Foggy Trees and an Update

Hi all. Today was a foggy day out, and while I was at work I decided to take a few photos of the trees surrounding my area. I didn't edit these because I thought the slight touch of fog and the darkness of the trees already looked perfect.

Fun fact - I've hiked in these woods here a couple of times. I had my first encounter with stinging nettle here actually. It gets a little creepy, there's just miles and miles of forest in the back.

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've last posted. I'm not giving up on this blog at all. In fact, I love working on it. The reason I haven't posted is because I've been seeing my camera quality going down with my snap and shoot camera. 

When I first started this blog, it was because I was seeing so many neat places on the East Coast and wanted my family and friends to be able to see it all too. I have a passion for writing and all things spooky and exploration, so it fell into place. I started with a tiny snap and shoot camera that I won in my senior year at Safe and Sober. Those are the pictures with the dates on them. Then I upgraded to an even better snap and shoot camera. It was bigger with a way longer zoom capacity. My mom then offered me her very big snap and shoot camera, which I was excited for. However those pictures didn't come out as well as my snap and shoot, so I stopped using it. Now I see my snap and shoot camera is going downhill fast and isn't taking photos like it used to. When I go to a place and take a photo, it's not the quality I like anymore. I wouldn't call myself a photographer, but I do want to feel good about what I put out on the internet. 

So here's the update: my husband got me an amazing camera for Christmas. It's not snap and shoot and I know it'll take me some time to get used to it. It's high quality and I'm so excited to start using it. Unfortunately, he's making me wait until Christmas to open it and see it. It's in my closet right now and it's taking me a lot of discipline not to go in there and get it. 

My overall point is, I haven't let go of this blog. I have a lot planned, and I'm taking some vacations in the next few months to places I'll be featuring. Be prepared for cabins in snowy landscapes to historic, haunted hotels. Being back in Humboldt County, this is also the longest I've lived in a place since I started the blog. I want to find every nook and cranny of the area to show you all here. 

I'm excited for the future of this blog, and I can't wait to be posting more soon. Have a blessed Yule and a Merry Christmas. 

Headwaters Forest Reserve - Nature Shots

This blog is dedicated to the nature of the Headwaters Forest Reserve. I explored what's left of Falk, California in my last blog, but the area these remains lay has some lovely, rich scenery. 

I'll start with some signs at the beginning of the trail that showcases the landscape:

Welcome to the Headwaters Forest Reserve

The Headwaters Forest Reserve (Headwaters) was established in 1999 after a decade-long grassroots effort to protect the world's last unprotected, intact old-growth redwood forest ecosystem. Headwaters is home to unique and sensitive threatened species including coho salmon, the northern spotted owl, and the marbled murrelet. Deep in the heart of the Headwaters old-growth forest are the beginnings or headwaters of the South Fork Elk River and Salmon Creek. This is how the area got its name. Headwaters is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in partnership of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"A grove of giant redwoods or sequoias should be kept just as we keep a great or beautiful cathedral"

-Theodore Roosevelt 

These two photos go into what the trails look like and some basic rules to follow while on them.

Both directions of a lush, little creek. I believe this was down a slope from that first building I featured in my last blog. There were signs not to go into the water as to not disturb the salmon.

Partners for Preservation: Headwaters Through Time

Coming Together for Conservation

For over a decade local grassroots activists came together for the protection of old-growth forests. They organized rallies and engaged in direct action to protect this area, one of the last privately owned old-growth redwood forests in our region. Their efforts sparked a nationwide awareness for redwood forest protection.

The Community Continues

The dedication to Headwaters continues today through community support, stewardship projects, restoration, monitoring and research. Community support and partnerships are vital to the success and sustainability of Headwaters throughout time.

Achievements of Activism

After years of controversy Pacific Lumber Company sold the largest stand of old-growth redwoods left in private ownership. The decision to preserve Headwaters came down to the wire. The public gained 7,472 acres of land, an area the size of Eureka.

This purchase became Headwaters Forest Reserve, with the purpose to "conserve and study the land, fish, wildlife, and forests occurring on such land, while providing public recreation opportunities and other management needs."

Flourishing ferns up a hillside. Peeking out from under them is a tiny cave. 

Layers Of Life Forest

As you walk through the redwood forest, look for distinct layers, from the tops of trees to the soil beneath your feet. Each layer plays an important role in this diverse complex ecosystem. 

