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Editor's Note: Mapping the redwoods
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When their contents are actually within reach, maps have allure, even power. Otherwise, they’re about as exciting as a geography class dealing with the demographics of faraway lands.
Our state map of Massachusetts has sat in a drawer for years, one more unused document in the reams of paperwork that life accumulates. But now that Laura and I are planning a return trip to New England to visit her sons, that piece of paper is suddenly loaded with folded-up potential. New Hampshire, even Maine, could make it onto our itinerary, so those pages of our atlas are getting some attention as well. We finger-traced the coastal routes that we just might drive if we find the time. I buy the old saying that life’s a journey, not a destination, but the anticipation of the journey is pretty sweet as well. Soon enough, of course, that Massachusetts map will be back in the drawer, useless again. That’s why I find most fascinating the maps of my own back yard. They never get stuffed away. And if you really look at them, they’ll do a lot more than tell you how to get from Point A to Point B.
We’ve been here almost 20 months now, and our forays have been
focused on the redwoods and coastal trails. We apparently have a high
tolerance for fog, because it was only a week ago that we drove South
Fork Road for the first time in search of sunshine and a swimming hole.
Del Norte County maps hint at so much more out there — other forks of the Smith River to follow, inland hiking trails and dirt roads just waiting for our Jeep. As for those redwoods and coastal trails, a map that just went on sale at the park visitors center offers some fresh information about the area stretching from Jed Smith south to Prairie Creek. It’s color-coded with old growth in dark green, so you can plan your route accordingly if the gnarly giants are what you seek. It’s more helpful than most maps in terms of marking mileage along hiking trails, and even pinpoints trail features such as footbridges, stairways, scenic viewpoints and memorial signs and benches. If you want information about specific hikes, you’ll still want to pick up the parks’ “Trail Guide” for a combination of mapping and route summaries. Or procure a book such as “Best Short Hikes in Redwood National & State Parks” (Jerry and Gisela Rohde) or “Best Easy Day Hikes/Redwood National and State Parks” (Dan Brett). Or go to redwoodhikes.com, my favorite Internet site for such things. But to better understand the lay of the land in redwood country, the parks’ latest offering is pretty slick for $6.95. |
