They are the California Redwoods. They grow in solitude, on school bus size trunks, relics of a time before time. They follow the fog line, along the coast of California, taking moisture from the damp fog that collects on their uncovered crowns, a drink that fills them with up to a thousand gallons of water. Dromedaries of the forest, they hold this precious fluid in pithy, dark red bark, and in their trunks for dry times when water is scarce. One of the world s oldest and tallest living things, it stood over 360 feet, marking time in the serene cathedral of its elders.
Time spent in an old growth forest is like no other experience for man.
The majesty of the trees, the evidence of their wisdom to compete for survival, in search of sunlight and moisture in the expansive forest canopy, becomes thought provoking. By comparison, their endurance of fires, drought and floods shrinks the human struggle for survival. If lessons of sheer willpower are to be learned in life, they can be found deep in the forest of these earthly giants. Following the Eel River basin, they gather, a commune of nature. Wild fern, sorrel and moss of all descriptions are abundant on the forest floor.