Polipoli State Park is the result of an effort in the 1920s and 1930s
to create a forest where there had been one up until the mid 1800's,
by which time it had been destroyed by farming and logging. But rather
than try to recreate the native forest, the state decided to plant
redwoods, Monterey cypress, ash, sugi, cedar, and several types of
pine. The result is an often dense forest that gives one the feeling
of being in Northern California or the Pacific Northwest.
The forest is usually shrouded in mist in the mid-afternoon, whereas mornings and evenings are often clear. Such was the case on our two-day camping trip.
Note for photo geeks: I shot most of the photos on this trip handheld at ISO 400. Most of the shots at ISO 100 were from a tripod. The enlargements of the thumbnails indicate the ISO speed.
Enjoy these two quotes. One sees what one wants to see.
The hike is a particular joy for those familiar with the California redwoods. To walk among these majestic trees, to delight in their fragrance, to feel the soft sod from accumulated needles underfoot, and to view the sun trying to force its way through their dense foliage is an overwhelming experience.
--- Robert Smith, Hiking Maui : The Valley Isle
The damp path descends gently under conifers---look out for exposed roots on the path and for overhanging dead, cone-studded branches! This profusion of dead branches still on the tree, as well as the many fallen trees, gives the path that oppressive feeling of decay so characteristic of this forest.
Trails in the heart of the dense, non-native forest are very faint under their thick blankets of fallen needles and twigs . . . At their best [the trails] would still be uninteresting: you can't see much besides a dense network of dead twigs ahead of you.
--- Kathy Morey, Maui Trails
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