South Fork Eel River

[gf beranek]

Terri and I did some more hiking along the Avenue of the Giants and found some great trees, but we also found a section of the old old highway, probably 20's 30's era, under the old highway. From which we were able to access the river and view the new highway viaduct just south of Meyers flat. Built along sheer rock wall.

The old highway enforcements, built out of logs to hold the banks, is beginning to crumble and it will be interesting to see how and when they take steps to repair it.

The view of the river and old growth forest skirting the banks was beautiful.

 

[SkwerI]

Beautiful country, Jerry.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd like to have watched them install those highway enforcements, way back when.

 

[gf beranek]

The logs lasted about 80 years. They do the same thing today with concrete Lincoln logs. Bound to last much longer.

 

[vharrison]

Very pretty!

 

[Mrs.B]

While we were on the sandbar getting a picture of the freeway bridge above us, 2 bald eagles swooped down and circled around us a couple times. It was exhilarating!

 

[MasterBlaster]

I bet that was awesome! I've never seen one in real life.

 

[sotc]

cool stuff jerry and terri

 

[gf beranek]

Thanks Willie. It was cold in the mornings, but warm during the afternoon. That south fork of the eel is a beautiful area.

 

[sotc]

it really is, we used to swim there in the summers, warm slow water

 

[squisher]

Cool! Man that walkway along the river looks neat too.

Interesting old uses for wood, as a sidenote. I spent a stint in the Charlottes and while I was there they were salvaging the old roads which had been built from cedar. halved/quartered logs thrown down into the boggy sections and as they sunk throw down some more. Well the wood was so valuable nowadays they were digging it up and re-milling it.

 

[thattreeguy]

once again awesome pics gb
a few months back i was working for the yurok tribe in weitchpec
flying a boom on the row over the bank fully extended and i watched a bald eagle fly about level with me about 500 ft away, it was gliding over the river, i stopped and watched it for about 5 mins, beautiful creatures

 

[stig]

While we were on the sandbar getting a picture of the freeway bridge above us, 2 bald eagles swooped down and circled around us a couple times. It was exhilarating!

Eagles are great.
I was out climbing with my apprentise on saturday. We had promised a local forrester to measure a grand fir, which he thought was a record high tree ( for around here, that is). We had to give it up because it started blowing really hard and the original top had broken out of the tree and a new leader had grown up in it's place, it didn't look like it would be safe to go up in high winds.
As we were sitting up in the tree debating whether to give up or not, a grey eagle came right by us.
Even though the wind was blowing hard, that bird was able to fly really slowly by us, seemingly unaffected by the gusts of wind.

So even though we didn't make it to the top, the day turned out okay

The gray eagles have made an amazing comeback here after being extinct in Denmark for over 50 years. It is still really rare to see one, though.

 

[gf beranek]

Were people shooting the Grey Eagles to make them extinct?

 

[woodworkingboy]

Jerry, how long a walk is it to get into that area your pics show?

 

[Al Smith]

While we were on the sandbar getting a picture of the freeway bridge above us, 2 bald eagles swooped down and circled around us a couple times. It was exhilarating!

I've seen two in my life time ,they are rare in Ohio .

My daughter was doing some convert undercover type stuff to get the goods on a large egg farm that was polluting rivers and streams .She had to go in close proximity to a nesting pair of bald eagles and they weren't too happy with her .

The good news was that with her "Erin Brockovich " I spy thing that large commercial operation was eventually shut down but that's a different subject all together .

 

[woodworkingboy]

I used to observe a large group of bald eagles circling above daily, while on a stay at Hornby Island in British Columbia. Nice place, at low tide there were oysters as far as you could see, and only a couple minutes to gather bucket fills.

 

[squisher]

Again a Charlottes antedote. Bald eagles are everywhere there, hundreds of them. In the three or so months I was there I collected half a dozen eagle feathers from the beach. It wasn't uncommon for a dozen or more to be on or around any given spot on the beach. Once I came onto the beach and a 'flock' of eagles and ravens flew off and I scored a pointed flight feather that was still warm from the bird.

I'll never forget having a big windstorm there though and all the eagles were grounded while the ravens soared and played like nothing I'd ever seen or heard(the sound of their wings ripping through the wind)before. Was a sight for sure.

 

[gf beranek]

A precious and rare experience to behold, Justin. You are fortunate.

Bald eagles are making a come back here only because they're protected. In the past they were target practice.

A crying shame from a legacy of the past.

 

[squisher]

I loved the Charlottes, and if the contractor hadn't flown the coop without paying I probably would've stayed longer. I got paid in the end, but it took one of my good buddies catching up with the guy in Vancouver to get the money out of him.

Nothing like having pay day put off and put off and then having the contractor hand the keys and fuel card to my best friend and say, "You're in charge now I gotta head down to Van city to do some business".

I remember looking at Travis and saying, "You're my boss now?".

We ended up leaving the keys in the crummy and the equipment in the woods after working for another couple of weeks like that with zero contact from the owner. That was like 21/2 months with no pay.

Had some good times and experiences there despite that though.

 

[gf beranek]

I've worked on a promise right along side of the rest in lieu of pay. some panned out and some didn't, but every day in the woods brings on a whole new light.

But sooner or later you got to draw the line.

 

[sotc]

in kodiak i used to count the bald eagles on the way to lunch. counted 20 something more than once in a 2 mile stretch

 

[Mrs.B]

I'm so glad to hear there are still large numbers of eagles in Kodiak. I lived there for 2 years...1969 and 70. At that time the eagles were thick. It was common to see a tree full of them. We used to go to the river to watch them fish. Also at that time the fish were so thick in the rivers you could see more fish than water in spots. Of course, the big old scary Kodiak bear thrived as well.
I've never been back since I left there in 71 but I've always wondered if the wildlife is still abundant. When were you there, Willie?

 

[darkstar]

We got umm right here in chattanooga tennessee.
During cold days they fly right up the canyon where i live.You cant miss umm.

 

[sotc]

terri, i lived there from 94-98. id never seen a school of fish packed in a river so abundantly till i went there. the reds in buskin river, the humpies in kalsin creek and the silvers in pasagshak. more salmon than trout! hope those names bring back nice memories, they do for me