TUIA GIGANTE
The Thuja Plicata on the Pena Park is about 35 meters high and has a diameter of 1.75 meters. Other Thujas have reached a height of 65 meters, a diameter of 3-4 meters and the eldest ever reported has 1460 years.
Western Redcedar has an extensive history of use by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Coast, from Oregon(Canada) to southeast Alaska(USA). Some northwest coast tribes refer to themselves as "people of the redcedar" because of their extensive dependence on the tree for basic materials. The wood has been used for constructing housing, totem poles, and crafted into many objects, including masks, utensils, boxes, boards, instruments, canoes, vessels, and ceremonial objects. Roots and bark were used for baskets, ropes, clothing, blankets and rings. In our days its light weight, strength and dark warm sound make it a popular choice for guitar soundboards.
Other famous specimens:
The "Quinault Lake Redcedar" is the largest known specimen in the world with a wood volume of 500 cubic meters. It is located near the northwest shore of Lake Quinault north of Aberdeen, Washington, close to the Pacific Ocean, it is 55 m tall with a diameter of 6.04 m. By way of comparison, the largest known tree, a Giant Sequoia named "General Sherman", has a volume of 1,480 cubic meters.
The second largest is the Cheewhat Lake Cedar, in the West Coast Vancouver Island-Pacific Rim National Park, at 449 cubic meters, and then the Kalaloch Cedar in the Olympic National Park, at 350 cubic meters.
A redcedar over 71m tall, 4.5m in diameter and over 700 years old stood in Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, before it was set on fire and destroyed by vandals in 1972. That tree now lies in "Giant's Grave", a self dug grave created by the force of its own impact.
A giant stump of a Western Redcedar tree is on display outside of the Tree House exhibit at the Jardin botanique de Montreal in Quebec, Canada.
The Cache:
Is a micro cache (not a film canister)
Situaded inside a Park, and access to the park costs around 7,5€ open during the day (10h-18h winter time). More info: Parque da Pena
NO NEED to climb any trees!
Please take your own pen or pencil
Aditional Waypoints:
Lakes Gate(usually open during summer time):
N38 47.344 W009 23.560
Main Gate:
N38 47.280 W009 23.256
Happy Hunting!