Suspended in Air

Suspended in the tops of the old-growth redwood trees is a unique ecosystem, complete with water, soil, and vegetation. Wildlife has adapted to this specialized habitat. Some animals, such as copepods and wandering salamanders, can spend their entire lived in the canopy without ever touching the ground.

Nursing the Next Generation

The forest floor acts as nature's "recycling center," accumulating organic matter and converting it into nutrients. As they rot, fallen trees add nutrients to the forest floor, providing fertile soil for the next generation of shrubs, large trees, and other plants. 

Entwined

Redwoods can live over 1,000 years and grow more than 350 feet tall. In spite of their height, the root systems are no more than 12 feet deep, spreading out over 50 feet in all directions to form a vast network with nearby redwoods. These trees help hold each other up! The root systems also help them absorb huge amounts of water.

Meeting in the Middle

A wide variety of plants, including huckleberry, western tanoak, ferns, and several kinds of conifers, grow in the shelter of the redwood trees. Bears, deer, birds, and many other species of wildlife depend on this middle layer of forest for cover and food. 

"The great ecosystems are like complex tapestries - a million complicated threads, interwoven, make up a hold picture." - Gerald Durrell, conservationist

The mossy arms of a forest tree.

New growth from the branches of a fallen tree - it's quite beautiful. 

So I'm not entirely sure what this little net is, but it was on multiple baby trees. My best guess is the BLM workers put it on new trees to help protect them in their early stages of growth. I will come back and edit this if I can confirm that or find out the real reason. 

Redwood: Exploring the Ever-Living Evergreen

A Fresh Start: Redwood Regeneration

Redwood trees are one of the longest living organisms in the world. The redwood's Latin name is Sequoia sempervirens meaning "ever-living." They have a special way of passing on their genetics by cloning. Clones are genetic copies and come from burl tissue. When a tree has been injured or cut, the burl tissue sprouts redwood buds. The tree in front of you was cut in 1884 and is still alive today. You can see burls on the tree by looking at the base. Do you notice the young redwood buds emerging?

Down to the Roots

How far down do you think the tree's roots travel? 

Surprisingly, a redwood's root system only reaches about six feet deep, but can stretch over 100 feet from the base of the tree. Beneath the forest floor, roots overlap and fuse with roots from other trees. By linking their roots together redwoods make strong connections helping to keep each other upright. 

This isn't the redwood that the sign above references, but I though it was a good example of a cluster of redwoods. As well as redwood trees growing from a fallen redwood. 

I thought this was an interesting, sizable stump with a hole in it. The second picture is me taking a picture up in it. 

A bridge we walked on over the water. You can see how big the redwoods are on the other side of the bridge. 

A neat-looking tree formation.

Another neat-looking branch formation. They're growing down. When I first saw this I thought they were sticks purposely placed down to make a shelter, then I saw they were a part of the tree. Has a bit of a Blair Witch vibe to it.

Saving Threatened Species Habitat & Home

The Headwaters Forest Reserve is home to many fish and wildlife species protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. Management of the Reserve is designed to preserve and restore the habitat necessary for these species to thrive. 

Returning Home

In wintertime along the trail, listen for spawning salmon splashing in Elk River. The Headwaters Forest Reserve is the "headwaters" of the South Fork Elk River and Salmon Creek, both of which provide habitat for threatened populations of coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and steelhead trout.

Several factors - including sedimentation, loss of habitat, and ocean conditions - have led to the decline of salmon populations throughout their range. 

The Night Shift

Northern spotted owls nest in the cavities and platforms of the Reserve's old-growth trees. They come out at night in search of small mammals, such as red tree voles, wood rats, and flying squirrels. They tend to be creatures of habit, mating for life and remaining in the same area each year. 

North spotted owls are listed as threatened due to the loss of habitat throughout their range. They also currently face increasing competition with the barred owl. 

From the Forest the the Sea

Imagine a marbled murrelet leaving its redwood nest at sunrise, traveling several miles to the sea, stuffing its beak full of anchovies, then returning to feed its chick. 

Between March and September, marbled murrelets nest high in the canopy of the old-growth trees. Unlike other seabirds that nest on the ground near the ocean, these birds nest in the forest up to 50 miles inland.

