Del Norte Coast Redwoods, California

With sunrise, I could see more of Albee Creek. First of all, there are deer all over. Second of all, it’s a nice campground. EDITORS NOTE: IT’S RUBBISH COMPARED TO DEL NORTE COAST REDWOODS, BUT SO IS EVERYTHING ELSE.

Talked with the rangers a bit to get advice for a quick hike, and settled on the main path near Albee Creek. There’s an old-growth redwood grove across the river, and the map CLEARLY marked a “seasonal bridge.”

That was a 200 foot redwood that had fallen across the river. Not even cut down; it had fallen. You had to climb atop it, which was difficult in an of itself. It was about 10 feet tall; imagine climbing a circle that’s ten feet tall. Then you walk across it, with a decent drop onto a combination of stones and (I imagine) freezing water.

So of course, I crossed it.

The grove was awesome. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to be with these giants; nothing else on the planet comes close. It really gives you respect for the age of the planet and the power of nature. I literally hugged a tree.

Took some pictures and had fun for a bit. I was walking with one other gentleman who abandoned his wife, since she was afraid to cross the tree-bridge. I eventually turned back to let him be eaten by a bear. Just kidding. Kind of. I did find fresh bear droppings on the trail, so there’s that.

I also traveled along to another Redwood grove – the Elder Grove, I think? More fun just walking around and admiring even bigger trees. I did answer an important philosophical question: If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a noise?

Of course it makes a noise. Look at these things. You can see them torn asunder by the force of their fall. They’re enormous. The noise is goddamn seismic. Jeez. Obviously.

My car was pretty dirty from the dirt roads and killing millions of bugs with my windshield, so when a gas station had discounts on gas if you got a carwash, I thought this was a great idea.

My Jeep was too tall and I scratched my brand new rooftop tent. I’m an idiot, I know. I fit under the clearance thing, but I think the very end part put the Jeep at an angle that scratched it. Luckily, 90% buffed out. The rest looks to mostly have just scratched the paint and can be easily repaired later. Lesson learned. Ugh.

Got to Del Norte Coast campground, and my feelings of shame and stupidity disappeared.

This place is amazing.

This campground looks like a Disney movie set. For a movie called, “The Romanticized Ideal of Camping.”

Every log is covered in just the right amount of moss; stairways ascend from the dirt parking spot into the canopies and hills that house flat ground, bear lockers, and sometimes stoves and picnic tables.

No two spots are alike; one has a giant fern in the middle, others ascend to multiple levels. Some are on flat ground, some are sheltered by trees and bushes. Luna moths are to be found around; it’s humid but still a comfortable temperature.

This is the most beautiful campground in the world. I would love to be wrong about this; but I’m probably right.

I set up camp and cooked some chili on my portable stove (EDITOR’S NOTE: THANKS MOM). Then I sat in my rocking chair (EDITOR’S NOTE: THANKS DAD) and just enjoyed the view. Slept in the tent, as usual.

Nice people at the campground, too; I met a guy from Portland, who looked the part. Pony tail, told me about the beers, etc. He gave me some tips for the road ahead.