The Redwood Forest: Avenue of the Giants

After leaving the Redwood Forest, I planned to head south to San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway, but I saw a road sign that said, "Avenue of The Giants." Those words had a certain allure, so I took a detour.

The old road lead me through Humboldt Redwood State Park. I spent most of the day photographing more giant trees, but it's difficult to photograph a Redwood. The scale of me standing next to a Redwood Tree is the equivalent of a mouse standing next to me. It is impossible to convey that feeling of smallness in a photo. The closest I could come was to put myself in the shots.

It's hard to think of such massive trees as plants. There are species of ants that live solely on one Redwood tree and nowhere else on Earth. A single Redwood is a planet for an entire species.

It is also impossible for a photo to give you the feeling of respect you have for them when you see one. A respect you might ordinarily reserve for wise elders or the representatives of a bygone era.

I suppose you'll just have to see them for yourselves.

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A Backpacker's Life List by Ryan Grayson is licensed under
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