Into the Woods

The foggy mist of the previous evening had burned off into morning sunshine as I made my second foray out of Crescent City. A big day of climbing lay ahead - first the triple summit of the Crescent City Hills, then another two-stage climb back up to 900 ft.

The day was hot and arduous, but it was all worthwhile when I got to the top of the final summit. Often after climbing a big hill it is all I can do not to fall over as I speed down the other side, balancing against the wind and steering around obstacles with video-game-like  focus.  While exciting, these descents tend to be somewhat stressful and far too short-lived to pay off the long and grueling grind to the top.  On this particular day, however, the road and I both decided to go slow.

At the peak of the hills was an interpretive trail into the redwoods - the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the wondrous trees I had been zipping past.  I took my time wandering along, reading about the forest restoration project by which the old logging road I was on had become a narrow nature trail, taking pictures of enormous tree trunks (how do you capture the size of a thousand year old tree on camera?)  and just listening to the stillness of the forest.  As I sat gazing up at these ancient pillars of life, shafts of sunlight filtered through the canopy, and for the first time in a long time there was no human sound to be heard.  I felt like a stranger in a world with its own mysterious and magical rhythm.

Finally, it was time to head back down the hill. I threw on the customary extra layer and braced my hands over my brakes (I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to the downhills, being more of a dallier than a speed-seeker).  They soon slackened. Unlike most of the other descents I had come across, this one was extremely gradual -  sort of like the imperceptible uphill climb in reverse. Memorialized groves of redwoods lined the narrow two-lane road as I wound my way slowly down through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park to Elk Prairie Campground, my final destination for the day.

At the campground I ran into Wayne. We shared a picnic table, and he told me all about his 5-month hiking trip from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail. His stories of the community that formed along the trail as people who were doing the trip got to know each other reminded me of our biking adventure along the coast, times ten. Wayne loved the experience so much he even tried to do it a second time. Next trip potential? The seed has been planted.

Elk Prairie Campground

I decided to stay at the campground for two nights - a nature day-off rather than a town day was in order. The campsite was very pretty, and the park was full of trails to explore. I spent the morning playing in the forest, and wasted away the rest of the day reading in the sun - the ultimate relaxation. It would have been even more enjoyable if there hadn't been a crew of workers hacking away at the prairie brush with chainsaws until 4pm (apparently in preparation for a burn). Such is life. The first set of California hills was behind me and the majesty of redwoods was in my soul - renewing me for the next leg of my journey.

Peacefully Yours,

Dana