The Grove of the Patriarch

Ohanapacosh River

Avalanch Lilies

Official Tree Hugger

The Frog Prince

Wednesday's hike is brought to you by 1000 year old, 200 foot tall redwood cedars and Douglas firs. They stand tall saluting the sky like soldiers of time. The Ohanapacosh River charges beside them in a spectrum of sea glass green and cold glacier blue. There is an ancient energy in this forest that pulsates. There is magic here. I will tell you the story of the Frog Prince to prove it. I sat beneath a trio of mammoth cedars for a long while pondering the wonderment of endless time and the geological history that these trees have survived; mudslides, floods, fires. Scarred by natural disasters but still clinging to life reaching for the sky. It's pretty amazing. Anyway, I got tired of watching tourist after tourist take 30 seconds to snap a picture before moving on to the next tourist destination so I headed off the beaten trail to a more remote area of the Grove. I diverted up the Eastside trail about a 1/2 mile, with my Canon powershot in one pocket and a mini bottle of Bella Sera Pinot Grigio in the other pocket, and was delightfully surprised when a big green frog jumped across the trail towards a babbling creek that flooded across the trail. As if invited I sat beside the creek, telling the frog it was a wonderful surprise see him in the forest today. No joke, the frog turned his bulging eyes toward me and hopped a little closer as if in greeting. I settled in, laying down between the brook and the trail, propped my head on my backpack and we proceeded to lay in quiet companionship as I wondered about the frog's philosophy of life. I watched the puffy white clouds roll by the crisp blue sky through the thick canopy. We continued like this, my human need to hear myself talk and his silent contemplation, for at least 40 minutes. Pine needles fell around me like fairy dust and I must have dozed off for a few moments. Upon opening my eyes, I was startled to see the frog literally right under my nose. He was totally still except for the expansion and contraction of his little throat. Could he be a true frog prince trying to sneak a kiss from a sleeping beauty? Human curiosity, innate and uncontrollable, had me reaching out to touch his green leather skin. It was dry and startled him into three giant leaps landing him six feet away. He blended into the moss covered rocks just beside the cascading water so I could hardly see him. I had obviously hurt his feelings and lost his trust. I cursed my stupid humanness for interrupting nature at it's most fascinating moment. It was time for me to go. I had overstayed my welcome. But as I crossed over the brook I just couldn't leave. Pulled back by an unknown power I turned around to look for the frog one last time but he had disappeared. It dawned on me that I was in an enchanted forest where the faeries live. I am convinced the frog must be an elite member of the sentry guarding this part of the ancient forest. I had been granted passage into this magical part of the forest in respect for our quiet revere. It was a most magical experience that might have been wine induced.