is not the only factor involved. Environmental conditions play a big role in this also. Moist coastal environments versus dry inland environments.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd like to hollow one out and make a cabin!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

You and Mrs. B never disappoint Gerry. Wonderful

 

[stig]

Jay, I bought some chunks from a harvested stump in 2005.
It had already been cut into table tops, so I had to buy one of those, which was rather costly, but the guy let me use his band saw so I could cut it to fit into my suitcase.
The stump was from an area that had been clear cut in 1929 and had been taken out some months before I bought it.
It is still sound wood, albeit rather brittle and does need several coats of cellulose sanding sealer as one sands it, in order to get a good surface.
Still, a 75 year old, still good stump, that is something.
I'll go find a chunk and take a picture for you. Lovely curly Redwood, that is

 

[stig]

Here you go:

 

[woodworkingboy]

Love to see it turned into a bowl or something, Stig. I think it is fair to say that I have looked at a lot of high grade timber for woodwork, and in a few different countries. Still, perhaps the most beautiful piece of wood that I ever laid eyes on, was a Redwood burl. It was a table in someone's house, I guess about 3-4 feet in diameter. Unfortunately, it was on a rather cheap looking thin metal base. Still, it stoned me. It pulled your eyes deep into the cosmos.

 

[mdvaden]

Looks like Humboldt in the OP. Yes?

Spectacular views nonetheless.

Thanks .. been waiting for these.

 

[gf beranek]

We'll be in Prairie Creek this week end, Mario. Staying at the Raven Wood. Cover some old trail again.

 

[stig]

If you find any lead sinkers in the Newton B. Drury grove, they are mine

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Sheeeeesh Stig..... Killing the birdies again

 

[stig]

We were shit out of luck.
Didn't hit a single eagle

Bit of a bummer, actually.
We'd switched to a dyneema type fishing line instead of our usual nylon one.
Stupid thing to do before going abroad to climb, really.
While we got much better height ( Martin set a line at 180 feet by hand pulled bigshot!) it also broke a lot.
So we never got to climb the last tree planned, becausse we ran out of sinkers and had to head south the next day.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I'll have to remember that .... Nylon bit... Have not had to use fishing line yet... Most the trees here, as you have seen, have limbs low enough to land standard throw line into with a throw weight in a big shot. Some just take more patience than others.
I am thinking it might be more helpful in the cedars. Really need to hit those upper up swept limbs. Preferably
Rarely have to make a shot over 100 feet here.