Hidden deep in the forest near the Tetons stands a fully decorated Christmas tree — year-round. Covered in ornaments, glass bead garland, and a simple red ribbon, locals call it the Remembrance Tree. No one knows who maintains it, but for years, hikers have left ornaments there to honor loved ones.
I didn't believe it existed until last weekend, when a friend asked me to help him find it.
A Strange Suggestion After a Loss
I stopped by to see a buddy of mine who lost his father a few weeks ago. I just wanted to check in and see how he was holding up.
We talked for an hour or so. I was relieved to see he was doing okay. I shared a bit about what I've been carrying, too. Then he made a suggestion I didn't expect.
"There's a tree a friend told me about," he said. "Deep in the forest. You have to hike in to find it. It's not far from the road, but it's completely hidden from view."
He leaned forward. "There's something strange about it. It's decorated all year long. Has been for years. People call it the Remembrance Tree. It's covered in ornaments, some with names on them. No one knows who decorates it or who keeps it up, but someone clearly takes great care of it."
I must have given him a strange look, because he chuckled and slapped me on the shoulder.
"Okay... what does this have to do with what we were talking about?" I asked.
He was quiet for a moment before he sat back down.
"I've been thinking about trying to find it," he said. "I want to put an ornament on it for my dad. Maybe you could too. I don't know if it will help, but it's something I want to do. You want to come along?"
The weather was supposed to be perfect this past weekend and I was planning to get out for a hike anyway.
"I'll come with you," I said. "It'll be a nice hike."
We stopped at the store for a few ornaments and a marker to write the names, grabbed some sandwiches, and hit the road. It took about 45 minutes to get to the area. We parked on a dirt side road and started hiking. He said it was about two miles in and he knew the general area to look.
It was a bright, sunny day. The forecast said 65 degrees, but it felt warmer. A slight breeze moved through the trees and a few puffy clouds drifted overhead. When we got close to where he thought it should be, we split up to search.
I'll admit, I was skeptical. There was nothing around for miles. Why would a decorated tree be out here? It didn't make any sense.
We searched for half an hour without any luck. I was getting hungry, so I tracked Jim down and suggested we break for lunch. We found some boulders to sit on, ate our sandwiches, and watched a couple of deer graze and trot through the trees.
As we sat there, we heard it. A faint tinkling sound whenever the breeze picked up. It was coming from deeper in the woods.
We got up and followed the sound. After a few yards we rounded a small bend. And there it was.
No kidding. Decorated and all.
It was taller than I'd pictured, maybe nine or ten feet high. It was full of ornaments, some blank and some with names carefully written on them. Strands of glass bead garland were woven through the branches. You might be able to see them in the photo I took. And instead of a star on top, there was a simple red ribbon tied near the crown. It was amazing.
We took out the ornaments we'd brought, wrote the names on them, and found places for them on the tree. He hung two. I hung three. We just stood there for a few minutes, looking at it and wondering who decorates it and keeps it looking so beautiful. Then we headed back.
I'm not sure why, but hanging those ornaments made me feel so much better. Maybe it was a way to release all that pent-up emotion in a tangible, physical way. I don't know. It was a magical experience.
As we hiked back, Jim said, "I bet you're going to put that photo online, aren't you?"
"I thought I would, yeah," I said. "You know what I've discovered since I started putting our lives online, Jim?"
"No," he said, "but I bet you're going to tell me."
"We live very strange and different lives here, you know? I never realized it before, but that's what people tell me sometimes."
He laughed. "Yeah, maybe. But strange sure feels great, doesn't it?" =]:)
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