A Mendocino Pilgrimage
Taking a walk in Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve
Look out for the sign on the righthand side just about 30 miles from where you turned off Highway 1 onto Comptche-Ukiah Road.
Yesterday, I went on a pilgrimage. I went to Montgomery Woods, to the towering redwoods and whispering silence of nature’s own cathedral. I wanted to be alone, to breathe deeply along with the ancient life of the woods, to sit in peace and let my hurried mind rest on the quiet greens and muted browns of the forest.
So I went.
Such a charming little stream through the woods.
Like any pilgrimage, the journey was not easy. Well, to be perfectly honest, being able to drive the whole way wasn’t exactly grueling, but Comptche-Ukiah Road (the only way to get there) is no joke to the uninitiated. The first 24 miles or so, while full of tight little turns, were tolerably well paved, but once I passed the tiny community of Comptche, it changed. The already narrow road seemed to narrow ever so slightly more. The reassuring comfort of the dividing center line disappeared. I felt the proximity of the trees to my shoulder and the drop off to the fern-crusted creek below with each twist and turn. Some stretches of the road were so pocked with potholes and patches that it felt like the whole thing was paved with one giant rumble strip. After 6 miles of very nearly white knuckles interspersed with moments of abrupt braking (totally ok when there’s no one else on the road) to gape and take in scenes of breathless beauty, I saw a sign coming up stolidly declaring that the “Road Narrows.” I thought, “WHAT!? It narrows even more??!” Not 20 yards after though, I saw my destination and heaved a sigh of relief as I pulled into alignment with the other couple of cars in the dirt parking lot.
So many amazing trees!
I opened my door, stepped out, and sniffed deeply of the damp, earthy smells all around me. I tipped back my head and smiled, listening to the brisk burble of the creek running along the edge of the reserve’s entrance. Ah yes. This was what I needed. I shrugged on my sweater and wrapped up my scarf, both items that are always welcome out in the damp cool that permanently chills the air deep in the shade of the redwoods. Hands scrunched into my pockets, I set out down the trail, already feeling more at peace.
This old log was already bridging the stream, so why not just make it more official?
Rustling carpets of fern, glistening pools, and striking patterns of bark caught my eye along every step of the trail. I had to stop again and again to simply look, wonder, and absorb the beauty of the world around me. The air was other-worldly quiet, with only the buzz of a bumble bee or the evening time flutter of woodland birds settling down for the night to relieve the stillness. My own footsteps were intensely muffled by the duff of the forest floor, which just off the path could be up to a full foot thick. Imagine how it felt for me to stand in such utter stillness at the foot of one of the tallest trees in the world. I reached out and touched the giant in front of me. What ages lay beneath my fingers! Was this the redwood that held the world record as the tallest known living tree from 2000 to 2006 at 367.5’? What did it matter? Record holder or no, this majestic being was worthy of awe.
Wow. Just wow.
I continued on down the meandering path, pausing now and again to gaze in amazement at the beauty around me – the tiny leaf of the redwood sorrel, a little waterfall in the upheaval of a downed tree’s rootball, delicate huckleberries growing from a massive “nurse” log, a field of sword ferns, the scurry of a sleepy chipmunk… So many moments of meditative peace. My heart was full.
Funky little footbridge made my heart happy.
I had to hurry a bit on the way out, as I had gotten a late start and the light was fading fast, but even so I felt like I could breathe a bit more freely when I got back to the car. I stopped with my hand on the door, looked back at the trees towering over the trail behind me, held the lush purl of the stream in my ears one second longer, and inhaled to the very bottom of my belly one last time. It had most definitely been worth the trip.
There’s so much to see out in Montgomery Woods - it’s hard to take it all in!
Montgomery Woods is almost exactly 30 miles down Comptche-Ukiah Road from Highway 1. Set your odometer to zero when you make the turn off Hwy 1 to help guide you. Budget at least 45 minutes for the drive each way, longer if you want to take your time and enjoy the scenery. You could spend one hour or five out in the woods, depending on how much you want to slow down and absorb. I recommend packing a picnic, or at least snacks and a drink, so that you don’t have to rush back.
The trail itself, while only 1.6 miles long, has a few steep sections, as well as plenty of rocks, roots, funky footbridges, and obstacles to maneuver around – not suitable for anyone with balance issues.
For the best visit: Head over in the morning or around lunchtime so that you have plenty of daylight both in the redwoods and while you’re driving. It gets dark early in those trees!
I was captivated by this hillside of redwoods burnished with the golden glow of day’s end as I headed back along Comptche-Ukiah Road.
Words and pictures by Laura Hockett