Sir Frog

I have this photo on my desktop and get a thrill every time I see him/her - Sir Frog.  He was nestled in calla lily leaves, taking in the sun that day.  I saw him several more times over the next few days, but as the flowers finished blooming, he lost his cover and moved elsewhere.

BHLG

We are moving our store to Main Street -
a bigger & better location.

I don't know what plants these are, that seem to
grow using the redwood for support. It is still
winter here so there are no leaves or berries for
identification. I'm sure an expert - who already
knows what it is cold identify the plant from this picture, but I need more to go by for looking it up. While most trails are nicely groomed and placed in especially aesthetically pleasing spots,
the forest is messy, littered with tree debris and
hard going without a well maintained trail. I know this because I've tried it - you can spend an hour just making 30 feet of progress.

What I liked about this area was the strong, straight - and large - tree trunks in contrast to their twisting, undulating vine-like friends. I haven't seen this in very many places, although I do usually stay on the beaten track.

Dusting of Snow

Here is a second photo from the day we had a light dusting of snow - which is about all we ever get in the redwoods. Nothing to slow you down or require a shovel.

Finally a walk in the woods

A rare snow in the redwoods. Of course, once you step more than 5 feet into/under the canopy, no snow can reach the ground. In closer studying of the Redwood Tree, they have uncovered & documented an amazing array of life - from fallen tree to the tippy-top of still-growing trees. The rain forests in tropical zones have been better studied than our own coastal redwoods - a temperate rain forest.

The first report I've heard on the fall salmon run (Nov '09 to Jan '10) is good - lots of them !! This report is on the Van Duzen River salmon. I have not heard yet on the Delta salmon population and their return statistics (spawning salmon). We've had lots of decent rain the last several weeks - and two noticeable earthquakes as well - and its good to see the Eel so full .... its been a few years. Glenna was also glad to get out of the house, into the car and on to the forest.

Little Wooden Bridge

This is the little wooden bridge along the Allen Trail I wrote about in my previous entry.There was the smallest of creeks in this mini gorge and it made the sweetest music. We stopped here, Glenna the Australian Shepherd & I, to have a sip of water and a few doggie treats - Glenna, not me in this case - while I had some crackers. This was about half way up as far as we went on this sweet little trail.

Tunnel Under 101

Last week I packed dog and camera and headed out for the woods. I decided I needed some real exercise, so opted for the Allen Trail just south of High Rock (Main Stem, Eel River) and just north of the con flux (South Fork Eel w/ Main Stem Eel). This trail goes up ... and up ... and keeps going up some more! From the Avenue of the Giants, I park just south of the High Rock Conservation sign. There is a smaller sign for the trail - it's easy to miss. After the first 10 or 15 minutes, the trail brings you here - its a tunnel that goes under the freeway - under 101 - for pedestrians only, of course. From the other side, we progressed up and up some more - at least you know it will be an easy trip back to your car. We passed a small stem with a wonderful little wooden bridge going across, where the trail continues on.....
When I 'googled' Allen Trail, I got a wonderful map complete with elevation information. The total trail ascends some 800 feet! I went perhaps half way so far. Maybe next time I will go all the way to the campground.