Less than 80 miles south of the Oregon State Line, there are Redwood forests intermingled with coastal views where I hiked the trails in the Orick and Del Norte areas. It is part of the Redwood belt that covers a 450 mile stretch from central California (just below Big Sur) to Southern Oregon.
They are known as the tallest trees on the planet and if you haven’t been up close and personal with a Redwood, you are missing out. I never really understood why anyone would want to hug a tree, but there is something to be said about the expansion you feel when you place yourself beside a tree so huge that you can stand inside the trunk and walk around as if it were a cave. This hollow trunk, or goosepen, typically caused by damage, decay, and forest fire, is evidence of the resilience of these amazing old-growth trees.
Standing next to an established Redwood gives the impression that one is communing with a gentle giant. I became aware that I was in the presence of something that most likely lived on this Earth for thousands of years, the oldest tree being recorded at 3,500 years old. It was majestic! That alone would make a person want to, at the very least, lean against the tree. After all, as the renowned nature conservationist John Muir said: “Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.”
For some quick facts about Redwoods and how you can get involved in their preservation visit savetheredwoods.org. If you decide to go see them for yourself or already have pictures you’d like to share, send them to us at usedmedia.info@gmail.com or tag on social @usedmedia