Join our family on a our search for the perfect Utah Christmas tree, in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and never stop wayfinding!
As Usual, We Have No Idea Where We are Going
Other than we were going somewhere in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, we had truly no idea where we were going. We pulled a Christmas tree permit, and headed out into the backroads where a 4×4 was essential. Once we arrived it was clear that a snowy steep hike up a mountainside was absolutely required in order to reach the distant baby fir trees. In the Logan Ranger District of the Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forest only cutting fir trees was permitted. So lacking some mittens and a little regretful of our choice of clothing, we set off.
After a few turns and guesses on where some baby Douglas Fir stands would be, we found ourselves in a deep thicket. We manhandled our way through the thicket and came upon an avalanche-probe mountainside. There proudly stood one lone fir. Realizing this tree had endured years of avalanche and was the lone tree to survive, we felt it deserved to stay right where it stood. So we had to keep on going, as no other firs were in sight. After sliding down the terrain on our bottoms, it got a little more eventful.
No Eating the Yucca Plants, and Find the Doug Fir Tree!
Next we found a strange half built wall, in the middle of nowhere. Then, one of our wayfind kids identified a yucca plant, which the other then proceeded to try to eat. After all, knee-deep snowy sub-alpine hiking can sure work up an appetite. Next on trail we identified a handsome Douglas fir tree by it’s mouse-tail pinecones, and then decided we were in the right direction. But most of the Douglas fir we found towered at 48’ or higher. So how to find the perfect 7′ tall Doug fir tree?
The Ever Growing Christmas Tree
Finally we found it, the growing tree. A perfect Douglas for tree that grew back not once, but twice, from its own trunk after being cut down. We thought that its trunk must be strong and full of life, so we hoped that after chopping it a third time it would grow majestically proud and tall even once more. What a great lesson from this Doug fir. If you are cut down once, grow tall again. If you are cut down twice, grow even taller. Keep repeating, and know you can always grow back into an even better version of you.
The End of the Story, and our Perfect Douglas Fir Christmas Tree
It was easy for lumberjack Dad to get the Douglas fir tree down. Then we thanked the tree for letting us make it our perfect Christmas tree, and off we went down the mountain. We stumbled upon a mountain biking trail, and the rest of the path was a breeze. Now we know it is always worth trudging through feet of snow on a mountain side to find the perfect Christmas tree, because it creates a story. And what is life but new stories? Hope you enjoy the Wayfind Kids’ take-always from this adventure on their video, where they started off cluelessly searching and found lots of fun along the way.
