HYPERION REDWOOD-- THE TALLEST TREE
Searching for Hyperion is probably the single most challenging task I have ever undertaken in my life. Hyperion is a coastal redwood tree which has the distinction of being the tallest tree in the world. Not just the tallest redwood tree or tallest tree in California, but the tallest tree on the planet. At last measurement, it was 379.3 feet tall and it continues to inch its way higher each year towards the elusive 380 foot mark. Helios and Icarus are the 2nd and 3rd tallest trees in the world. My interest in finding Hyperion traces back to two things. First, I have always been fascinated by tall and large trees (there is a difference between height and volume). I've spent time hiking into groves in different places such as Yosemite and Sequoia and really developed a sense of awe and wonder towards some of the many gigantic trees I have found. Second, I was riding the Skunk Train one day with some family and friends when the train host started talking about the tallest tree in the world. He mentioned how it was north of the area we were riding through but nobody knew where it was because the location was a closely guarded secret. That kind of caught my attention and when I got home I began doing research and learned about Hyperion. I found out that it was discovered by Michael Taylor and Chris Atkins in 2006, climbed and measured by Stephen Sillett and Marie Antoine, and then written about by Richard Preston in his book "The Wild Trees". All of these were names I would become very familiar with over the course of the 100+ hours of study, research, and investigation that I would embark on in my quest to become only the 3rd confirmed person (or group) to find Hyperion since it was originally discovered five long years ago. (Note-- the illustration on the right is one of my favorites of Hyperion. It was published in the SF Chronicle and really helps you to gain an appreciation for the height of Hyperion Redwood Tree. Especially living near San Francisco my whole life, the scale and comparisons are very meaningful. Illustration of Hyperion is copyright of San Francisco Chronicle.)
Searching for Hyperion is probably the single most challenging task I have ever undertaken in my life. Hyperion is a coastal redwood tree which has the distinction of being the tallest tree in the world. Not just the tallest redwood tree or tallest tree in California, but the tallest tree on the planet. At last measurement, it was 379.3 feet tall and it continues to inch its way higher each year towards the elusive 380 foot mark. Helios and Icarus are the 2nd and 3rd tallest trees in the world. My interest in finding Hyperion traces back to two things. First, I have always been fascinated by tall and large trees (there is a difference between height and volume). I've spent time hiking into groves in different places such as Yosemite and Sequoia and really developed a sense of awe and wonder towards some of the many gigantic trees I have found. Second, I was riding the Skunk Train one day with some family and friends when the train host started talking about the tallest tree in the world. He mentioned how it was north of the area we were riding through but nobody knew where it was because the location was a closely guarded secret. That kind of caught my attention and when I got home I began doing research and learned about Hyperion. I found out that it was discovered by Michael Taylor and Chris Atkins in 2006, climbed and measured by Stephen Sillett and Marie Antoine, and then written about by Richard Preston in his book "The Wild Trees". All of these were names I would become very familiar with over the course of the 100+ hours of study, research, and investigation that I would embark on in my quest to become only the 3rd confirmed person (or group) to find Hyperion since it was originally discovered five long years ago. (Note-- the illustration on the right is one of my favorites of Hyperion. It was published in the SF Chronicle and really helps you to gain an appreciation for the height of Hyperion Redwood Tree. Especially living near San Francisco my whole life, the scale and comparisons are very meaningful. Illustration of Hyperion is copyright of San Francisco Chronicle.)
MY SEARCH FOR HYPERION
Some of the questions which confronted me as I embarked on this search were-- How do I find something that absolutely nobody else wants me to find? And how do I find a single tree in an entire forest and large area of national and state parks? Those two issues took center stage and I realized that this task was monumental and nearly impossible. I could see that I was setting myself up for disappointment and failure, especially as I read the reports of other searchers on the internet who had all come up empty and were lost in discouragement. In talking about the road ahead with a few family members, I pointed out that finding Hyperion could take as long as three years. This was because that was how long it had taken the only other documented public group which I read about. Still, I decided to embrace the challenge and give it my best shot. With my background in searching for and locating secret areas of Death Valley successfully, I felt that I could have an edge in reviewing and analyzing Hyperion clues. So I began an exhaustive examination of books, magazine articles, documentary videos, online sources and other resources, and after some time had built up a large collection of hints and clues that would serve as the basis for my search areas. Living just 5 hours from Redwood National and State Parks, we were also able to travel there and do some initial scouting work and hiking. Although we didn't find the tree at that time, we became familiar with the area. Back at home, my search expanded beyond the boundaries of Redwood National Park to nearby State Parks such as Jedediah Smith, Prairie Creek, and Humboldt Redwoods. I had to assume that nothing and everything which I had read and learned was true. Eventually, I had a couple of breakthroughs. An area that I had been targeting for a long time and had high expectations for was eliminated by a fellow searcher who I talked to. That was a crushing blow, as I had really believed that I was looking into the right area. But the fellow searcher provided indisputable evidence. Then one day I was thinking about something I had read a while back and the correct location just struck me. I'm not going to say what the information was or where I found it, but it clicked in my mind and it was like the pieces of the puzzle just came together all at once.
