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the orland park prairie | September 6, 2018 | 17
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From the Editor
Finding something in the trees
1. 10 Questions with Ben Giblin, Sandburg
runner
2. UPDATED - Football: Agwomoh makes
his mark in Sandburg’s season-opening
‘W’
3. UPDATED: Man charged with motor
vehicle, residential burglaries
4. Officials lay groundwork for improvement
projects, OK La Margo’s contract
extension
5. Area Sports Roundup: Sandburg XC
team ready for another big season
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BILL JONES
bill@opprairie.com
Changing.”
This June, I
“Life.
was in Portland,
Oregon, with my wife,
finally at the front of the
lengthy Salt & Straw line,
ready to order some ice
cream. Despite the wait,
the girl behind the counter
made small talk with
us. Where were we from?
Where were we going?
With a look over my
shoulder to the line behind
us, I replied as concisely as
one could.
“From around Chicago.
Doing a road trip from Seattle
to San Francisco. Hoping
the highlight is a stop in
the redwoods coming up.”
“Oh, my God. The redwoods
are life-changing.
Life. Changing.”
She was in her early 20s,
seemingly just out of college,
and exuded the spirit
of a hippie. Her experience
among the trees clearly
stuck with her, and she
genuinely seemed excited
for us and what we were
about to see.
We were excited, too. After
all, we’d based a return
to the coast on the prospect
of seeing the redwoods.
And I’m all about getting
wrapped up in the buzz of
whatever it is I’m doing.
Still, there was something
about a 20-year-old hippie
telling us that her journey
into nature changed her life
that brought out the scoffer
in me. And I’d be lying if I
said over the next couple of
days I didn’t utter the words
“Life. Changing.” several
times, regarding any variety
of things, in a fashion best
described as mocking.
Then, we found ourselves
in the redwoods. In the
early morning, we stopped
off the Newton B. Drury
Scenic Parkway, on the
northern end of the Redwoods
National and State
Parks, for a loop called the
Ten Taypo Trail. After only
intending a short jaunt into
the woods, we ended up doing
the whole loop, roughly
4 miles.
We were taken by the
beauty of it. And it didn’t
hurt that we never encountered
other hikers until the
last quarter-mile back to the
car. Once we got far enough
away from the parkway, it
was intensely quiet, save
for the rustling of leaves
and the occasional chatter
of wildlife. It was spectacular.
Then, we visited a portion
of the parks near the
Prairie Creek Visitors Center,
hoping to see elk. We
found them. First, a pair off
the side of the road. Shortly
thereafter, traffic was
stopped by a massive gang
grazing across the street.
And then another field full
of them.
The last major thing
we did during our visit
was get a permit from the
visitors center near Orick
to enter the Tall Trees Trail
that leads to the Tall Trees
Grove — known to have
some of the oldest and tallest
growth in the parks. The
round-trip itself takes some
time. First, a winding road
to a combination lock gate,
and then a lengthy gravel
access road to the trailhead.
That’s where a constant
descent by foot begins and
you lose track of how big
the trees get as you head
toward the grove, which,
in addition to redwoods
features some beautiful,
old maple trees. (Then, it’s
a painstakingly constant
incline back to the car.)
It would be an exaggeration
to say that the experience
altered the very course
of my existence. But it was
something special — the
type of thing that gives
you new perspective, both
figurative and literal.
Many of the trees are
hundreds of years old,
and that, in and of itself,
is something to consider.
These are living things that
have outlasted generations
of human beings. Most of
them have been around a lot
longer than any of us, and
most of them will — with
any luck — still be standing
long after we’re gone.
That forces you to think
about your place in the
world. About how nature
endures. But the fire damage
we spotted also speaks
to the fragility of it. Hundreds
of years can be wiped
out by the whims of the
winds, or one bad human
decision.
But I also love the literal
perspective the trees offer.
You can get it only by
standing on those grounds.
We took some decent photos,
but none of them truly
captures what it feels like
to be standing at the feet of
such massive trees. None
of them captures the feeling
of finding a tiny pine cone
along the hike or climbing
into a hollow, downed
giant.
In an age where everything
is about a good post to
the ’Gram, it’s nice to know
there still are some things
you can experience only by
going there. By its nature,
there is some physicality
required. It’s not for everyone.
And that is equally
a shame and part of what
makes it special.
With that it mind, we’re
encouraging readers to Get
out of Town! with a new
travel column on Page 23
this week. It’ll be a monthly
thing. And the impetus for it
is that, while we love these
towns and our focus will remain
the suburbs we cover,
sometimes it takes a trip
outside of our comfort zone
— seeing new places, meeting
new people, doing new
things — to see the world
from a new perspective.
Not every trip is going to
be a life-changing experience.
But if we check our
skepticism at the door and
leave that door open to the
possibility, we might find
something close.
Sound Off Policy
Editorials and columns are the opinions of the author. Pieces from 22nd
Century Media are the thoughts of the company as a whole. The Orland Park
Prairie encourages readers to write letters to Sound Off. All letters must be
signed, and names and hometowns will be published. We also ask that writers
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Letters should be limited to 400 words. The Orland Park Prairie reserves the
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Park Prairie. Letters can be mailed to: The Orland Park Prairie, 11516 West
183rd Street, Unit SW Office Condo #3, Orland Park, Illinois, 60467. Fax
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