Jeff vs. The West Coast day 3 - Redwoods

Oct 02, 2015 12:25

You can go through life having a keen interest on a particular region, a sport, a band, a type of performance art, or any other subject and digest all the media and information about it you can find, but that will still not compare to actually experiencing whatever it is in person. I've always found redwood forests fascinating and watched numerous documentaries on them and always stopped to check out pictures and accounts of them online. None of that could possibly do justice to physically being among these magnificent specimens.

The hotel I stayed in Friday night was only a few miles south from Avenue of the Giants. The weather was in the low 60s and there was a bit of fog about, perfect for spending a good bit of time outdoors. Like the other areas I'd traveled through previously, there were numerous spots to pull over and go down trails or just observe what was out there by the road. I had a full day on my plate so it pained me to only stop at a few of these turnouts to get a closer look. There wasn't anything in particular that drew me to the first spot I chose to have a closer look, but it was isolated and somehow I got the notion to


Unless it's a completely still day or a time of year when all leaves are gone, most forests will echo the sounds of the breeze above drifting through the trees. A sound not unlike rain or the ocean that makes you feel really immersed in the environment. This sound was present here, and it had a distinct sound and feel to it as I imagine all forests with different species of trees do. That was one of the first things to hit me, followed by the scent. Trying to describe the olfactory sensations in that grove wouldn't be possible, but the smells were not just in the trees, but the soil and air and everything else. A smell not just of the trees themselves, but of things old and primal, natural wonders that have predated humanity and would outlast it. There was the occasional passing cyclist or other car, but there was such an overwhelming sense of stillness in these woods. These monoliths stood there, oblivious to human interaction, and swayed slightly only when it suited them. It was one of the most incredible experiences I'd had in a natural environment and would only get better form there.

It was difficult not to stop and get a look more often than I did, but like other areas of my trip there was only time for so much. After parting this incredible stretch of forest I headed a few miles north to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Shortly before entering the park grounds, I drove through one more in a long line of small cluster of homes and shops that constituted a town of sorts. The clock approached noon and sucking down some groceries would be advisable before the long hike I had planned, so I pulled into a small
. The place was tiny, just a little hut containing the kitchen with some picnic tables outside, but boasted an impressive menu of what I'm sure were all locally sourced and scratch-made foodstuffs. While I perused the menu, a guy was having a conversation with the proprieter, who were clearly family friends of one another. The customer was discussing some health issues his wife was having and picking up a large meal to bring her in the hospital. They discussed matters and it was clear the owner was the sort who looked out for other locals.

I placed my order and an older man came by and sat down to talk with the two aforementioned people. He asked me where I was from and I told him what I was doing here on vacation and my plans for the day. While my sandwich was being prepared, he invited me into the adjacent store that he seemed to be in charge of. It was the sort of store that carried hardware, videos, grocery items, and numerous other sort of sundries that you find in just about any small town with a population of under 4 digits. He brought me over to a wall festooned with all sorts of old photographs of the area and pointed out one photo in particular. The picture was in color but faded, probably taken prior to 1970 and featured a logging truck loaded with just one single massive redwood trunk. "Now when you go back to North Carolina you can say you've seen a genuine redwood harvest" he said, and told me the figure standing next to the truck was himself during his 45 year tenure as a lumberjack. These sorts of experiences are more worthwhile collector items than any bauble from a gift shop.

The park was just a few minutes down the road from there, and according to my research featured a grove of particularly impressive trees near the trailhead. I sat in one of these
to have lunch. Wandering around the grove for a few minutes was just as awe-inspiring as my earlier experience and I soon set out on the trail. Once again I was continuously taken aback at the scope of all the trees along with their smells and the overall ambiance of the park. Despite it being the middle of the day on a Saturday, there were few other people on the




the deeper and deeper I got in the forest.

Five miles of hiking brought me to the halfway point of the trail, and a spot known as


. This was a gully probably about 50 feet high at its largest featuring a stream running down the middle and multiple species of ferns and other foliage growing along the walls. My shoes and socks were soon sodden from walking through, but I didn't mind in the slightest. Myself and the other tourists marveled at how primordial the scenery was. The canyon was its own ecosystem and had a completely different feel than the rest of the park, as if anyone who walked in was transported to some prehistoric time.

I walked as far into the canyon as it went and then set out on the next five or so miles of the trail. Despite my soggy footgear I relished this portion of the hike just as much as the first section. Countless wonders of towering trees on all sides, along with other features of the area captivated me at just about every turn. Things in the park were winding down and the sun was beginning its decent as I left. A band of mist was descending over the hill, sort of wrapping up all I'd just seen.

Crescent City marked my stopping place for the evening. Like the motel I'd stayed in the night before, it was somewhat older but in better repair. I caught the tail of the lovely sunset along the coast as I checked in and got cleaned up before seeking dinner. The Good Harvest Cafe provided a very satisfying dinner and I went to bed looking forward to what Oregon had in store for me the next day.

Avenue of the Giants full set
Prairie Creek full set
Fern Canyon full set
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