A Summer Day Hiking Among the Redwood Trees

We spent a sunny day in late June 2012 hiking through a redwood grove. The kids immediately turned the forest into a playground, finding a large, hollowed-out tree trunk to climb inside. It’s always startling to see just how small they look standing next to the base of these trees.

They explored the trail, one with a new pair of binoculars and the other navigating the path just fine with a fresh purple cast on her arm. The light coming through the canopy was bright and warm as they walked along the dirt path.

I found my own spot to explore, wedging myself between the trunks of two massive redwoods that had grown together. It was a strange and impressive perspective, looking straight up from between them into the high green canopy. It's a good way to feel completely dwarfed by your surroundings.