Thus, exactly five years to the day after Hyperion was first discovered, my brother Jim and I were packing our bags and preparing to head back to old growth redwood country in Redwood National and State Parks for another search. Things did not go well for the first couple of days. We searched high and low, up and down hillsides in quite a wide area for 14 hours and came up empty. We were battered and bruised and our willpower was fading. We prepared ourselves to accept failure and began discussing how we could just appreciate the rewards of the forest itself (much as Clynes did in his failed search and article for Backpacker magazine). But we weren't ready to surrender just yet, so we made a decision to take a risk and it ended up paying off. We found Hyperion, the tallest and most majestic of all trees. I will never forget that moment as Jim and I approached the tree from different angles and I yelled out: "I'm making the call... this is it... this is Hyperion!" We celebrated and got some photos, all the while walking carefully around the tree, not wanting to damage its root system in any way. It truly was a special moment in our lives and something we will always treasure and remember.
It's hard to put into words just how difficult our 2 days and 14 hours of searching on this second trip really were. The terrain in the vicinity of Hyperion Hill was rugged and intimidating-- steep hillsides, impenetrable overgrown thick plants and trees, thorny bushes which cut skin and draw blood, false forest floors that collapse into pits, tall trees that all appear to be the same height, massive fallen trees which block routes, hidden trip vines, no visibility (especially in fog), signs of extensive bear activity all around, and the sheer isolation of being in the middle of nowhere. There are spots along the way where it takes extreme caution to avoid bruises, falls, and broken bones. And the bears were definitely a concern. We both carried $60 bottles of bear repellant pepper spray. The bears of the redwoods aren't like the bears of Yosemite. They aren't used to people and we weren't taking any chances. All the way around, it was an unforgiving environment and I certainly can't suggest this search to anyone that I know. The dangers are too great and the search areas too vast. But we overcame the astronomical odds and our search for Hyperion ended with success. I truly feel that it is quite an honor to be one of only a handful of people on the entire planet who knows where Hyperion is and to have seen it with my own eyes. But it is also a responsibility and that is why I will not provide any clues or hints as to the whereabouts of this legendary titan of the forest. Upon returning home, something which meant a lot was receiving a note of congratulations from Michael Taylor, the person who co-discovered the tree, when he learned of my success in finding it. As I wrote that last sentence, which was supposed to conclude my story, a question popped in my mind. It was... Helios and Icarus, where are you hiding? Maybe this is not an ending, but just the beginning.
(Note-- the best web resource for information that I have found on Hyperion was written by MD Vaden of Oregon at mdvaden.com/redwood_hyperion.shtml and he also has the best picture I have ever seen of the world record holding tree. MD Vaden was a member of the 2nd person (or group) to find Hyperion. You can learn more about landmark trees at landmarktrees.net which is Michael Taylor's site. In the pictures below, I am sharing a few of my special Hyperion pictures which do not reveal anything about the location where it can be found. The rest of the pictures will only be kept in my private collection. Also included below is our failed search video.)
