Riding through the redwood forests is simply amazing.
I rode for about five or six days through the some of the remaining stands of redwood trees ... trees that are so massive that you tend to feel quite small when amongst these giants. The size (300' to 350' tall with diameters of 10' to 15' at the base) and age (1000s of years) of these trees is quite humbling. One of the parkways, The Avenue of the Giants, is very quiet (traffic-wise), which allows one to ride with only the sound of one's tires meeting the road ... very, very quiet ... similar to a giant cathedral.
Sadly, of the 2,000,000+ acres of redwoods growing in this area in the late 1800s, only about 250,000 acres remain thanks to the lumber industry ... so much for progress.
On one of the scenic drives, Prairie Creek Parkway, there is a sign that points into the forest and states "Big Tree". This evoked laughter amongst my riding companions as we wondered how this one sign, designating one specific tree, made all of the other trees feel.
Big Tree, indeed.
that picture is awesome. i need to get over to that area sometime. i tried to motivate myself to get riding again by getting some new bibs and jerseys today. haha. (performance has a sale i couldnt pass up)
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