The Fail of 100 Giants

Trail of A Hundred Giants

My family has been coming up here every couple of years as far back as I can remember. There are photos of me, my sister, and cousin as toddlers on the roots of giants. The first time I took my boyfriend to meet my family we went there. It has always held a special place in my heart.

Which is probably why I was so upset by my last trip.

Part of my mistake was driving up there on a weekend. Parking was a zoo. It costs $5, which is not bad at all considering, but there were cars parked directly behind other cars. I managed to find a spot in front of a sign that wasn't really a space, but I fit.

What I remembered was a forest sprinkled with giants. Quiet woods. Walking through peaceful trails. What I found was a zoo.

I am not a crowd person. I know, I know, who is? But I find that I get a special kind of claustrophobic in crowds. And boy oh boy was it crowded. People everywhere.

I get that it's a popular stop, the trees are beautiful and it's an easy paved trail for kids, or adults with limited mobility.

But nobody goes to the forest to be in a crowd. And I don't know if it's due to drought, disease, infestation, or fire, but many of the smaller trees have fallen and are strewn about. So many have fallen that it doesn't feel like a forest anymore, and people have taken to scrawling all over the fallen trees making it look trashed.

As if that weren't bad enough, some of these wonderful people are leaving trash around. What is wrong with people?! Halfway through I was done. The trees are still amazing, but it just isn't what it used to be, and I doubt it will be again in my lifetime.