Some of the questions which confronted me as I embarked on this search were-- How do I find something that absolutely nobody else wants me to find? And how do I find a single tree in an entire forest and large area of national and state parks? Those two issues took center stage and I realized that this task was monumental and nearly impossible. I could see that I was setting myself up for disappointment and failure, especially as I read the reports of other searchers on the internet who had all come up empty and were lost in discouragement. In talking about the road ahead with a few family members, I pointed out that finding Hyperion could take as long as three years. This was because that was how long it had taken the only other documented public group which I read about. Still, I decided to embrace the challenge and give it my best shot. With my background in searching for and locating secret areas of Death Valley successfully, I felt that I could have an edge in reviewing and analyzing Hyperion clues. So I began an exhaustive examination of books, magazine articles, documentary videos, online sources and other resources, and after some time had built up a large collection of hints and clues that would serve as the basis for my search areas. Living just 5 hours from Redwood National and State Parks, we were also able to travel there and do some initial scouting work and hiking. Although we didn't find the tree at that time, we became familiar with the area. Back at home, my search expanded beyond the boundaries of Redwood National Park to nearby State Parks such as Jedediah Smith, Prairie Creek, and Humboldt Redwoods. I had to assume that nothing and everything which I had read and learned was true. Eventually, I had a couple of breakthroughs. An area that I had been targeting for a long time and had high expectations for was eliminated by a fellow searcher who I talked to. That was a crushing blow, as I had really believed that I was looking into the right area. But the fellow searcher provided indisputable evidence. Then one day I was thinking about something I had read a while back and the correct location just struck me. I'm not going to say what the information was or where I found it, but it clicked in my mind and it was like the pieces of the puzzle just came together all at once.
Thus, exactly five years to the day after Hyperion was first discovered, my brother Jim and I were packing our bags and preparing to head back to old growth redwood country in Redwood National and State Parks for another search. Things did not go well for the first couple of days. We searched high and low, up and down hillsides in quite a wide area for 14 hours and came up empty. We were battered and bruised and our willpower was fading. We prepared ourselves to accept failure and began discussing how we could just appreciate the rewards of the forest itself (much as Clynes did in his failed search and article for Backpacker magazine). But we weren't ready to surrender just yet, so we made a decision to take a risk and it ended up paying off. We found Hyperion, the tallest and most majestic of all trees. I will never forget that moment as Jim and I approached the tree from different angles and I yelled out: "I'm making the call... this is it... this is Hyperion!" We celebrated and got some photos, all the while walking carefully around the tree, not wanting to damage its root system in any way. It truly was a special moment in our lives and something we will always treasure and remember.
It's hard to put into words just how difficult our 2 days and 14 hours of searching on this second trip really were. The terrain in the vicinity of Hyperion Hill was rugged and intimidating-- steep hillsides, impenetrable overgrown thick plants and trees, thorny bushes which cut skin and draw blood, false forest floors that collapse into pits, tall trees that all appear to be the same height, massive fallen trees which block routes, hidden trip vines, no visibility (especially in fog), signs of extensive bear activity all around, and the sheer isolation of being in the middle of nowhere. There are spots along the way where it takes extreme caution to avoid bruises, falls, and broken bones. And the bears were definitely a concern. We both carried $60 bottles of bear repellant pepper spray. The bears of the redwoods aren't like the bears of Yosemite. They aren't used to people and we weren't taking any chances. All the way around, it was an unforgiving environment and I certainly can't suggest this search to anyone that I know. The dangers are too great and the search areas too vast. But we overcame the astronomical odds and our search for Hyperion ended with success. I truly feel that it is quite an honor to be one of only a handful of people on the entire planet who knows where Hyperion is and to have seen it with my own eyes. But it is also a responsibility and that is why I will not provide any clues or hints as to the whereabouts of this legendary titan of the forest. Upon returning home, something which meant a lot was receiving a note of congratulations from Michael Taylor, the person who co-discovered the tree, when he learned of my success in finding it. As I wrote that last sentence, which was supposed to conclude my story, a question popped in my mind. It was... Helios and Icarus, where are you hiding? Maybe this is not an ending, but just the beginning.
(Note-- the best web resource for information that I have found on Hyperion was written by MD Vaden of Oregon at mdvaden.com/redwood_hyperion.shtml and he also has the best picture I have ever seen of the world record holding tree. MD Vaden was a member of the 2nd person (or group) to find Hyperion. You can learn more about landmark trees at landmarktrees.net which is Michael Taylor's site. In the pictures below, I am sharing a few of my special Hyperion pictures which do not reveal anything about the location where it can be found. The rest of the pictures will only be kept in my private collection. Also included below is our failed search video.)
Hyperion Redwood's majestic top towering into the blue sky:
An unforgettable moment finally hiking up Hyperion Hill and standing next to the world record tree:
How does it feel to stand under the world's tallest tree? Steve found out for the first time in 2011 when he took shelter under Hyperion:
Video footage of Steve and Jim on a failed search for Hyperion in Redwood National Park. This will give you an idea of some of the challenging terrain and beautiful old growth redwood groves to be found throughout Redwood National and State Parks:
