A Quick Trip to Muir Woods
When I first moved to San Francisco (seven years ago), I visited Muir Woods quite often. I was able to do so in part because I had friends—with cars—who were single at the time and so jumped at the opportunity to take me as a hiking buddy. It is also due in part to the fact that seven years ago you didn’t need to have to register for parking.
Anyway, all that is to say that I haven’t been to this Semperviren wonderland in years. So, while cat-sitting (my favorite pal) last week in Mill Valley, a trip to Muir Woods was a pleasant suggestion to hear from my quarantine buddy who was cat-sitting with me.
We both decided to take Friday off and head along the winding road to the forest.
Mind you, I haven’t driven in about a year, but my stint over the Golden Gate bridge the previous Sunday had me feeling confident. And sure enough, we made it down the snake-like lane with no trouble (apart from us both feeling a bit queasy).
The only issue we did have was the fact that there was construction happening right in front of the Muir Woods parking lot. So, when the construction workers and park ranger waved us through—as opposed to directing us into the lot—we drove forward. It wasn’t until we had wound our way to the top of the hill (with a sign directing us back in the direction we’d come to find Muir Woods) that we realized they’d waved us through prematurely.
But after slowly shuttling ourselves back down to the lot, we stopped, explained that we had a parking reservation, and found a spot fairly quickly in the lot.
Then we spent about an hour wandering the wooden path, doing a quick jaunt amongst the trees, chatting with a scientist in a stream, and heading back to the house (and cat) to relax. I love a good hike but my friend is more of a walker, so we avoided actually taking off on any trails. Plus, by the time we’d wound our way along the wooden walkway, it was feeling a bit crowded and I was getting uncomfortable being around so many people—most with masks but some without.
Though not a hiker, there’s one thing that I really admire about the friend I was with. He is not afraid to chase his curiosity. While I often notice things (like a man standing in front of a tripod with some machinery in the middle of a stream), I rarely take the time to stop and ask him any questions.
Luckily, this trip, I was with a friend who wasn’t about to hesitate to find out what was going on.
He told us that he was measuring water flow and levels. He explained that there is the vulnerable type of salmon, the Coho salmon, that swims and spawns in this stream. They’d been measuring water levels and movement year-over-year in an attempt to help protect these fish.
After learning that, I wanted to make sure that didn’t just take this beautiful place for granted. So I read the pamphlet that the ranger at the front had given us and did a little research on the side.
Here are five facts about Muir Woods:
Muir Woods is a National Monument
In an attempt to save trees from logging as well as flooding (if a water company used a dam to block Redwood Creek), Marin politician William Kent bought and then donated a portion of this forest to the federal government. Then, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt named it a national monument. In the park, you can stand where the President once stood. Kent made sure the park was named for his then friend, John Muir. In the pamphlet, you can read Muir’s humble response to having this park named for him.
Thank Karl the Fog
It’s difficult to be apathetic as you enter a grove of the coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). The rich color and texture of their bark, their towering height, and their rich smell are all incredibly impressive. What’s even more remarkable is the fact that they grow only in a small area (made smaller by logging, but still within the same locale). This is along the northern coast of California and southern Oregon. In all, their habitat is limited to just 470 miles. The secret to the growth of these trees is the climate and the FOG. That’s right. Our San Francisco pal @karlthefog is the reason these trees can get enough moisture to grow.
1. Setting Records
Redwoods have set the record (at least as far as we know) for the tallest trees on Earth. They have been recorded to reach up to 379 feet…
2. More Karl = Taller Trees
I’m not done with Karl yet! It turns out, fog plays a big role in how tall these trees get. Because of their incredible height, it’s difficult for the tree to get water from its roots to its top branches. However, if there’s fog, the moisture can be picked up from above, enabling the tree to feel more comfortable growing taller.
3. Taking control of sexuality
Coastal redwoods can reproduce by seed (sexually) as well as by sprouting buds (asexually). The seeds actually start out in a bunch (a cone that looks like a flower). The production of these cone-seeds doesn’t begin for around 10-15 years. Many of these seeds do not survive, but if they do, they grow fairly quickly. These coastal redwoods can also sprout asexually. Often, these sprouts occur when there’s an issue with part of the adult tree. One fact I love, in particular, is that fact that because these sprouts often also occur around an old stump, they form a circle that is sometimes known as a “fairy ring.”
