May 24th 2018

A little change of scenery…

Last time, I had met a new tree and had my second visit with The Tree of Depth. I needed time to integrate all I had received, so a change of scenery was in order.

The following day, I decided to go exploring up South Fork Rd and scope out some wild camping options once my stay at the campground was over.

This sparsely populated road is long, windy and follows the curves and bends of the emeraldy Smith River.

Driving up, you pass small trickling waterfalls seeping down the rocks and cross over a few bridges that open the view up over the river.

Just before the second bridge crossing, (about fifteen miles) there is a pipe jutting out of the rocks on the right with fresh, freezing cold spring water that was safe to drink at the time.

Smith River - Overlook from one of my camp spots I found

The best part about the area was most people stayed in the parking lot down at Sand Camp, a popular camping spot with easy river access that was much closer to the Jedidiah Smith entrance.

They didn’t bother going further up the road which meant I could count on a quiet, solo spot each night when I was done being with the trees and exploring.

View Down River - Sand Camp

View Up River - Sand Camp

Smith River - Sand Camp

The images below, are of the spot I stayed most nights, which is a wide pull-off on South Fork Rd about 15 miles up from the bridge you take to see Stout Grove and the other main trails on Howland Hill Rd.

It was pretty exposed to the road so it wasn’t perfect, but luckily there was very little traffic that passed by that far up.

I took note of my spot I would be staying, and got a fire permit at the ranger station near the exit of the campground, in Hiouchi.

I had never obtained a fire permit before and was surprised to find out its free. You just put down your name and address and declare you have the proper tools (ie a shovel and water) for fire management on the small slip of paper.

Next, I headed north to go explore Brookings, OR and the northern most Redwood forest, down yet another long, pot-holed filled dirt road…

The Brookings area has the feel of a once thriving coastal tourist town, that was past its prime, with empty store fronts and closed-down hotels. Some of the relics of the “old” Brookings area are still around to see.

The good news is, really great restaurants are popping up and there seems to be a resurgence of interest in the area, creating a new look and vibe.

According to the locals, real estate is being bought up quickly and rentals are very hard to come by, so there are sure to be more and more improvements to the area.

Road to Northern Most Redwoods in Oregon - Peavine Ridge Rd.

The road out to the northern most Redwood forest in Oregon is just over the California border, off Winchuck River Rd.

There are several ranches and homes off this dirt road so its best to go slow and be respectful of the neighbors sharing the access to the forest. Although, with the amount of ruts in the road, its hard to go fast even if you wanted.

When you get to the very end of the dirt road, the trailhead begins.

Northern Most Redwood Forest - Brookings, Oregon

The most notable experience I had of this forest was the dramatic shift in mood and feeling when I arrived to the trailhead.

I felt a heavy sadness and deep sense of loneliness, press down into me as I began to walk the trail and it stayed with me that night, even after I left.

It wasn’t until later, when I reflected back on the forest, I realized, the feelings were of the forest and not mine.

Stressed Older Redwood in Brookings Forest

I quickly noticed how few older trees there were ( a few shells of older trees still stood but dead) and the larger ones that were alive expressed a lot of stress with large burls at the bases.

The other surprise was the multitude of millipedes everywhere. It seemed every place I looked to pause and sit to connect in with the forest was crawling!

With research (found here - thank-you Lisa Feldkamp for your informative article!),

I found out, this forest was over run with Cyanide Millipedes. They get their name from their defense mechanism, releasing lethal (to birds and other bugs not humans) doses of cyanide when threatened.

They are a very important part of the ecosystem, feeding on dead leaves and debris from the trees and thus adding the nutrients back into the soil with their feces.

But the sheer amount per square inch felt unsettling. I didn’t see these in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods all over the place and wondered what state this forest was in, that was supporting such a huge population of them.

I later found out from a local this area was heavily logged, which accounted for the minimum amount of elder trees left.

I wonder if the huge amount of loss this forest had was attributing to the feeling of deep sadness there.

After leaving the Northern Most Redwood forest, I headed back to Brookings for dinner out.

On my drives and in the evenings I had been listening to the audiobook, The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of an Underground America by Langdon Cook.

It is a fascinating dive into the world of wild foraging mushrooms and a peek into surrounding industries. So, I was craving some local Oregon mushroom dishes, and found this sweet restaurant in Brookings, The Black Trumpet Bistro. There wasn’t as much wild foraged food as I was expecting but their mushroom crostini was delicious.

I wandered around the town after and found this cool little park and beach on the oceanfront to take a walk. As I came around the bend and looked up, my mouth dropped open.

These amazing sky angels appeared in the clouds. They looked like they were dancing.

As I was leaving, another cloud formed into a toy seahorse.

In each moment, we are never truly alone. Mother nature and all the spirits are there, whether we see them or not. It’s in the slowing down, and paying attention that magic materializes right before our eyes.

When I look back at this time, I realize, this evening, was when I really began to notice the nature spirits. The kind of close attention that invites these magical beings to reveal themselves more and more.

The entire nature kingdom is alive with consciousness, not just in the trees but the plants, the water, the rocks, the sky and clouds.

And the journey of opening and being with them, has been a journey of meeting myself deeper as well.

In the next entry, we will be exploring Stout Grove, a night time visit with The Tree of Depth and more…