In Search Of Yew

Pushing the door to my garage open I felt the need to assure myself one more time that I hadn't forgotten any supplies that might be required for today's expedition: Small gas chain saw fuelled and oiled--check, length of rope (approximately 20 feet)--check, knife--check, water--check, smoked salmon--check, herbal essence(pot)--check. With everything seemingly in order I pack up and make my way down to Silva Bay where my canoe is tucked safely away underneath the low hanging bows of a western red cedar. After dragging the ageing canoe down onto the beach I organise the weight accordingly and push off into the protected waters of Silva Bay.

With every stroke of the paddle my thoughts of schoolwork, mortgage payments and the nagging nuances of life are left behind until they become a distant memory--only to be recalled when the pressures of reality demand so. My energy, for the time being, is focused solely on the Flat Tops. Situated off the South-eastern tip of Gabriola these small islands have somehow found themselves stranded in time. Virtually untouched by the progress of human kind (logging and development) these islands offer an excellent opportunity to lose yourself in the wild beauty and power of all that is natural ; if you allow yourself.

My first encounter with the Flat Tops occurred over three months ago on a clear crisp January day. My insatiable search for a Pacific Yew (the size of which I had only seen in books) had come to a dead end on Gabriola, and I knew I must look elsewhere. The Pacific Yew is a shade dominant tree which has the ability to survive well over a thousand years; however, most trees of this magnitude have been carelessly wiped out in the quest for more marketable "fibres". Nevertehless, I have found many Yew trees on Gabriola, but none more than 12 inches in diameter. So, as the days passed, and the results declined, I felt a growing urgency to locate the tree which I knew existed.

Leaving from my usual spot in Silva Bay I pushed off on that January day with no real direction in mind; it was almost as if I was being drawn to the energy laden isles which are the Flat Tops. Paddling quickly out of the protected bay I ushered the canoe into the first sandy bay that I came across. Pulling the canoe high onto the shore (so as not to lose it to the rising tide) I noticed a sign stuck prominently in the ground. "Vance Island No Trespassing" Good no one should bother me was the first thought which entered my head.

Leading off into the bush I was instantly surprised at the abundance of waste high salal which impeded my progress at every step. Glancing around I noticed that I was amongst some of the largest old growth douglas firs I had ever been witness to. The fir tree's powerful trunk's rose from the ground and shot straight up free of branches for over a hundred feet until exploding into bonsai type canopies shaped by years of raging winds. It was at this moment that I was surrounded by an overwhelming feeling that I would find what I had come looking for. A shiver ran through my body energizing my soul. I pushed on through the tangles of salal until I came to a slight ridge which gave way to a hollow near the centre of the island.

As I moved along the ridge searching for a route down into the hollow I could vaguely hear the voices of passed generations luring me to the path which I somehow knew existed. Then like a bat in the night it appeared in front of me. Standing well over 70 feet in height, with a diameter of more than 12 feet this magnificent Yew tree which appeared in front of me could be well over 1000 years old. A feeling of fullness encompassed me, as I realized that I had found the ancient one. The tree itself looked pained; as if the years were finally beginning to take their toll. The tree had several large wounds--some the result of falling snags and some the result of branches dying an breaking off from the tree.

Sitting down close by I looked up in awe at the tree that had been here long before Columbus had set sail. What had this tree seen in it's life? Who had worshipped here before? Who will worship here again? My mind was awash with questions that could not be answered so instead of trying I laid back and lost myself in the branches of this majestic tree's tattered canopy. Drawing in deep breaths I inhaled the energy from around the tree deep into my body --filling any void that may have existed at that moment. My vision had now been realised, my search was over. Now, as I head out towards the Flat Tops my soul is filled with a new vision. It is in the form of a juniper tree that stretches for the sky-- instead of crawling along the ground like the juniper shrubs most commonly seen on the rocky shores of the Gulf islands. It is out there--I know it --I can sense it and when the time is right I will be taken there.