Marbled murrelets are threatened in part because of 95 percent of the old-growth redwood nesting habitat has been harvested, leaving only small islands of intact habitat, like those in the Headwaters Forest Reserve.

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir, naturalist

Sea to Soil: Discovering the Salmon-Redwood Connection

You are standing at the edge of the South Fork Elk River. This watershed is vital habitat for steelhead, Chinook salmon, and Coho salmon. Do you know why salmon are critical to Headwaters' redwood forest?

Fertilizing the Forest

Although they spend their lives in the river and ocean, salmon fit into the larger forest ecosystem. After a Pacific salmon spawns, it dies and becomes food for forest wildlife. Wildlife spread the salmon's remains, rich with marine nutrients on the forest floor. Salmon act as conveyor belts for nutrients. Born in forest streams, they travel to the ocean, and ultimately return to "their home" river to spawn, delivering nitrogen and phosphorous from the sea to the forest.

Reliance on Redwoods

While salmon lay their eggs in streams below the redwood canopy, the Marbled Murrelet reproduces on branches high above. The Marbled Murrelet is an endangered species that only nests in old-growth forests and is one of the primary reasons Headwaters is protected. These seabirds lay their single egg high up in the redwood canopy. Each day they fly to the ocean bring back anchovies to their chick, which also provides vital nutrients to the forest.

Here are some critters I saw when I went. The banana slug was unique to me because it had brown splotches on it. The chipmunk matched the redwood bark perfectly. And the snail was maroon! My guess is that it evolved to be blend in more with the color of redwood bark, giving it the reddish tint. Feel free to fact check me on that though. 

A little mushroom that looked like a dollop of sour cream. 

I put these two photos in because I loved seeing the native flowers growing all around the trail. It gave me a magical feeling to look at.

The Old Growth Redwoods

I went on the ten-mile hike to go see the old-growth redwoods. If you haven't read my blog about Falk, California, I encourage you to do so. Many of the old-growth redwoods were cut down by the old lumber industry of the area. To see the remaining old-growth redwoods, I had to hike up five miles. Once I hit the marker for "mile three," then the rest of the hike was uphill.

This was the last bridge before the uphill climb to the top.

Once I got to the top of the mountain, there was a loop trail that went around the rest of the old-growth redwoods. Above is a picture of a sign, and below that is a picture of a general map of the trail I took somewhere along the way. 

I'm featuring some photos of the old-growth redwoods here. 

The root of an old-growth tree.

Here are the redwoods that the town of Falk didn't get to cutting down. They're beautiful and magnificent. They're the giants of our area.

Visionaries Grove

Dedicated to the visionaries and activists who sacrificed countless days, months, and years to protect the Headwaters Forest Reserve. And to the future generations who will help steward their legacy in Headwaters and beyond.

50 Redwood Seedlings Planted June 19, 2015

I'll end this blog here on that note. Growing up in this area, I grew up assuming all people had this ecosystem of giant redwoods and abundant nature. Moving away to the East Coast for four years, driving cross country three times, and living in three separate areas on the East Coast, I realized that wasn't the case, so I'm featuring it here to highlight for others. Whether you're in this area or not, go out and take a walk in nature - get to know your own, local ecosystem. Take some pictures and write about it for others to enjoy as well! I hope anyone reading this is staying well during these mad times. Go out and explore your local nature - try to forget about the world for awhile. 

Exploring The Remnants Of Falk, California

The Town of Falk, 1890

George Bisconer (Link attached of where photo was found) 

Similar to my Samoa blog, I'll be making another blog just of nature shots I got on this expedition. I got some great ones, but putting them here would make this blog far longer than it's already going to be.

Thanks to a suggestion from a woman who read my other blog about the Samoa Dunes and Beach, a few weeks ago I went and explored the old town called Falk. I've heard people describe it as a ghost town before, but it seems to be past the stage of "ghost town," at least the pieces I saw of what was left. The forest has taken over the structures, and there are remnants everywhere, some blending more in than others. 

Camouflaged Remnants Scattered About:

(All pieces camouflaged in the earth - there were probably many more remnants I didn't see)

Falk, California was founded in 1884 by a man named Noah Falk. Originally from Ohio, he came over to the West Coast. He was a lumber worker for thirty years here. He bought 160 acres in what is now, mainly, Headwaters Forest Reserve. He spent about $400 to buy this land, and in today's money that would be almost $11,000. It was so cheap because the federal government was selling land that was "unfit" for farming for only $2.50 (equivalent to $68.13 today) an acre, to people who may want to use the land to log and mine. 

