Tiptoe Falls

Not far in miles, but worlds away from Silicon Valley and San Francisco's South Bay, you can find the 2800 acres of Portola Redwoods State Park, including 18 miles of trails, meandering creeks, small waterfalls, huckleberries, and the subject of this image: swordferns over Tiptoe Falls. Sometimes the smallest loom large. Today, this was true. I got to the park early, after a long winding descent from the ridge above. Almost no one was here. I was the first car at the lodge, and I would be alone for several hours more.

I wandered along the trails, sometimes doubling back to re-examine a prospect. Toward the end of the day, I found my way to Tiptoe Falls, a small waterfall surrounded by lush moss and sword ferns. The afternoon light was streaming through the trees, the water splashed and gurgled. Color was rich and lush. This is not a redwood. This is how the forest breathes beneath the redwoods.