I’m not unthankful for having discovered some record size trees over the years. But if I could go back in time, 100% of the forest adventures would focus on exploring for photography and enjoyment. About 0% of last 2022 was spent looking for a new “record” tree. I left the laser rangefinder at home and brought the camera. Enjoyment for huge trees hasn’t gone away but the folly of looking for trees simply to find a bigger one or surpass someone else’s find is becoming apparent.

Also, the world’s tallest maple and hemlock were found when I wasn’t searching. And that’s how I wish every other year would have been. I certainly plan to bushwhack again, but for scenery, pleasure and exercise.

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The “big tree hunting” mindset for the sake of something bigger has become awkward. The trees are massive here along the west coast of the USA and Canada. But I watch with some sympathy these days as people back east post finds of “champion” trees where the total size is comparable to the largest branches of some huge west coast trees. Part of what changed my thinking about this stuff was seeing those posts from back east.

Anyhow, going forward, photography and hiking are on my front burner. There will still be lots of huge tree photos but I’m hoping for a continual increase of scenic photography to add and share.

And yes, I still think a huge tree is really awesome to gaze upon.

My encouragement to redwood parks visitors is to just hike a bunch of trails and enjoy what you find. You will cover more ground, get more photos for memories and have a great time.

Cheers,

Mario Vaden, Arborist & Photographer