In 1884, Noah Falk opened up the Falk Lumbermill. Falk created its own, small community of about 400 people. They had all of their essentials - housing, a general store, a cookhouse, a water tower, a post office, and a dance hall. This was the definition of a lumber town, with workers working 6 days a week, for about 12 hours a day, on lumber. They made about $3 a day in this lifestyle. They would have to use one of those giant, old saws to cut down trees. So the men cutting would sit and spend all day to cut down one tree. They logged many old growth redwoods, and I personally saw giant stumps on this trip that highlighted the giant trees they cut down.

The town did have some livestock and light farming and gardening (for the community), but its main focus was lumber. This lumber played a big role in Humboldt's defining industry, and was taken by train to Bucksport, California. If you're familiar with Humboldt County, Bucksport was a town only 2.5 miles southwest of Eureka's downtown. The railroad this lumber took passenger on to Bucksport was called the Bucksport and Elk River Railroad, and it ran from the mill to the Humboldt Bay. It not only took lumber, but also took the residences of Falk to Eureka for school and shopping. 

Although there were long days in Falk, the townspeople had their fun and remained a community. A Eureka orchestra would come to Falk and enliven their dance hall on Saturday nights. They worked together as a community and planted those gardens I was telling you about up above. They had orchards of mainly plum and cherry trees, and used this food to get them through the winter when the Falk Mill was shut down. They had a good way of life for about 53 years.

The Great Depression hit and in 1937, the mill that had created the town of Falk got shut down. Because there was no lumber work, which is why the town had been formed, the town's members all trickled out of there through the next few decades until it turned into an official ghost town. 

Falk: From Lumber Town to Forest Ground

On the Cutting Edge

Did you know the first bandsaw in the U.S. was used here at the Elk River Mill? The bandsaw replaced the large circular saws and enabled sawyers to mill huge old-growth redwood trees. By 1907 this steam operator mill was producing 40,000 board feet per day, enough to build two and a half modern houses!

Falk utilized the latest logging equipment such as the 1882 Dolbeer steam donkey, which replaced oxen that once moved the giant redwood logs. Logging technology changed rapidly much like cell phone technology does today. Elk River Lumber Company wasn't able to keep pace with all of these changes. Coupled with high operating costs and the Great Depression, the mill closed in 1937.

Picture from 1907

Falk Fades into the Forest

After the Falk ghost-town era ended, the forest that once dominated this area returned. Ongoing stewardship will allow these trees to develop old-growth characteristics such as those that existed before Falk.

Remnants Of A Fallen House In Falk:

(The outside of the crumbling house)

(What looks to be an old water line that lead to the house)

(A water heater)

(The old chimney)

(The inside of the house - I do not recommend exploring to the extent I did. Some parts of the ground were pretty unstable)

There was one couple who did stay though. Loleta and Charlie Webb moved to the area in the early 1900s. After everyone else cleared out in the 50s, she and Charlie stayed until the 1970s. Charlie would chase off looters with his shotgun (supposedly filled with rock salt).

This sign above was very close to a trail that lead to the remnants of an old structure that is still standing. I did not see any information actually by the old structure, so I am only guessing when I say this structure was part of the property of Loleta and Charlie Webb. The following photos highlight it. 

The Old Standing Structure:

(All of the outside angles of it)

(The light switch didn't work)

(The roof inside is falling in on itself)

(The view from the inside almost looks like a painting)

(Some heavy pipes near the structure)

(What looks to be some housing foundation - found close to the structure)

(An old sink scattered close to the structure)

Sierra Pacific Lumber Co. bought the land the town had been on. Unfortunately, but wisely, they had to tear down the empty buildings of Falk in 1979. It was too big of a liability for the company to have because people were using the old buildings of the town to live in, and then other people would come to hunt for "treasure" from the abandoned houses. The tracks for the train that hauled the lumber and townspeople were removed in the 1950s.

Here is one last remnant I found.

