Redwoods National Park

The last time I was in this park was when I was twelve years old and my parents were bringing me out to California from Denver on our big move. We took the scenic route.

I remember being awed by these trees then, but today was an overwhelming joy.

In his tribute to the national parks, Dayton Denton says something fascinating. He says that in these peculiar beautiful places, we are reminded of Eden, a time when we were not in conflict with nature, but when we were a part of nature. Nature ceases to be something to control and becomes something for our enjoyment and nourishment. I think that captures what we experienced today.

Our encounter took us due north out of Eureka early in the morning through a dense shroud of fog to the various long stretches of majestic redwood forests that line highway 101 in the northernmost portions of the state. I insisted that there be no video devices of any kind during this time of hushed observance. The girls obliged without complaint and drank in all the scenery. Trinity became my photographer for various scenes along the road (see some of her work below).

We meandered our way up through the park to highway 199, where we diverged to the northeast. There we encoutered a small logging road with the most pristine grove of redwoods I’ve ever seen. We all managed the 1 mile hike along a riverbank until we were rewarded with The Stout Grove.

It is hard to believe that you are still in the normal workaday terrestrial world up here. One feels that one has crossed over into Narnia or some other magical land. There is no waste here and everything reverberates with life. Elk amble through mountain meadows. Birds of prey wheel overhead. The gentle Klamath River drains into raging ocean waters. What amazes is that one cannot fully ingest it all; it is all interwoven, active, and lit with the smoke of fog pouring over mountains and emerging through dense coverage of massive trees. It’s beauty one moment is supplanted only by it’s beauty the next moment.

Many people describe their experiences of such places as “beyond words.” This place does seem to demand a higher reverance than words can provide. Here are a few pictures of our time:

From the Passenger Seat by Trinity Rose

I'm afraid the hair is not "mommy approved"

First glimpses of Stout Grove

Felicity Loves to Hike

The fog really messes with the hair... haha.

Trinity playing with the camera