Lost Man's Fault

A Fallen Titan in Redwood National and State Parks

Continued from: Largest Coast Redwoods

The trunk below is Lost Man's Fault in Redwood National and State Parks. The huge coast redwood titan probably fell over during a powerful Pacific storm. Looking at its condition, size of other live trunks growing from it, I think it fell around 1800 A.D.. Napolean Bonaparte was alive and Abraham Lincoln almost born. Its even possible the storm that pinned-down the Lewis and Clark Expedition along the Columbia River was the same that toppled this redwood giant. We didn't measure the base yet, but the photo connotes potential of coming close to the illusive 30 footer a few of us hope to find standing. The grove is exceptionally photogenic and home to Eden redwood. Another reason I share this is to show what the Dyerville Giant farther south in Humboldt Redwoods State Park will never become. The parks posted signs by Dyerville redwood hoping people would stay off so that nature reclaims it entirely with plants. But that dream is not going to happen, especially with trails around it, plus parking nearby. Take a look at that page for comparison.

This autumn photo shows what normally happens as nature reclaims with decay, organisms and plant life. Given 1000 more years, this will not be the loss of a redwood but a renewal of the forest. That's why I don't succumb to sadness people sometimes express when the big ones blow over. It's normal for the forest. What I did succumb to was surprise though, because fallen titans of this size are far more rare to find than the living ones scattered through the parks. These are more rare than albino redwoods when it boils down to numbers.

Lost Mans Fault Fallen Coast Redwood Giant