A Walk in the Woods
Not to be confused with Bill Bryson’s classic…
In early November 2026 we flew to San Francisco to visit our daughter, who is pursuing a master’s degree at Stanford University. I mention this because I’m an incredibly proud father, and because she comes back into this story near the end.
Stanford University campus, November 2025. Shot on film.
But the “real” reason for our trip was to scout Santa Rosa and the Sonoma Valley as a potential retirement destination. We’ve visited the area several times since she started at Stanford in mid-2025, and we’ve fallen in love with it.
Sonoma Valley, November 2026.
Once we left Palo Alto for Santa Rosa, we decided, on a whim, to stop and visit Muir Woods along the way. I had never been, and this was an opportunity I could not pass up. I’ll admit I was bummed not to have a bike with me to hit some of the local singletrack or gravel. Still, I was glad to at least get out and see these woods.
My knowledge of the redwoods goes way back and is loosely tied to my work building and maintaining multi-use sustainable trails. My love of mountain biking has often been at odds with John Muir’s Sierra Club and its rigid conservation philosophy. My own approach to conservation is a bit more relaxed. I believe in the idea behind Trails Are Common Ground, a coalition of people, businesses and advocacy groups working to make trails safe, inclusive and respectful for everyone who steps, rides or rolls onto them.
I hold that belief well beyond trails. Building sustainable trails that will be here long after I’m gone, so others can enjoy the outdoors on foot or on a bike, gives me a real sense of fulfillment and purpose. I understand why a place like Muir Woods is foot traffic only, but there’s room for bikes elsewhere. Being immersed in nature is what Muir and I share, though he was far more immersed than I have ever been.
My love of film is the other thread. Some may call it blasphemy, but these woods came back to my attention recently after I watched the newer Planet of the Apes movies, and visiting Caesar’s lair was a big part of the draw.
Before arriving I did a little online research and opted for a manageable hike I could do in a couple of hours. I knew it would be somewhat challenging, but I didn’t hesitate to take it on. In September 2025, I hiked Hanging Lake in Colorado with my daughter. It was the go-to hike of our cross-country trip, and it was considerably harder than anything I had planned for Muir Woods.
Before I started, the ranger on duty told me it would take around two hours, so, naturally, I aimed to do it in less than that. I finished in about an hour and 45 minutes. I set out from the visitor center along the Redwood Creek Trail, then up the Hillside Trail, before climbing the steep Fern Creek Trail and descending along the Canopy View Trail.
The Redwood Creek Trail is easy to follow and stays low among the redwoods. It’s also the most crowded.
I tried to hide the two people on the bench in this shot and nearly pulled it off.
All in all it was a little over 3.5 miles. I knew Fern Creek would be steep, but I didn’t anticipate how steep. Still, it was manageable, and whatever discomfort I felt was lost in the landscape.
Hillside Trail. Selected photos from the first portion of the hike along the Hillside Trail.
My goal wasn’t speed. Instead, I wanted to experience the redwoods the way I approach every trail I ride or hike at home: immersed, with my mind free to wander. For that reason, I chose to explore the Hillside Trail, the steeper Fern Creek Trail and the Canopy View Trail. I figured that not lingering on the lower Redwood Creek Trail would give me the best chance to escape the crowds. It did. I saw only a handful of people on the Hillside Trail and virtually none on the Fern Creek and Canopy View trails.
I often say that when I bike or hike my mind goes “blank.” The truth is, what I get is clarity of thought. Hikes and rides like these give me moments of “enlightenment,” moments of realizing where I am, where I belong, and where I fit in the grand scheme of things. I tried to describe those moments in “The Story of Martin,” a short video a fellow Combat Camera alum shot and edited for me a few years ago. (You can watch it here.)
Fern Creek Trail. After dropping down from the Hillside Trail, I began the ascent toward the Canopy View Trail along the Fern Creek Trail. The path got progressively steeper as I walked on.
After the hike I looked up some of Muir’s quotes and found one that captured my experience:
“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
— John Muir
Those words echo why I love to ride, hike, and spend time outdoors. It’s in those moments of clarity that I realize who I am. I’m not sure I can ever put into words how I feel, but I’m certain many of you feel the same way about the things you love doing.
Canopy View Trail, heading back down toward the start of the hike and the visitor center.
Not long after I started the hike, it was clear how insignificant I am. We are. These trees have been standing, in some cases, for centuries before I was born, and they’ll likely be standing long enough for my daughter, and even her children, to walk beneath them. It’s not that I’m truly insignificant, because I know my life matters, not only to me but to those who love me. But standing under these towering redwoods put things in perspective.
I’m just a pinprick in time next to them.
Looking up at the redwoods. For scale, that’s me in the corner.
As I mentioned at the top, I’m proud of my daughter. What I didn’t say is that she has found joy in some of the things I cherish: cycling and hiking. I have no doubt she’ll reflect one day, if she hasn’t already, on where she fits in the world and where she’s heading, much the same way I did during my outing under the redwoods.
Maybe it won’t be at Muir Woods, but somewhere that gives her own life meaning. I hope there’s always a place like this for her to find.
This journal entry is a “summary” compilation of entries I made in my Moleskine travel journal. Whenever I travel I bring it along for the ride and jot things down so I don’t forge them. I also bring with me a small Digital Bluetooth Printer so I can print out selected images, some of the ones you see here. The photo paper used on these little Zink printers has an adhesive back so that I can easily peel and paste it in my journal.