The Wild Trees by Richard Preston

I happened to be browsing around Barnes & Noble one hot day, and found this book on sale. I vaguely recalled reading reviews about it on Amazon years ago, and was intrigued. Since I was ready for a new read, I snapped it up. I've been reading my old journals instead of novels lately, and I was ready for some new material.

I really enjoyed this nonfiction book that is jam packed with scientific information--more than I will ever remember--and also fascinating stories of the people who have devoted their lives, careers, or time to discovering and climbing the world's tallest trees. The focus is on redwoods in northern California, and I had to think about my dad every time I picked it up to read! I wondered how many of these trees he had seen. He had a great love for redwoods and worked with Dr. Taylor, back in the day, to encourage their growth on the Archer Taylor Preserve, even before it was the Preserve.

I wondered how much of this information he already knew. I remember one really interesting hike I took with Jane, Ann, and Ludwig, where we found a grove in Redwood Creek that had interesting burls growing out of them. It took Jane awhile to find it, but she had been taken there by my dad and shared how thrilled he was to have found them. 

I found the descriptions of the climbing riveting! I literally held my breath when the climbers were foolhardy or careless. The author goes to great lengths to explain different climbing techniques, and those were fascinating too. I'd love to visit the canopy they describe! It's amazing that the canopy was so recently discovered and so little understood! It's heart-breaking to think about the amount of redwood groves that were thoughtlessly logged and destroyed. I'd really like to take a trip to see these remaining redwoods; I've never explored Humboldt County or the other sites described, but I'd like to. However, I will not be climbing! I wish there were a simpler way to visit the tops of these trees...

The redwood grove on the preserve feels like a sacred cathedral to me, and has always inspired awe in me. This book has interesting characters who the author describes very well. The author is also a climber, and I enjoyed reading about his experiences, too. I'm thinking about who else would enjoy this book when I pass it on...probably Jane is at the top of my list. Well worth the time, but not a keeper.