Friday, June 09, 2006

Santa Cruz Redwoods, June 2006

in June of 2006, we spent several pleasant days hiking and biking in the redwoods near Santa Cruz. We stayed in our little trailer, in a quiet RV park across the river from Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.




This is typical of the mountain biking that we did each day. There are several former railroad grades or logging roads that wind through the forest for many miles, generally contouring along the hillsides and across small creeks.




Many of the smaller redwood trees were showing a lot of new growth (the lighter green vegetation) after a season of heavy rain.





Because of all the rain, little "Tiptoe Falls" was flowing pretty well. I took this time exposure (at about a 15th of a second), using a handy stick as an improvised monopod.





It was a good season for wildflowers. This is a wild iris.




We aren't sure what this is. Goldenrod, perhaps?