When my friend Francisca was here a week ago, we walked to the Astoria Column via the city streets, then came down the hill on the Cathedral Tree Trail. It had been several years since I'd been to see the tree, and I wanted to see it again and to show her our mini version of the giant redwoods. What I found was that everything had changed.Two years ago a wind storm reaching hurricane force had felled trees like crazy on parts of our hill, and loggers had later gone in and not only cleaned up the mess, but apparently had felled many additional trees. Some, I'm sure were taken out due to safety issues, but I don't know the rest of the story. In some areas, there were stumps as far as the eye could see, rather than the dense and glorious forest I remembered. That some of the standing trees had been precarious, I don't doubt. Many huge root systems were already upended along the route, with their majestic trunks lying horizontally on the forest floor.
I might have shown you a photo of the Cathedral Tree itself, but we missed it. In the sea of logs and new wooden walkways, I'd become disoriented and had neglected to take a short spur of trail going east just before we reached this rustic bench. I remembered the bench, and my memory told me the tree had been right here. I was devastated, thinking that the Cathedral Tree itself had been a casualty of the storm(s) (although I thought I would have heard something if that had been the case).
So we decided to go back the next day and see and photograph the locally-famous tree with its arched recesses. However, the next day it poured rain all day, and we opted for indoor entertainment. Someday I will go back and post the tree.
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11 comments:
I guess it's still there. Maybe we should go look ofr it.!
I'll come with you! I like this bench of sorts.
Sounds like you were up a tree without a paddle. No, wait, that doesn't work.
You were not up a tree because there was no tree.
But you had your camera. The bench is wonderful, though it doesn't look all that comfortable, which may not matter if you've been hiking for a long time!
Methinks you should go back up, take Lee along 'cause he's used to schlepping up mountains and steep hills, and all kinds of crags...and then capture the famous tree in all its glory on your little digital card.
We'll be waiting....
Perfect shot for the wood theme day, Sheryl (who sets the themes?... they're fun). Can't wait to see your shot of the Cathedral... or come back and see it myself!
This is a perfect choice for the theme. That bench would be a relief after a long hike on the forests.
This is great, and it gives you reason to take another trip back to find it. Keep us posted.
what an apt story about wood for theme day. sounds like a sad walk though but maybe next time it will be a happier walk with hopefully more trees and bushes and greenery to fill the void of so many lost trees.
It seems so devastating when trees come down whether by man or nature. You must research what happened.
I posted a walk in the woods too. MB
Oh dear. I do hope you find the tree. And also that more trees either get planted or grow naturally to replace the ones that got felled.
I knew this bench but not the story, sorry for all those stumps. Hope to see soon this Cathedral Tree, and in good shape.
I'm interested to see that your memory plays tricks on you, too. I thought I was the only one.
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