RAINYRAMBLES
Ancient
trees at
Teal Slough
BY REBECCA LEXA
The Northwest coast was once covered
with huge trees — western red cedar and Sitka
spruce, Douglas fir and western hemlock.
Imagine, if you will, endless forests full of
towering giants that overshadowed the ferns,
mosses and huckleberries. There might be
spots here and there where wind or landslides
had torn away all the trees years ago, leaving
a meadow or some red alder trees to repair the
damage. But much of the land away from the
ocean would be wide swathes of old-growth
forest.
Not anymore, of course. Decades of clear-
cutting have left the land denuded, or covered
in young forests that lack the diversity of spe-
cies and age they once had. From the Astoria
Bridge, you can see bare hillsides stripped of
trees and vegetation.
There still remain a few small patches of
old-growth forest north of the Columbia River.
The Don Bonker Cedar Grove on Long Island
in Willapa Bay is the better part of 300 acres
populated by 1,000-year-old cedar trees.
Bonker, a former Washington state con-
gressman, was instrumental in getting the
grove added to Willapa National Wildlife Ref-
uge so it would be protected in perpetuity.
Further east in the Willapa Hills, remnants
of old growth remain in Ellsworth and Hen-
drickson canyons. All of these take some effort
to get to, though, whether by car or boat, with
some walking besides.
An easier chance to see ancient trees can be
found at Teal Slough. Located just a mile north
of the old Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
headquarters on U.S. Highway 101, the forest
is just under 150 acres and has one 1/2-mile
out-and-back trail.
The first portion of the trail consists of old,
graded logging road up a small hill. Then, at
the top, the trail flattens and narrows. Other
than a few roots and rough spots, it poses few
challenges for most hikers, though people with
mobility or balance issues may want to take a
bit of extra care.
Despite its short length, the trail wends its
way past several stunning old-growth western
red cedar trees, some of which are over 1,000
years old. Many have younger western hem-
lock companions that grow supported by the
Photos by Rebecca Lexa
LEFT: A tall Sitka spruce rests in the forest, with sprigs of new life at its base. MIDDLE: The wide trunk of an old-growth cedar tree. RIGHT:
Mushrooms sit between a nurse log near Teal Slough, within Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.
sides of the cedars’ massive trunks.
Storms have snapped the tops of the trees
off over the years, but their height, as well as
girth, remain impressive. A few small loops off
the main trail get you closer looks at some of
the best of these giants.
You’ll notice the undergrowth is full of
plenty of young “doghair” trees, along with
ferns and shrubs. This forest was slated to
be logged in the early 1990s. Bulldozers had
already cleared away the undergrowth around
the trees. What’s there now has since grown
back.
Local historian, photographer and top-
notch storyteller Rex Ziak spearheaded efforts
to save the ancient trees, including sending the
company that owned them a photo of one of
the giant old cedars as well as a rope equal to
the circumference of its trunk.
Like the cedars on Long Island — and
almost the entire island itself – Teal Slough
ultimately became a valuable part of the
refuge.
But cedars aren’t the only old-growth trees
here. A few massive Sitka spruce trees are sev-
eral centuries old, and these are quite rare post-
World War I.
When early planes were made from wood,
Sitka spruce was deemed superior for its
strength and light weight, and the U.S. Army
sent people out into coastal forests to find
as many large Sitka spruce as possible to be
chopped down and made into planes.
Somehow, those at Teal Slough were over-
looked, and are now beacons of imagining
what forests must have once been like.
To get to Teal Slough, head north from
Astoria on U.S. Highway 101 and continue
along the east side of Willapa Bay until you
pass the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
headquarters. Go about another mile until see-
ing a driveway just past the slough. If you get
to the bridge over the Naselle River, you’ve
gone too far.
Park at the mouth of the driveway but don’t
block the gate just up the hill. Then, walk on
up the trail to enjoy the trees and other natural
wonders. Please remember that dogs are not
allowed within the refuge, and taking natural
or archaeological artifacts is prohibited.
Rebecca Lexa is a naturalist, nature edu-
cator, tour guide and writer living on the Long
Beach Peninsula. Find more about her work
at rebeccalexa.com.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 // 15