The Old Vehicle:

(You can see how dated this rusty vehicle is based on the old lights - it must have gotten left behind when everyone left)

The woman who suggested exploring Falk to me actually works for the owners who bought most of the land the town laid on. The Bureau of Land Management bought Headwaters Forest Reserve on March 1st, 1999. This same woman wrote an article about Falk on BLM's website, which is where I'm getting a lot of my information: https://www.visitredwoods.com/listing/falk-historic-logging-ghost-town/526/

Since the federal government has bought the reserve, they've created quite the historic area for people from all over to take self-guided tours to learn about Falk's history, as well as the native animals and plants of the reserve. In fact, I work at an elementary school and every year the 5th graders get to go to this education center and learn about the area's history. 

Welcome to the Headwaters Education Center

Join us here at the Center, 

where we offer hands-on learning sessions

to help connect land stewards with the surrounding forest.

"The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness." 

-John Muir, naturalist

They've really created a learning place for this land's rich history. 

What the sign says:

(New Life for an Old Engine House

Over 100 years ago, this engine house stored the locomotives that hauled logs to the lumber mill at Falk. Engineers operated the machinery all hours of the day and night - imagine the hustle and bustle! In 2008, the engine house was dismantles piece by piece and moved from its original location across the South Fork Elk River to this site. The engine house now serves as the Headwaters Education Center. 

Built to Last

When the Reserve came into public ownership in 1999, the integrity of this early 1900s-era building was slowly breaking down. The building lasted so long because it was built from redwood, which resists rotting, but the move was critical to keep the building from collapsing. 

One Piece at a Time

In partnership with a U.S. Forest Service Heritage Enterprise Team and dedicated volunteers, the BLM moved the engine house piece by piece across the river. 

In 2008, the engine house was rebuilt on this site. About 40 percent of the redwood was salvaged; the rest of the building was completed with certified sustainable lumber.

Preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future. 

-William Murtagh, author)

Featured in the sign above, here are some photos of the restored engine house they use now for the Headwaters Education Center.

The Restored Engine House:

(Different angles of the engine house)

Hey, it's me from the future - 11/08/2021

I went back to Headwaters to show a family member the remnants of Falk, and someone left the door to the engine house unlocked. Before locking it for them, I snuck in and got a few photos - they are featured below. 

I tried to go up to every one of those informational plaques, but my camera was having a hard time not blurring in there, even with flash. Plus there was information on both sides of all four. While I'm sure the knowledge on there would have been great to add here, I started to hear people coming and didn't have time to individually take a photo of each one. Anyways, if I can ever go back and take my time in there (maybe be invited in and not have to sneak in), I will add more photos in the future. I hope you enjoyed some photos of inside the engine house. Okay, back to the original blog below.

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(Rusty remnants right next to it)

What the sign says:

(The Sand Shack Traction

Dry Sand = Traction

This building is a replica of a "sand shack" which was located near the old engine house across the river. 

The apparatus you see inside is a sand dryer. The sand had to be dry so it would not clog the machinery. The workers burned a fire beneath the sand dryer in front of you. After the sand dried, they poured it into a "sand dome" on top of the boiler tank of the steam locomotive. Once the engineer released the handle, the sand was poured onto the tracks to improve friction. 

The Engine That Could

The train engine named "Gypsy" carried redwood logs from the woods to the mill pond at Falk. When the rails were wet, dry sand helped keep the loaded train's wheels from slipping on steep grades. The sand likely came from the shores of Humboldt Bay, 6 to 8 miles away.

The Gypsy had developed quite the personality over the years, and for some people on the Upper Elk River, the Gypsy became a town mascot.) 

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These are the remnants of Falk, California. I went off the main trail quite a bit to find everything I did. It took my husband and I a couple of hours of exploring to find it all because we kept being deterred off the main, cemented trail. When we decided to head back, the walk on the cemented trail was only 15 minutes back to the car. So you can see how much is lying around, particularly the hidden remnants that blend in with the forest floor. 

If I missed anything big, let me know, and I can head back and add the photos to this blog. 

It was heartwarming to do this blog. Since the Bureau of Land Management owns a lot of this land, it was nice to see the history being restored and kept alive for everyone to see. A lot of places I focus on in my blogs don't have the same treatment. I hope you enjoyed learning about Falk, California. This is a place I do recommend going to check out if you're ever in the area. If you don't, I hope you had a fun time exploring it with me on here.