Eternal Muir
- Jan 26, 2015
- 3 min read
"This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming*, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls."
-John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir (1938)
This last weekend, we ventured into the Muir Woods and visited the National Monument. We rented a quirky blue Nissan hybrid (for one does not simply own a car in San Francisco) and headed North. It felt amazing to leave the city on one of the first sunny, 70-degree days of the year. It's about time California! It was about time for us too, though, to get a glimpse of these magestic Redwoods people keep bragging about.
After parking about 2 miles away (people do in fact flock in nice weather) and hitchhiking in, one of the first sites we saw upon entering the park is the impressive cross-section of a Redwood tree about the width of my wingspan. Small bronze plaques mark the tree's age rings. 1930 tree falls, 1908 Muir Woods National Park opens, 1776 Declaration of Independence is signed. These three plaques were all less than six inches from the outside! They continued: 1492 Columbus arrives in America, 1325 Aztecs build Tenochtitlan, 1100 First Dwellings in Mesa Verde, and at the very center, 908 AD tree is born--holy shit. This tree is so ancient that it was around while vikings were pillaging the earth. Sufficiently mind-blown, we wandered amongst the silent sentinels of the forest in utter awe of their permanence on this planet. Any stress I had immediately vanished in the acknowledgement of my trifled existence.
Thus we entered the woods with restless minds at ease.
Our 4-mile round trip on the Muir Woods, Ben Johnson, and Dipsea trails was one of the most peaceful I've experienced. Surrounded by wooden giants growing in "family circles" that rely on each other to survive and crossing trickling creeks despite the CA drought, there was a continuous stream of sights and sounds to remind us of our innerconnectedness with nature. Not only did we forget about work, but regained peace within ourselves like true transcendentalists.
The first half of the hike wound slowly uphill. The trek offered skylights from the canopy and, as we climbed upwards, a view of the sunlight frosted tips of Redwoods in the distant hillsides. About halfway, we were very near the peak and stopped to munch on a picnic of turkey sandwiches, fresh blackberries, and Indica IPA from Lost Coast Brewery (4.5 stars). We felt spoiled :)
With happy tummies, we continued on our way until the switchbacks finally leveled out into a gorgeous golden meadow with views of Sutro Tower, San Francisco, Ocean Beach, and the Bay. Feeling satisfied from lunch and drunk on living in the moment, we really had to take the opportunity to lay down and daydream...just for a few minutes/thirty.
The rest of the hike was downhill and less shaded by famed tree monsters. Both hikers and woodland creatures alike were enjoying the warmth on this side of the hills. I wasn't able to find a bunny like I hoped, but we caught two woodpeckers in action thanks to the boyfriend's binoculareyes!
Afterwards I sketched an image of these woodpeckers for my room (will post later).
We had a bit of trouble getting a ride back to our car after the hike, so naturally, I made the wait worthwhile by reading outloud a chapter of Bran from Game of Thrones. You'll find I don't go anywhere without a book. Thanks to a trio of gangling looking dudes in a pickup, we were able to head out with just enough time to reach the coast for sunset (pictured). Golden hour driving along Highway 1 was one of the most spectacular sunsets I've seen--no exaggeration. Sitting on the hood of our rental and seeing how many ways we could describe the beam of brilliant sunlight reflecting over the ocean tides filled my heart.
The trip was such a great reminder to take time for yourself and allow nature to rejuvenate you. Humans have a special connection with Mother Earth and you do wrong by yourself losing sight of that. Remember to tune into the needs of your body, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Sometimes all it takes is a walk around the block.
With shuttered eyes, slow your heart and absorb the lightness of the air. Take in the beauty all around you.
Love,
Mattie
*TIl: Gloam = Twilight
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