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| The forest calls |
A lot has changed in a year. The first time I visited Prairie Creek last year I was so overwhelmed by the place, I couldn't wrap my head around it. I felt like an astronaut who had just landed on another planet. I picked a spot and began slowly familiarizing myself, and at a banana slug's pace, spreading outwards week after week. I planned on visiting once a month, but that quickly turned into once a week visits. The first time I visited Redwood National Park last summer, I was convinced there were places no man had ever been before, and couldn't fathom anyone ever going into some of those places. It looked too difficult, wild, and scary. Well, it may be true to an extent, but I think there ARE a few who have gone to these spots, and there are a few who are going to them now. After a year of rambling around, I am surprised how my own comfort level has drastically changed. I didn't realize it, but I think a certain skill set begins to develop over time, and those who head into the forest probably continue to learn something new after each visit.
Yesterday was a good, good day. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it seemed to me that the adventure of a lifetime still awaits. Exploring the redwood forest is just as exhilarating as any thru hike I have ever done. It's a gift like no other...
I can relate to the feeling of being totally overwhelmed at first, given the scale of the forest. Over enough time I've learned to read the terrain better, but it's almost as if intuition takes over at some point.
ReplyDeleteMax, one mistake I keep making over and over again, is walking too close to the streams/creeks. Water attracts like a moth to a bug zapper. Most of my mis-steps/ falls, sketchy scenarios take place near the streams. Now, I try to keep them within ear/eye shot if traveling near them, but keep a healthy distance. It's so much easier to travel through the forest that way...
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