Mountain Charlie Big Tree - Santa Cruz County, CA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member DougK
N 37° 07.022 W 121° 59.247
10S E 589955 N 4108335
This big tree is an old growth coastal redwood tree that is unbelievably HUGE. The Mountain Charlie Big Tree plaque is located off Glenwood Drive in Santa Cruz County, California. It is one of the stops on the Mountain Charlie History Tour.
Waymark Code: WM7D4Z
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 10/07/2009
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member fishingwishing
Views: 7
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Charles Henry "Mountain Charlie" McKiernan lived from 1825 to 1892.

He was a native of Ireland who served with the British army in New Zealand. Charlie came to California in 1849 where he engaged in mining and freighting by pack mule to the Trinity River diggings. His business was prosperous until the local natives ran "his mules" off, forcing him to move to Santa Clara County. After settling in the Santa Cruz mountains in 1850, he became legendary as a hunter, rancher, teamster, road builder, lumberman, and "celestial" Clampatriarch of Mountain Charlie Chapter No. 1850, E Clampus Vitus. His Motto was "Right Wrongs Nobody."

The Mountain Charlie History Tour near san Jose, California, is a series of E Clampus Vitus monuments pertaining to Mountain Charlie, that can be visited in a day.

Mountain Charlie Waymarks on the tour:

Mountain Charlie Grave, at Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose.
Mountain Charlie Road, 50 Feet from Summit Road, just west of Highway 17
Mountain Charlie's Cabin, on Mountain Charlie Road, 50 yards east of Riva Ridge Road
Mountain Charlie Bear Fight, on Pierce Road, off Mountain Charlie Road
Mountain Charlie Big Tree, 450 feet from the old Glenwood Highway
Patchen, intersection of Old Santa Cruz Highway and Mountain Charlie Road

The Mountain Charlie Big Tree plaque is located off Glenwood Drive, north of Scotts Valley. If coming down Mountain Charlie Road, turn left at Glenwood Drive. Look for signs for Big Redwood Park. Park in the small pullout area on Glenwood Drive near the bus shelter, heading north.

From the "Big Redwood Park" sign, walk accross the highway. You will see a paved private driveway leading uphill towards the left. Please DO NOT go up there or disturb the residents. Instead, take the small unmarked dirt trail leading towards the right.

The Mountain Charlie Big Tree and its Historical Plaque are about 450 feet up this trail from Glenwood Drive.

About half-way up the trail on your right, one can see the stump of the "Queen" tree, and the circle of new trees which are growing from it.

Mountain Charlie Big Tree Plaque Mountain Charlie Big Tree Monument

Monument and Partial Tree Base
As I tried to get the monument and the whole base of this 18 foot diameter tree in the picture, I started backing up to get farther away from the tree. 		Monument and Tree Base
I had to back up into the forest bushes to get far enough away to get the whole base of this 60 foot circumference tree in the picture. The tree is just massive.

Views looking up at the 260 foot tall Big Tree

MOUNTAIN CHARLIE
BIG TREE

NAMED FOR CHARLES HENRY "MOUNTAIN CHARLIE"
McKIERNAN, WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST WHITE
SETTLERS IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN AREA.
ONE OF THE LARGEST TREES OF ITS SPECIES,
THIS SEQUOIA SEMPERVIRENS WAS ORIGINALLY
OVER 300 FEET HIGH. THE TREE STANDS TODAY
AT 260 FEET FROM THE GROUND, HAVING BEEN
BROKEN OFF IN A STORM YEARS AGO. IT IS
18 FEET IN DIAMETER AT THE BASE, 60 FEET
IN CIRCUMFERENCE, AND OVER 5 FEET IN DI-
AMETER AT THE TOP. IN 1880 WHEN MOUNTAIN
CHARLIE BEGAN TO TIMBER THIS AREA, HE
PLANNED TO CUT BOTH THE BIG TREE, KNOWN
THEN AS "KING OF THE FOREST," AND THE
"QUEEN," WHOSE STUMP STILL REMAINS AS A TESTI-
MONY TO THAT GRAND TREE. PROBLEMS WITH
THE "QUEEN" CHANGED THAT DECISION AND
THE "KING" STILL STANDS TODAY AS IT HAS
FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS.

CALIFORNIA REGISTERED POINT OF
HISTORICAL INTEREST No. SCR 005
DEDICATED JUNE 9, 1984
MOUNTAIN CHARLIE CHAPTER No. 1850
E CLAMPUS VITUS
"RIGHT WRONGS NOBODY"

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