My friend Monty and I went on an off trail old growth exploration near the CCC trails. It was a beautiful sunny day which is pleasant but makes for difficult forest photography.
We started at the Cliff trailhead and ended at the Bessemer Rd trailhead with a 2 car shuttle. First we explored an impressive old cedar grove with the largest tree measuring just shy of 13 feet in diameter! Using my new Nikon Forestry Pro measuring device it was approximately 190 feet tall. There were several other cedar in the grove that measured 8-12 feet in diameter.
We scrambled back up to the CCC road and after about a mile headed back off trail to scout out an unusual grove of old Spruce and Big leaf Maple. This area was very brushy and travel was slow and exhausting. The Maples were old and huge and covered in moss. As we got close to the Bessemer Rd we stumbled on a very interesting multistemed Cedar that was 11 feet in diameter. On the ridge near Bessemer Rd there are several impressive Spruce trees with largest measuring 10 feet in diameter.
Only 5.2 miles and 1000feet elevation but felt like almost double that.
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