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Literary Tours: Muir Woods National Monument, San Francisco

By Dolly Lee 8 Comments

 “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

Summer has almost closed its door when we arrive at Muir Woods north of San Francisco. We see people strolling on a wooden walkway built to protect the plants, the giant sequoias’ roots and other life from damaging human feet. As I gaze up at spires of towering trees bound for the heavens, I wonder how human feet can injure their roots. We’re so tiny in comparison, yet we make a big impact.

We walk below a wooden archway at Muir Wood’s entrance. A placard suggests silence. Instead, we hear a mix of loud and soft chatter, mingled with laughter. We probably won’t be silent, but we will try to be quiet so we can hear the birds speak. What other animals will we see? Hear? I hope we’ll see more furry and feathered friends after we leave the wooden walkway and venture onto the dirt trails branching off like living tributaries.

Instead of the shorter Ocean View trail, we look for the trailhead for the Bootjack Trail. As we climb uphill, we see fewer people and I smile. Finally, we enjoy silence and my back feels damp under my jacket. Soon I hear a happy gurgle from a whisper thin creek below. With California’s drought, we didn’t expect any water. The creek’s singing is like a soundtrack inspiring me to continue climbing higher and higher.

The creek runs into a giant boulder, draped in moss and lichen, where a small waterfall trickles down. We gingerly step down so we don’t slip into the creek or touch any poison oak.

Some of the many footbridges have split wood railings on the side, while others are strips of wood nailed together to form a plank bridge. Volunteers cut wood and nailed the logs together to make bridges for people they will never meet.

At one point, boulders surround us and I feel a bit claustrophobic as we continue to climb. A gray-brown salamander scampers along a grey rock ahead of me, followed by its equally skittish friend. I’m glad they are small as they are close enough to touch.

We finally reach the top of Bootjack Trail. Instead of retracing our steps, we take another trail back. We zig and zag, switch back and forth on a trail so narrow and steep, my toes scold me at every sharp twist and descent for forgetting to pack my thick hiking socks.

Several different birds caw and chirp. A quiet wren pokes inside a fallen log along the trail.

We can’t see anyone, but we hear two voices speak and laugh. The noise pierces our reverie. Even the birds seem to stop warbling. Rocks, pebbles and raised tree roots impede our escape so we still hear their chatter though we can’t see them.

The switchbacks end and the trail widens and the incline becomes more gentle. It is quiet and I exhale.

I notice a flicker move on a hill to my right where trees and large shrubs abound. Patches of gold glow through the trees’s green woven web like a lace veil. My eyes become a searchlight, scanning back and forth until I find it: a dark brown deer with two nubs on its head. I tap my husband’s shoulder and motion for him to stop.

The deer lifts its head above a tall shrub as if he senses our quivering presence. I want to capture his image but each time I push the camera’s button, it stalls and loses focus. After several failed attempts, I stop trying to capture the moment and let the moment capture me. Before I can surrender, the deer waves his own white flag as his upturned tail disappears into the woods.

Photo by Jason Toff,  Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Dolly Lee.

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Dolly Lee
Dolly Lee
Dolly Lee lives on the West Coast, where she enjoys art and nature. She loves to write about soul care.
Dolly Lee
Latest posts by Dolly Lee (see all)
  • Regional Tour: The Getty Center in Los Angeles - November 6, 2015
  • Regional Tour: A Glimpse of Yosemite - August 14, 2015
  • Literary Tour: Mariposa Museum & History Center - May 20, 2015

Filed Under: Blog, Literary Tour

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About Dolly Lee

Dolly Lee lives on the West Coast, where she enjoys art and nature. She loves to write about soul care.

Comments

  1. Maureen Doallas says

    November 14, 2014 at 11:28 am

    A beautifully written post, Dolly. Muir Woods is a gorgeous place. May it always be so.

    Reply
    • Dolly@Soulstops says

      November 14, 2014 at 3:10 pm

      Thank you, Maureen…it is gorgeous…it sounds like you’ve been there before? Yes, I’m very thankful to John Muir and the volunteer corps.

      Reply
      • Maureen Doallas says

        November 14, 2014 at 4:23 pm

        Yes, Dolly. Many years ago. I’d love to see the woods again.

        Reply
        • Dolly@Soulstops says

          November 16, 2014 at 3:14 pm

          Maureen,
          I hope you are able to see Muir Woods again 🙂 They’ve added a little cafe and gift shop…I was impressed with how the cafe had its patrons separate out uneaten food into a compost can and another one for recyclable items and then trash. Was it there when you visited?

          Reply
  2. Jennifer Camp says

    November 14, 2014 at 3:30 pm

    I am so grateful, friend, for how you invite me into beauty and tranquility. You bring me right there with you, and remind me of the gift of quiet and of listening. When we walked the Dipsea trail with our kids and my parents two years ago (which began in Muir Woods) we weren’t the quietest bunch. But it was sacred space all the same, in that beautiful place. Thank you for inviting me into this quiet journey of beauty and peace.

    Reply
    • Dolly@Soulstops says

      November 16, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      Jennifer,
      Thank you so much for coming with me on this hike…I’ve heard of the Dispea Trail… and it makes me happy to imagine you and your family enjoying the beauty of Muir Woods 🙂

      Reply
  3. Sandra Heska King says

    November 24, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    We went to San Francisco on our honeymoon. We went to Muir Woods, too. I wish I could remember more than a giant sequoia. I wish I’d paid better attention to what was around me. Thanks for taking me back.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. What Muir Woods Taught Me | Dolly M. Lee @ Soul Stops says:
    February 19, 2016 at 2:53 am

    […] join me over at Tweetspeak Poetry for our hike, especially our surprise at the end. See you there when the post goes live on Friday (11/14/14) at […]

    Reply

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