Over the years, I’ve met a few people who don’t care for other humans much, but I’m one who enjoys new conversations and people. Over the years, the coast redwood parks have brought many new friends from other states and countries.  Sometimes it started with email or phone, sometimes meeting on a trail. And even from the local breweries.  Redwood National and State Parks is a World Heritage Site,  and I learned it’s more than one of the best places to see trees. It’s one of the best places in the world for new friendships. Let me share some of the people I’ve met, along with nice forest scenes.

This is Thomas from Germany. He owns a woman’s clothing store, and strings tennis rackets. A bona fide redwood geek who flies over every couple years or so. The scene below shows Thomas while we were exploring for potential undiscovered redwood titans.

Here is Mark Graham from Illinois. He’s flown over up to several times in a year to see the coast redwoods. The redwood shown is one we named “Elk Herd”, found during one of our bushwhacks. Mark is on the left.

This is Chris Atkins, one of two men who discovered a world’s tallest tree in 2006, at Redwood National Park.  We were introduced together back in 2009 by Dr. Steve Sillett. Ever since, we have exlored together often, even finding the new largest known coast redwoods between 2008 – 2019. For more, read new discoveries. The redwood below is in a grove called the Catacombs, with Chris on the right for scale.

One year ago, I met the couple in the next photo, to photograph their redwood wedding. A day or two before the ceremony, we explored one of the parks and discovered the “Nitro Express”. They are Matt and Holly from West Virginia, and  plan to return autumn 2019. They look so tiny at the base of the trunk, which soars triple what’s shown with zero taper.

This is Kiera from Crescent City which is adjacent to Jedediah Smith redwood park. She helped me for years to photograph some of the largest known coast redwoods and show size with a person for scale. She has unique connection with the redwood forest, and used to work on trail crews for a while. This is one of the larger trunks in the northern redwood parks.

Here’s a portrait I photographed for her in forest near her hometown of Crescent City.

Here’s Leon and Traci from South Africa. The foggy scene behind is highway 101 on the hill between Klamath and Crescent city, near Damnation Creek trail.

Also from Crescent City, is Bella, another of the locals who helped with a few redwood photos. The trunk in the photo is near Clarks Creek.

This is Brendon from England. The view behind is the south and middle fork of the Smith River. Barely one mile downstream, this river flows past Stout Grove and Jedediah Smith park.

The man on the right, is Ed Gilbert, a naturalist and retired redwood guide, for areas around the redwoods including Big Sur.  His website is www.redwood-ed.com.  In the group below, Ed is the man on the right side, along Flint Ridge trail in Redwood National Park. I recently found a short video Save the Redwoods League posted, featuring him. While it remains, here is the video link.

I posted an extra 2nd image right after,  showing the largest cathedral redwood in the Redwood National Park region. It was taken the same day, and the other two men are Mark  introduced earlier, and myself.

I met this family in 2018, near the start of Boy Scout Tree trail. The man in center is Ernesto, from Spain. His sister on the right, her husband on the left. We ended up hiking most of the trail together. Ernesto is slated to return for another visit September, 2019.  The 2nd photo after is the view along the trail the same day on the return hike later in the day.

Here’s Kiera’s sister Arianna by a new coast redwood discovery. Its dimensions are so extreme, you can barely see Arianna on the right side of the trunk. To see a slightly bigger image and the story behind this redwood, read the Big Kahuna. When Kiera moved to San Diego for a while, Arianna stepped in to help me for a while. I’ll post a portrait following.

Here’s a  closeup portrait of Arianna, taken across Hy. 199 from the Jedediah Smith campground and day use area. It was a rainy day, but the light was pleasant.

And Larry from northern California, with his daughter and friend on either side. This was taken December 2018 during 100% rain forecast. The colors in the forest were intense. We had an awesome full day exploring, and an excellent meal later on.

Next is Jenni from the Eureka, a nature buff, yoga enthusiast, and dancer. The large trunk below is one of the largest coast redwoods in Redwood National Park, on a flat next to Redwood Creek river.  The photo was taken during an 80 degree day some years back in a month of May, warmer than average. I will add a portrait following.

