A Walk Among the Giants

By Chris Spisak with Richard Cageao

Big Trees (photo by Beth Powis)

     My girlfriend, Gloria Miladin, was the first to notice the advertisement for the Wilderness Adventures trip to the Northern California coast redwoods over the July 4th holiday weekend. When she told me about it, I suddenly realized that this was the trip I had always wanted to take. In fact, I had already attempted it decades earlier, only to have my Volkswagen Bus break down outside of Salinas and bring that trip to a crashing halt, well short of my goal. I had visited the big trees in Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks many times, but hadn't seen the Coastal redwoods anywhere North of Muir Woods N.P. The Humboldt County redwoods are the tallest to be found, anywhere, and I wanted to finally see them.

     Gloria had been on a bus trip organized by Andrea Leigh and Jason Lynch a couple of years ago to Lassen Volcanic National Park and had found the experience totally enjoyable, so we were enthusiastic about accompanying them on this maiden voyage. We were continually impressed by all of the planning and the organization of the campground activities and the daytime sightseeing hikes they led us on.

     The bulk of the bus trip up was done during the night, so we awakened to the beautiful sight of the early Friday morning sun and patchy fog on the green hills, and the increasingly denser stands of trees as we approached our destination.
     Once there, along the Avenue of the Giants, the unloading of the gear, and setting up camp in the Burlington campground was quickly accomplished. My tent site was next to Art and Bobbie Peyser, and we got to know and enjoy their company over our days there. The campground had a special feature which everyone enjoyed, hot, pay showers! And, of course, not-to-forget, a canopy of beautiful, sky-high second growth redwoods under which we had Happy Hours and campfires.

Day Excursions

Fog over the valley (photo by Beth Powis)

     The hiking started that afternoon when we were led by a docent on a Nature Hike in the forest near our camp. Dave Stockton was a local whose family had lived in the area for generations, and had many stories to tell, especially about the great 1964 flood which had devastated the area. The South Fork of the Eel River flowed close to the campground, and we ended up along its banks, where some of our group couldn't resist taking a dip.

     Saturday morning, we were at the bus early to take a short ride up the Avenue of the Giants to hike among an even denser grove of trees, Rockefeller Forest in the Blue Slide area, to the gravesite of a pioneer woman, Addie Johnson, who died young during childbirth. She was buried on a hill top which she was said to have loved. We had lunch along Bull Creek, then the bus took us to another grove hike, High Rock, ending along the main fork of the Eel River. Again, several of us ended up back in the water. On the ride back to camp, we stopped in the town of Redcrest to pick up souvenirs.
     Sunday morning, we were again hiking in the Blue Slide area through the Rockefeller Grove. Once we crossed a seasonal bridge across Bull Creek, we entered what could only be described as an enchanted forest. As we climbed up above the creek, the trees were so tall and dense that they remained high above us. The dream-like atmosphere was further enhanced by ferns growing twice as big as a person.
     We met up with a group of our participants who had been backpacking and camping on the high ground, nearby, and together we explored Founders Grove, where the tallest of the big trees are. We again stopped for souvenirs and refreshments in the town of Meyers Flat. That evening, another group of backpackers who had been to the Lost Coast area, rejoined us in the campground for a large Happy Hour and campfire. It was here we learned about what adventures the other two groups had.

Those Backpacker Types

     The Lost Coast backpackers, led by Dean Wallraff and Dave Coplen, traversed a rugged section of the California Coast halfway between Mendocino and Crescent City. Richard Cageao informed us that the section that the group hiked runs about 23 miles from Four Corners and Needle Rock to Usal Beach. They traversed high bluffs down to black sand beaches and up again to the top of sheer cliffs with stunning views of shoreline. From the tops of the cliffs, one could stand in grassy overlooks with a wide variety of wildflowers, and then immediately drop into canyons with stands of deep, dark Douglas fir and Redwoods. The coast, in the sunshine, was strongly reminiscent of Na Pali and Kauai.

Enjoying a cool one in camp (photo by Beth Powis)

     At the beaches, the group combed tide pools and watched seals and pelicans in the kelp beds and surf at high tide just 100 feet offshore. There was time to watch the tide roll in and back out again as the group relaxed on the shore, and later time to follow the sun as it set to see stars and planets come out. The campsites all seemed to be along babbling brooks, in either grassy clearings or among fallen Redwood giants. As was the case at Burlington campground, every one of the sites was surprisingly void of mosquitoes.
     The Lost Coast backpackers' rugged few days was penetrated by a bit of civilization towards the end of their trip when they participated as a group in the rescue of a hiker who had dislocated her knee. Dave Coplen notified the authorities by cell phone. Not long after, two helicopters, fire engines, ambulances, paramedics and dozens of onlookers descended on Usal Beach as the hiker was transported safely out.
     Participants on the backpack led by Laura Lathrop-Warriner and Pam Allen reported that one highlight of their trip was watching the sunset over the ocean above the tall trees. They could see fog below and wondered if the Lost Coast backpackers had their views obscured. Remarkably, that was never the case. For the Lost Coast backpackers, it was three days of glorious sunshine.
     Monday, the 4th was spent traveling South, stopping in Marin County for lunch. The afternoon drive down I-5 was hot, with the bus air conditioning running full blast, but we passed the time watching Sierra Club videos, and passing the chips and cookies and everything else that was on the bus to snack on.
     It was a thoroughly enjoyable, relaxing, and educational trip, a trip that should be repeated again.