I was on a mission to seek out fog in the redwoods today but got a late start so the skies above Jedediah SP were already clear. Our next stop was Mill Creek Campground but that was closing for the season. This 40-square-mile property was purchased from Stinson Lumber Company in 2002 to protect Jedediah Smith Redwoods from the detrimental effects of upstream logging. The area was almost entirely clearcut in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s and only a few small old-growth fragments remain. Continuing our search, we made our way south along 101, the long strip of Del Norte SP. Perched on a steep hillside above the Pacific Ocean, Del Norte Coast Redwoods is perfectly positioned to catch the summer fog as it streams off the ocean. Because the higher slopes get more fog (and because redwoods don’t like salt spray), the trees get bigger toward the top of the hill. There are no formal public access points and we ended up stopping at a pull out and walking up an unmarked trail. Lucky for us, it led deep into the redwoods all the way down to the coastal trail, and eventually out to the ocean. What a visual feast as the fog rolled in and out, and the sun cast streams of light through the trees. It was a photographer’s dream and I relished every moment. It has been 6 months since I have attempted any photography and today erased those 6 months from memory. 
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is the last in a long string of redwood parks that stretch up Northern California’s coast. It contains seven percent of all the old-growth redwoods left in the world.
The park was named for Jedediah Strong Smith, who in the 1820s became the first white man to explore the interior of northern California.
We ended our day by walking along the Smith River, the last major undammed river in California, and even though fishing was closed for the season, just being by the river was rejuvenating for Ray. All in all a good day.