On a quiet morning along Highway 101 near Crescent City, I hiked a secluded trail leading into the heart of the coastal redwoods. The forest was covered in thick mist, the kind that softens the edges of the world and makes everything feel timeless. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth, the smell of pine needles, and ancient wood. Rain from the night before still clung to the ferns, intensifying every detail, smell and sound.

Towering redwoods loomed above, their massive trunks vanishing into the fog. I felt small, humbled—yet completely alive. It was one of those rare moments when nature doesn’t just surround you; it welcomes you, and embraces you.

This image is a composite of multiple exposures, crafted to preserve the richness of that moment—the softness of the mist, the depth of the trail, the quiet majesty of the redwoods.

Each time I look at this photo, I’m transported back. I can almost feel the cool moisture in the air, hear the soft hush of the forest floor underfoot, and breathe in that crisp, earthy scent. My hope is that when you see it, framed in your space, you’ll feel that same quiet wonder—that you’ll be drawn in, just as I was, to walk that path and lose yourself in the magic of the redwoods.