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Redwood May Be Tallest Living Thing

Thursday, September 7, 2006

REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK, Calif. - A redwood in a remote Northern California coastal forest has been tentatively measured as the world's tallest living thing.

The tree called Hyperion stands at 378.1 feet, eight feet taller than the previous record holder, another coast redwood dubbed Stratosphere Giant in a state park about 90 miles south.

Two amateur California naturalists found the tree earlier this summer during a bushwhacking expedition in search of tall trees. Chris Atkins, credited with discovering the Stratosphere Giant in 2000, and Michael Taylor returned later with scientists to obtain more exact measurements of the tree's height using a tripod-mounted laser.

The team also identified two other redwoods in the same forest taller than the reigning record holder: a tree called Helios at 376.3 feet and another called Icarus at 371.2 feet.

Officials would not pinpoint the exact locations of the trees out of concern that too many visitors could damage the delicate ecology of the mild, foggy slopes where the trees live.

Researchers plan to climb Hyperion in coming weeks and drop a tape measure to confirm its height so it can be entered in the record books, Atkins said.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

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idowatsu

standing inside one is awesome, true power in these 2000 year old trees but we have gone to less than half % old growth due to accelerated harvesting from a hostile take over of our local logging company by maxxam to help bail it out of the savings and loan scandle.leaving the company over 90million in debt soon to be sold after harvesting most of the timber.

there are pics of the first loggers standing 12-16 wide on the stumps of the origional trees you wont find those anymore. shipped out loaded one section to a rail car. now you will see an occasional stump that big a lot of them growing huckleberries on top
hope you can come to see them sometime

they are protected because the root system is very shallow and too much trampling causes the roots to weaken and the wind blows them over big crash.here is a pic of a great grove ( bad pic ) the one tree goes behind the building its 10-12 ft. in diameter and over 200 ft tall more info to help save them is at E.P.I.C. website
Kim

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zen

GO TREES!!! I would like it on record that "I for one have always had faith in the trees to be the tallest" thanks. xD

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Bob O

Redwood is in great demand because of it's rot resistance & other propertys. I am wondering if there are Redwood farming operations in the west like some of the Pine farming operations like I have seen in the S.E.?

Bob O