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Click
here to see a close-up of the top of the snag in the background. |
Snags,
standing dead trees, usually with few if any branches, are common in
the forest, but rare among redwoods. The giant sequoia’s bark, up
to 16 inches thick, is highly fire resistant, and the trees are not
susceptible to insects or disease. Redwoods usually fall while still
living. We could not help but wonder what cataclysmic event broke
off the tops of these big trees (photo left).
Several living giants stand nearby, including the grove’s patriarch,
the Old Granddad, pictured above. Many older redwoods have broken tops and
jagged limbs, but this is a particularly dramatic specimen.
With living trees, tall stumps and dead snags, this remote spot is a
unique sight, one accessible now only to those willing to walk three miles uphill.
The official name is Graveyard of the Giants, not that different from the
name I applied in 1969.
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