Winter in the San Francisco Bay Area is the rainy season, and there are days when it rains continuously. Today was one of those days, but I suddenly felt the urge to photograph the rain-soaked forest, so I headed to Kings Mountain. Driving from the San Mateo area along Highway 92 and then Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35), I found multiple trailheads. The Methuselah Tree is a giant tree of the Sequoia/Redwood type, easily visible from the roadside.
It is estimated to be about 1,860 years old, and its height was once 225 ft (69 m) but is now 137 ft (47 m). Some famous redwoods exceed 100 m. For reference, the tallest tree in Japan is said to be the Hanase Three Cedars in Kyoto, standing at 62.3 m. I could take photos of the glossy, rain-drenched trees without anyone around to interrupt. However, the rain was so heavy that it was difficult to look up while shooting… The side facing the ocean, where moisture is constantly supplied, is covered in moss, while the opposite side presents a completely different appearance. A vertical panorama composed of two stacked images. The base glistens with a deep black sheen. Does it give you a sense of its immense size?
