A moment with giants in California
It was the silence that made me realise that this place was special. There were not many birds chirping neither were there any loud noises from people talking too loud.
No, having any loud noises would have taken the attention away from this place, and it deserved the reverence that it received. We were in Founders Grove, part of the Humbolt Redwoods State Park in California and I was so honoured to be in the presence of the famous Californian Redwood tree.
When our friends had enticed us with pictures from their previous trip here, we knew that we had to go and see it ourselves. It turns out we were right because the images, even the ones in this post do not do this place justice. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, and even now as I remember how I felt when I was standing in front of the Founders Tree, at 346.1Ft (or 105m), I felt like a tiny little person. (I just had to hug it)
We took our time, touching every unique tree that had its own story, like this one here, that’s been burnt a few times, and yet it still stands. It lives on. It reminds me of how we as humans survive. We go through trials and tribulations; nevertheless, we rise.
All trees have a story; for me, the Dyerville Giant was the one that stayed with me the longest. This beauty fell in 1991 after a life of over 1600 years due to another tree that had been leaning on it. No one saw when it fell, but when it made the sound was like that of a train wreck. The roots of the Redwood trees are shallow, so their main threat is falling over, which was what happened to the giant. Though in a way it is still alive, still giving life to other plants. Giving life to a whole new ecosystem is the way that Mother Nature works when we don’t disturb her. Death of one giant brings new life to many others.
That’s the beauty of it all. The beautiful ebb and flow of life.