Muir Woods - California

As I caught my 8am flight to San Francisco I kept manifesting that the heavy rains expected would lighten up a touch so that I could go on the adventure I planned out before departure. Sure enough when I landed the majority of the rain had passed and before I knew it I was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to explore the enchanting Muir Woods.

Thanks to my friend Artem, who was my counterpart on this adventure, was kind enough to drive which allowed me to take in the incredible view on the drive to Muir Woods. The insane winding roads gave me a mild heart attack at every sharp bend I could not help but imagine what the people in San Francisco would do if they ever experienced snowfall on roads like these. My fear did not last too long as we approached the enormous redwoods the view was all I could focus on. The native people of this region, the Coast Miwok, called the redwoods ‘Keelch.’

While entering the woods my imagination soared as I could picture a Brachiosaurus (long neck) stomping passed me at any moment. Being surrounded by trees that were over thousands of years old really put in perspective how little I have been on this earth. These trees are older than any living human – just imagine if I could have a full-blown avatar moment and tap into the knowledge they must carry. All avatar jokes aside the vibrations coming off the trees were like nothing I have ever experienced. I spent the entire day exploring the woods and that honestly was not long enough. There is so much to discover there with the previous rainfall – so many little streams and falls popped up along the canyon side.

Vest by BLK Glow

The higher I hiked up the canyon side it was cool to see how much the size of the redwoods changed as they became smaller and smaller. Something I learned about redwoods is that they rely on the fog as their water source and can grow in excess of 300 ft. tall. As the day progressed the weather did as well and a rainstorm rolled in above us but the experience was so thrilling I honestly did not mind at all. These giant elders pretty much sheltered me from the storm as I continued to pretend I was an elf from middle earth. As more rain fell the forest became more alive with vibrant hues of green. What is sad is only 3 percent of the original forest remains after years of logging and other factors play into their continuous destruction. It was so hard for me to leave the Muir Woods that late afternoon but the gifts it gave to me I will carry with me for a lifetime.