Yesterday started by waking up from my first night of sleep in Falkor.
A little cramped, but overall, not bad.
My intention was to get up early and head straight to the collection of redwood forest parks. But upon finding an envelope requesting $35 for camping in Patrick Point State Park. I decided I might as well get my money's worth. So off I went on a glorious sunrise hike, on rocks and cliffs overlooking the powerful Pacific ocean.
When I returned to my car there was an imposing ranger truck parked next to Falkor. The ranger got out and asked if I was "Serene" (no one ever gets my name right, but that he'd taken the trouble to look up Falkor's info to find out who I was... Alert, alert). We had a very pleasant conversation where he told me that I should have read all the info on the guard house and that there's usually an $85 fine for camping in a non-camping area. I told him I slept in my car, that I locked the doors and that I was planning on paying the $35 camping fee as I left. He liked that I was from Maine and quickly adjusted his fee scale saying since I got in so late, slept in my car and didn't know, he'd only charge me the day rate of $8. He then proceded to tell me about a dark day at the park two months ago when a rogue wave washed a man into the ocean and they lost him. Cheery things first thing in the morning when you've just been hiking on those same cliffs (hmmm). Anywho, this conversation brought to mind Mike Tooher saying that I "walk under a blessed star" or my dad's less poetic "luckier than cat shit." Either way, I was happy to save $27, I took myself out for a Very greasy breakfast, with terrible coffee (can't win 'em all). And sat in the sunlight and caught up on some writing.
Next I was off to the short Lady Bird Johnson loop trail thru immense old growth redwoods.
(Last week I went to Muir Woods outside San Francisco and must say I prefer the planked boardwalks to this specific trail.)
Off down the scenic highway (it's all scenic, but supposedly this is the cat's meow).
Stopped at the famous Big Tree pullout and hiked the short bit to see it. Eh, yeah, it's a big tree but the clearing beside it and the overweight, smoking group of women sort of ruin it for me. I saw trailheads at the back of the clearing and not knowing anything about any if them set off on one. Up to this point I've been a nature only hiker, by this I mean: I don't put in headphones because I like to hear the world around me. I don't know what motivated me to change at this point... but it was amazing. I put on Sufjan Stevens, an album I'd never listened to, and got lost in the redwoods. It was glorious. Moving thru these giants with dulcet tunes in my ear and the birdsong of the forest still penitrating, Magic.
I walked the length of a downed redwood.
- Posted from the road
