Why are we whispering?

A walk in the woods... Stout Memorial Grove

Colene and I drove out to the Jedediah Smith State Park this morning and walked the Stout Memorial Grove. Clara Stout gave 22 acres of old-growth redwoods in honor of her husband so the trees would be saved from logging, which was the fate of all but one percent of the huge coastal redwoods that towered here at the turn of the century. We then drove on to the Boy Scout Trail, walking to Fern Falls among the redwoods.

Colene at the Boy Scout Tree

We found ourselves whispering to each other as we went through the forest. Call us crazy, but it just seemed right to be reverential. Maybe it’s because some of these trees are more than 2,000 years old. Perhaps we were cowed by their size: 300 feet high, and some appearing to be more than 20 feet in diameter.

Whatever the reason, we were glad we got out before the crowds so that we could enjoy some quiet time among the trees.

Man among giants

This isn’t just a tree or two. The State of California, in conjunction with the National Park Service, has protected more than 100,000 acres of redwood forest. That doesn’t mean that redwoods are out of the woods (ha ha), as erosion from upstream logging, farming and development can negatively impact the redwoods nearer the coast. 

Colene admires her surroundings

We are very grateful that some forward thinking folks like Mrs. Stout were motivated to help save these forests for future generations to see and admire. As the photos don’t begin to do them justice here is a quote from John Masefield "They are not like trees, they are like spirits. The glens in which they grow are not like places, they are like haunts—haunts of the centaurs or of the gods."

Mergansers on Smith River

Rex finds a seat

So peaceful