Posted on by Michael Kauffmann

Canyon Creek Brewer Spruce | Trinity Alps Wilderness

Original Publication DATE: 9/27/2010

I had heard about this grand tree after a few fuzzy pictures were circulated a few years back when it was first discovered. Last weekend I finally made the trek up Canyon Creek to find it, we were not disappointed.
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The spruce hangs from granite high above upper lake–farthest to the right in the picture.

diagram
This graphic was inspired by Bob Van Pelt.
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The microclimate fostered around Upper Canyon Creek Lake provides optimal conditions–the Brewer spruces provide the good genetics.
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Hanging on granite’s edge, Dean Matheson grapples with the size of this beauty–is it REALLY this big?
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From the granite above the tree Dean Matheson (left) measures the height with a laser and Radoslaw Glebocki (right) concedes that trees don’t get this big in Poland but big trees are one more reason to love northwest California
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wow…even Skylar is impressed.
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: John Soares
URL: https://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blog
DATE: 9/30/2010 1:57:10 PM
Wow, what a beauty. Is it up near Kalmia Lake?
John- actually it is closer to Upper Canyon Creek Lake.  -Michael

—– COMMENT:

AUTHOR: Audi Thoele

DATE: 9/21/2012 6:00:34 AM

This one is bigger in all regards than the one currently thought to be the record holder in the big trees registry (from Josephine county). It might be nice to get it recognized there. At one time the record holding tree was near the Salmon river on the northern edge of the trinity alps wilderness (much lower elevation), Dale Thornburgh and John Sawyer took Pete Figura and I there in 1994 to measure it. I’m assuming this one is much larger?

Audi – John told me about that tree, it is on the ridgeline to the east of Salmon Mountain on what I think is called Young’s Peak.      –Michael
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