Redwood Grove

The coastal redwood groves of Northern California are grand cathedrals of wood. The opening view of this panorama shows a goose pen, which occurs when the base of a redwood tree is hollowed out by fire, but the remainder of the tree survives. Early settlers corralled small livestock animals in them, and hence the term "goose pen". This particular tree is noticeably different from its neighbors in that it has totally lost its bark, having succumbed to the forces of nature.

See more panoramas from California's north coast at our Beyond Utah gallery - Martin van Hemert