“He told them tales of bees and flowers, the ways of trees, and the strange creatures of the Forest, about the evil things and the good things, things friendly and things unfriendly, cruel things and kind things, and secrets hidden under brambles.”
— J. R. R. Tolkien
When West-Coast lifer Mecauley contacted my earlier this year, she spoke of her fascination with forests and their mythical nature, which resonated deeply with me. She explained that she and her fiancé Josh were planning a visit to Michigan from California during autumn. Then she told me something that had me simultaneously shocked and heartbroken: "Living in California my whole life, I've never NOT been in a drought or fire. I’ve never even seen a forest."
Once I had taken a moment to process the foreign concept of living without the woods being a central point of restoration, renewal, and inspiration in everyday life, I realized the incredible opportunity before me; I was about to become a guide into a whole new mythical world for this couple. Over the next few months, Mecauley and I spoke often about her excitement for this revelatory adventure. She gave me complete freedom with her vision, and I knew just the place - Legendary Empire Bluff Trail. This entire week has been marked by gale force winds, hail, and torrential rain, in typical Northern Michigan fashion. Not to be dissuaded, we seized on an opportunity between storms to embark on our epic adventure. And, well....photographs speak volumes more than I could tell you about how magical this adventure was.
