This photo was taken several years ago at a location deep in the Oregon Coast Range. Some of the largest and oldest Douglas firs and western hemlocks in Oregon’s coastal mountains can be found in this small area known as Valley of the Giants. Many of the trees are 200ft tall and can be up to 450 years old. Spending the day here was always an adventure, with the need to navigate many miles on a maze of logging roads. The area has been closed to the public for the past two years after a massive landslide closed the access road.
To me, visiting the Valley of the Giants felt like entering a cathedral. It was a place to step back in time into an ancient forest. I was drawn to the scene in this photo of a younger hemlock surrounded and protected by its elders, the giants… and the poignancy of knowing they are all at risk from the loggers’ chainsaws.