Here’s a portrait of Jenni taken in front a redwood. This was a product photo for her friend who hand-crafts body chains and feather earrings.

Meeting Gerald Beranek, partly stemmed from my book review of The Wild Trees (2007 / Preston). Gerald, or G. F. Beranek, is an expert tree climber, author and photographer. He wrote The Fundamentals of General Tree Work, High Climbers and Timber Fallers, and about 5 coast redwood books. Humboldt Redwoods State Park visitor center carries his books too, like Coast Redwood,  Tree of Dreams and Fortune. We occasionally hike together, and chat online at arborist forums. His home is Ft. Bragg, CA

Through Gerald Beranek and his wife Terri (right side), I met these four men who traveled from Denmark to spend time with Gerald and Terri, and see the redwoods. They’ve been friends for a while.  All five of these men, like myself, are arborists. The man near center in the dark jacket is Stig, frequently on the same forums Gerald and I enjoy.

Next is Chad, who lived in Grants Pass, Oregon, but moved back to the midwest, working for Caterpillar. He must have driven down to the redwoods every week on average when he lived so close before. For a better idea what the trunk near him really looks like, read The Dark Horse.

This is Caitlin, a friend of Arianna and Kiera. A few months after Caitlin sent a friend request on FB, I asked her we could get some portraits of her in the redwoods. Her movement is by wheelchair, but her grandparents came along and helped. The grandfather was able to help move from the chair to logs. We all had a lot of fun, and this is how I also met Steven and Pam, her grandparents. Steve will be in the image following. This one is Caitlin.

The man in the center is Caitlin’s grandfather, Steven. He is also a Pastor, and lives close to Hiouchi, near Jedediah Smith redwood park and Crescent City. The wedding couple were from Pennsylvania, and I photographed their wedding. The bride is a Certified Arborist, so that was unique, since I’m also a Certified Arborist. Back at home, a local writer published a story about Romance in the Redwoods

Here’s the couple, Dale and Sarah, doing a little exploring the day before.

Back to the day of the wedding, after the ceremony, we headed to a secluded grove where the Church Tree coast redwood has stood for centuries. The base if fully hollow.

And Michael from South Africa, standing between some redwoods in Prairie Creek park. I remember the afternoon when I met him at Holiday Inn Express in Klamath. We drove south for a brief  hour bushwhack near Trillium Falls to give him a taste until the following days. He said even that first  hour was worth the trip from Africa. But there was much more for him in following days at Redwood National, Jedediah Smith and Humboldt Redwoods.  This image is from Halloween day, 2015

The day before meeting Michael in October, 2015,  I encountered a woman from Arcata, CA. Her name is Ashley .. I call her the Redwood Fairy now. Our paths crossed in Redwood National Park, and unaware I carry a camera, she told me her dream shoot was a fairy shoot in the coast redwoods. I said “what are you doing for the next hour?”

This is Michael Taylor, who also found the world’s tallest tree, with Chris Atkins, back in 2006. Michael was the one whom I met first, back in 2008, when he lived in Hyampom, CA. That led to meeting Dr. Steve Sillett and Chris, about one month later. Michael was the first person I ever explored for new redwood discoveries with. That first adventure unveiled the redwood called Dog Soldier.

Michael is a genuine “professor gadget”. He has a degree in mechanical engineering, and loves making useful gizmos. Here here’s ready to launch a drone for and experiment to look for record height evergreens from a sky view.

Here’s another photo of Michael up a fork of Boyes Creek in Prairie Creek park. We were looking for large redwoods, but also Douglas fir with potential for being new height records. I think you can select this photo to enlarge, then back-button to return to reading.

This is Simpson Redwood grove. The women are Stephanie and Shawnese from Crescent City, CA. Stephanie worked at the Chart Room restaurant where I stopped frequently for lunch and supper. Remarkably, she’s worked there over 17 years.

To be continued !