The Seed 23: In Love With the Redwoods

Driving North up California’s hwy 101 is a bit like traveling backwards in time, the landscape seems to grow more ancient as the road makes it’s way North. As my partner Shaunna and I drove away from San Francisco’s rolling, paved inclines the cityscapes gave way to large eucalyptus groves and sage covered hills. Not far North of the city we soon found wine country with mile upon mile of leafless rows of, pruned and still dormant grapevines. We traveled onward eventually entering the woods as the day turned to night over the highway. Sometime after nightfall I had to wonder aloud if my road weary eyes were playing tricks on me, as up ahead of our car I started seeing what looked like giant walls right next to the road. The illusion only lasted a moment because when we approached these enormous structures Shaunna and I realized that we were seeing coast redwoods up close for the first time. Excitement filled the car, and all that was heard for the next few miles from either of us were gasps of shock and the occasional “Oh My God!” Both of us had been dreaming of seeing these trees since we were kids, and driving through them for the first time at night was a little too distracting.

We pulled off to rest the night in Garberville, just before the start to an old scenic highway named Avenue of the Giants. The next morning I shined up my camera lens and the two of us set out to meet the trees that had stirred our imaginations since childhood.

Our first stop that morning was only a few miles outside of Garberville. The Avenue of the Giants is a 31 mile stretch of old highway 101 that twists and turns it’s way like a river through huge redwood trees. All along the way there are places to pull over and explore the woods. We quickly made our first stop in a grove of trees wider and taller then either of us had ever seen. We both took time to thank the trees, to pray for their protection, and to put out some tobacco as an offering for them. While walking our way toward the Eel River that snakes through the forest I noticed a scurrying below me and bent down to grab the little salamander at my feet. We took our pictures with this handsome fellah, and put him back where we found him so his family wouldn’t miss him too long.

Walking among the giants Shaunna and I wondered what it must have been like for the native folks who lived here in the undisturbed beauty of these forests a few hundred years ago. We figured this rich and abundant land must’ve made for some fine living. Waking up beneath the protective canopy of these elder trees, and walking down to a river teeming with life to sing a grateful morning song sounds like a pretty good way to start each day. These trees have witnessed the people passing through them loose the greatest wealth mankind ever knew, the ability to live in balance with our environment. When peoples needs are freely provided for by their surroundings, folks end up with a lot more time to sit back and just be grateful for the life they live. I guess that’s basically why I spend so much time encouraging folks to grow their own food. When we grow our own food at home, and mix those food plants in with some native plants for the other creatures to enjoy we start to live in a way that taxes our environment less and begins to bring our corner of the earth back into balance. If we all just do our little part and empower those around us to do the same, we’ve got a chance to experience some of that fine living too.

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