Big Trees

 

June 23 -25 - Sequoia National Park

 You are driving through the Sequoia National Forest, keeping your eyes open for any sign of a giant Sequoia tree.  You don't know what to expect, but you imagine that the trees will gradually increase in size as you progress through the park.  And then BAM!  Out of nowhere a giant tree just pops up in the middle of a grove of otherwise average forest.  The truck is full of voices exclaiming, "WOAH!!!"  Eyes are bugging and necks are craning.  Seatbelts are popping off and the weight in the truck shifts to the driver side as everyone clambers for a window seat view.  That is what it is like.  You think you are prepared to see a big tree.  And then...you see one.  It is remarkable.  Walking through a quiet grove of these trees gives you the distinct feeling that you have been made miniature somehow.  You feel like a small animal rummaging around the forest floor. 

The giant trees are definitely the highlight, but the park is so much more than it's forest.  Huge boulders pop out of the mountainside.  Vistas look over incredible valleys.  A really beautiful place.

We hiked the trail to the top of Morro rock and kept a firm grip on Dizzy's hand the entire way up.

 

We learned that giant Sequoias start as very small pinecones that lay dormant on the forest floor for over 10 years waiting for a fire to open them up and release the seeds.  Nearly each mature tree has a deep fire scar that the kids could hunker down and hide inside. 

We played underneath the biggest tree in the world. 

We got really dirty every day.

We stopped each day to see if the bear was in the meadow by our campsite.  He almost always was.

We followed quietly as a docile deer led us at least a quarter of a mile down Sugar Pine Trail. 

We made bows and arrows out of sticks and shoestrings with our new friends at the campsite.

We took a bath in the mountaintop Hume Lake.

A happy group of teenagers gave Dizzy a ride across the lake on a floating log.

All in all, we had a sweet time. 



Our trip summed up so far:

Days Remaining:  17
Miles Driven:        3,711
Gas:                       $1,062
Sleep:                    $   201
Food:                     $  540
Other:                    $  195

Total:                     $1,999 out of a $3,000 goal