I lie on the ground as the tree towers above me.  It stretches up forever and ever, joined by its brethren around it.  Far above me the limbs of the giant stretch out, lifting their green foliage up to the sun.  A few rays of light peer through the green cover, golden shafts penetrating to the ground.  The musty smell of the damp earth slips under my nose. 

I stand up from the ground and put my hand on the trunk of the huge tree.  The rough bark rubs against my hand.  Those redwood trees can grow over a hundred meters tall, and they can be easily hundreds of years old (with the oldest at 2,000 years!).  Ferns cover the ground, green against the dark earth. 

I look around and follow the path away.  Ahead one of the giants has fallen.  I walk under the enormous trunk, down in the depression created by the mighty roots tearing away the ground.  When I walk up the other side I look back, and see the countless fungi and mushrooms springing out of the decaying wood.  Ahead of me is a fairy ring of trees.  I walk inside the circle and look up.  The fairy ring was created when one tree sent up other trees through its roots, and the special circle shape is evidence of this.  A butterfly flits through the central column of light, dancing through the air.  This truly is an amazing place to be. 

This photograph was taken in the Redwood National Park in Northern California. 

Anders Bruihler is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program.

Photo courtesy and copyright Anders Bruihler