We saw this remarkable burl, and Ross formed an almost immediate attachment to it!
Doesn’t it look like the face of an old man?
Redwoods are prone to form these things as a response to some stress: an injury, a fungus, or virus. Depending on how the burl has grown, it may actually be harvested without hurting the tree (but not usually).
The burls are prized by wood craftsmen for their very unusual grain.
A state park north of us closed a road through its old growth redwood grove last summer every night due to repeated assaults on its trees during the night hours by thieves with chainsaws!