The Nitro Express

Crushes the myth that coast redwood tapers and Sequoiadendron does not

by Mario Vaden

 

Welcome to the Nitro Express!! June 2018, a couple from West Virginia arrived a few days before their redwood wedding, and asked if they could tag along while I explored a few new hidden groves. Near an unfamiliar ridge, minutes before turning back, this huge redwood came into view. Not only does the trunk lack taper, it may have reverse taper. This is a perfect example for the myth that coast redwoods taper but giant sequoia do not. Both species can taper a lot or very little. The groom is shown for scale near the base of the trunk. This coast redwood below is a miniature version of a much larger giant I call "Samurai", one of several new discoveries I haven't published in photos yet. More context can be found at new coast redwood discoveries

 

Continue reading below ...

 

The name of this redwood stems from one of the largest rifle cartridges ever made. The .700 Nitro Express with 8900 ft. / lbs. of energy is like ten .44 Magnums fired simultaneous. Winchester and Weatherby magnums taper, whereas the Nitro casing has parallel sides with no taper. Factory loads cost about $100 per round! Not $100 per box. This redwood is about 15 feet wide at the base from a visual estimate. A trunk with this this little taper could have 20,000 cubic feet, or more, in the first 140 feet. Using a popular example, that's the same wood volume stored in the full height of the 16 ft. wide Stout redwood, which is over 300 feet. I share redwoods like this to encourage visitors to slow down and study the forest more. Redwoods like this are randomly found throughout Redwood National and State Parks. The Nitro Express is by a trail, but some trails will pass next to trunks shaped like this.

 

advertisement