Leaving CA and the Redwoods behind we continued north along the coast highway and camped in rain forests within good hikes of rugged, heavily driftwood-laden beaches. Beautiful, damp and cold - around 30 degrees both nights - although we’ve been extremely fortunate not to camp in heavy downpours. We rate Oregon’s as the loveliest, most private campgrounds with the nicest BR/shower facilities. In northern Oregon we also visited several historical sites related to the Lewis and Clark expedition which placed our adventure and ideas of "roughing it" into a different perspective. Theirs was an awesome journey with many hardships, the success of which was in good part related to the assistance they received from Native Americans whose nations they crossed.
Humbled by Lewis and Clark’s fortitude, breadth of knowledge in the natural sciences and geography, we crossed into Washington, again following the coast and stopping at intervals to hike quiet, padded trails of the Olympic rain forest discovering a few waterfall; to appreciate picturesque lighthouses and to visit both the Dungeness Spit and Willaca (?sp.)National Wildlife Refuges. Although further north and traveling among snow covered mountains, Spring is still in evidence with Robins, songbirds and paired ducks and shorebirds, budding trees and blossoming skunk cabbage ( beautiful yellow calla lily- like flowers) in the bogs.
Yesterday we boarded the Matanuska for the first leg of our marine highway passage along the Canadian coast to Alaska. It’s really happening - the scenery is beautiful and this morning we saw our first whale - hard to believe but it’s happening! "Home" now is an all metal stateroom with bunk beds. No connection here but will post later. WOW!!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Home Away From Home and Redwoods
"Home" has come to be so many different things since we've been traveling two months with more on the horizon. It's consistently the little Honda Civic hybrid, and variably: volunteer housing - that lovely lake front house in Nebraska, our little summer tent (which, in northern CA, Oregon and Washington was much too summery) , a "tent cabin" ( new concept to me), various motels and, starting later this afternoon, a small ferry "stateroom" in which we will start our trip up the Inland Marine Passage to Alaska. Makes one reconsider the concept of home and to realize that this amazing journey is increasingly an internal one as well.
In this post, I shall include some photos of "home" as well as of the Redwoods.
These ancient trees touched me deeply. Not just their enormous size and age, but their magnificent presence. Like a revered sage, these trees seemed to have much to teach. I began to be aware that they share their life journeys ( some up to 2,000 years) through their structures - bending to the forces of wind; scarred and hollowed by intervals of raging forest fire yet persisting via protected resources; disfigured with beryls whose rapid overgrowth may have been stimulated by disease or other stress, those beryls then becoming a new source of growth. And finally, in death they become a nursery for new life so their species (and the many other species of fauna and flora they host in symbiotic relationship) may continue. Their root systems are relatively shallow for their great heights but are intertwined, the whole giving more strength to each individual within the grove. Their bark can be 1-2 feet in thickness which helps explain their ability to survive fire and their resistance to insects. I was awed by these beautiful trees in their still, peaceful world, and by their testament to interdependence, endurance and survival. Words and photographs fail.
In this post, I shall include some photos of "home" as well as of the Redwoods.
These ancient trees touched me deeply. Not just their enormous size and age, but their magnificent presence. Like a revered sage, these trees seemed to have much to teach. I began to be aware that they share their life journeys ( some up to 2,000 years) through their structures - bending to the forces of wind; scarred and hollowed by intervals of raging forest fire yet persisting via protected resources; disfigured with beryls whose rapid overgrowth may have been stimulated by disease or other stress, those beryls then becoming a new source of growth. And finally, in death they become a nursery for new life so their species (and the many other species of fauna and flora they host in symbiotic relationship) may continue. Their root systems are relatively shallow for their great heights but are intertwined, the whole giving more strength to each individual within the grove. Their bark can be 1-2 feet in thickness which helps explain their ability to survive fire and their resistance to insects. I was awed by these beautiful trees in their still, peaceful world, and by their testament to interdependence, endurance and survival. Words and photographs fail.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Correction & Additions
Adding photos: the California coast, vivid California poppies that brightened roadsides and hills all along our drive, and a bull elephant seal.
Also posting a photo sampling of our tour of William Randolph Hurst's "enchanted castle," an architectural marvel on a beautiful, isolated hilltop housing his fabulous collection of statuary, tapestries and art. (Interesting aside - his architect, Julia Morgan was, like her turn-of-the-century peer, Mary Colter who built the harmonious structures in the Grand Canyon, an incredibly talented woman/pioneer in traditionally male field.) The first is a view of the "castle" from the long, winding drive, the next a bit of detail on a facade of carved teak over marble, and the third an alcove of one of the intricately tiled pools. All was donated to the state of California following his death.
Corrections from Nebraska postings: The correct spelling of the Prairie Chicken's courtship and breeding ground is lek. The full name of the Canadian artist/author/environmentalist who wrote Thinking Like A Mountain is Robert Bateman. And while I'm at it, I want to recommend two other books - Michael Forsberg's On Ancient Wings - a great overview of the Sandhill Crane's life and migration from Siberia and Alaska to the southern US and Mexico beautifully illustrated by his outstanding photographs, and Dan O'Brien's Buffalo for the Broken Heart, a good first-person story and introduction to the ecology of the tall grass plains.
Also posting a photo sampling of our tour of William Randolph Hurst's "enchanted castle," an architectural marvel on a beautiful, isolated hilltop housing his fabulous collection of statuary, tapestries and art. (Interesting aside - his architect, Julia Morgan was, like her turn-of-the-century peer, Mary Colter who built the harmonious structures in the Grand Canyon, an incredibly talented woman/pioneer in traditionally male field.) The first is a view of the "castle" from the long, winding drive, the next a bit of detail on a facade of carved teak over marble, and the third an alcove of one of the intricately tiled pools. All was donated to the state of California following his death.
Corrections from Nebraska postings: The correct spelling of the Prairie Chicken's courtship and breeding ground is lek. The full name of the Canadian artist/author/environmentalist who wrote Thinking Like A Mountain is Robert Bateman. And while I'm at it, I want to recommend two other books - Michael Forsberg's On Ancient Wings - a great overview of the Sandhill Crane's life and migration from Siberia and Alaska to the southern US and Mexico beautifully illustrated by his outstanding photographs, and Dan O'Brien's Buffalo for the Broken Heart, a good first-person story and introduction to the ecology of the tall grass plains.
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