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National Geographic : 1964 Jul
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KODACHROMESBY PAUL A. ZAHL © NATIONALGEOGRAPHICSOCIETY rection of fall; if the tree deviates only a frac tion of a degree, thousands of board feet of quality redwood may in one instant be re duced to splinters. At last the foreman signals, and a heavy tractor waiting well out of range tugs at the cable. Crack! The tree angles ever so slowly at first, then gaining momentum, sweeps down, and with a low, thunderous thud lands on the prepared bed. A cloud of dust and de bris is the patriarch's only requiem. Once, as I scouted the forest, I heard the whir of Chet Brown's chartered Cessna on a reconnaissance flight. I was eager to talk with Chet and the National Park Service planners and other specialists making the Society-sup 34 ported study of redwood ecology. In fact, I Growth rings ADDING one ring each 12 months, the redwood sap ling cross section at left (en larged four times) records 13 years of varying growth. Some species have laid down accurate weather calendars for centuries past. Building dates of southwestern In dian ruins have been pin pointed by growth rings in their pine beams, a technique hoped to make some field trips with them. The fall term of school was starting. So I interrupted my redwood projects long enough to take my family home and return alone. Then I visited Chet to ask him what he knew about the trees along Redwood Creek. "Yes, we've flown over that area, and walked it, too," said Chet. He added that he was familiar with the Georgia-Pacific road used by Casey Casebier and me. Chet unfolded a map to point out details of the terrain. The Cessna had flown too high for the men aboard to get more than an im pression, but the forest there on the east slope looked spectacular, so it was marked for exploration on foot. One member of the party thought the trees on the creek flats
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