DayByTheBay

Sequoia National Park
By Marc Ricketts

Sometimes, a person just needs a long walk in the woods. Fortunately for those in the Golden State, there is some serious wood growing out there. And yes, it is red. There are, however, two distinctive trees at work here. In the coastal hills of Northern California are the coast redwoods. Often found surrounding hot tubs when reduced to lumber, and the tallest trees on earth in the forest, they will be our focus at a future date. Today we are going to the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range where, in a narrow range of altitude of the western slopes, the forests are inhabited by the most massive trees on Earth, giant sequoias.

There are actually two types of large trees in the Golden State. The Coast Redwood, naturally enough, is found near the coast in the low hills enveloped by the fog that serves to water the giants. Giant Sequoias are found in a narrow elevation range on the west side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. While the Coast Redwood is the tallest tree on Earth, Giant Sequoias are the most massive. And while both attracted 19th century lumberjacks, Sequoias tend to shatter when impacting the ground, and thus weren’t too valuable as timber. More often than not, new Redwoods will sprout from a parent tree, while the Sequoia grows from tiny seeds that are usually only released from their cone in the heat of a fire (that also clears a growing space and alters the chemistry of the soil).

It is true that it can be hard to see the forest for all the trees, so allow your humble narrator to present four snapshots of what is available for the curious explorer at Sequoia, and the adjacent King’s Canyon, National Parks.

073101

Giant Forest

At some point most visitors will find themselves on the General’s Highway, named after the largest trees in the Giant Forest, themselves named after prominent Generals, with the record breaking General Sherman being the most massive of them all. Like some of the other park roads, there are narrow and twisty sections that can be impassable for longer vehicles and trailers; check conditions if arriving in an RV. Go ahead and stop for that sign photo at the South Entrance, and if one is lucky, there may even be wildlife sightings right through the car window.

073102

073103

073104

As would be expected, the trees are the focus here, and trails of various lengths and difficulty crisscross the area. Commonly seen scorch marks demonstrate that the fires that prep the area for seedlings are easily shaken off by mature trees.

073105

073106

073107

073108

073109

Perhaps this will help establish the scale of these behemoths.

073110

Crescent Meadow not only offers some open space but also the dwelling of Hale Tharp, the first white man to reside in the area. Tharp’s Log is certainly one of the more unique abodes ever inhabited.

073111

073112

073113

For a more riparian trek, follow the Kaweah River for a mile or so upstream from the Lodgepole campground to a cascading waterfall; be sure to keep an eye out for the resident marmots.

073114

Morro Rock

Near the edge of the Giant Forest is an attraction in its own right, Morro Rock. This granite dome provides expansive views of the area, with the prominent Watchman lording over all. Plus the steps and railing cut into the rock puts it within reach of most people.

073115

073116

073117

073118

Grant Grove

Sequoia is administered jointly with the adjacent Kings Canyon National Park. That park’s namesake is reached via a narrow, twisting road which is only drivable in the warmer months. But the park also contains the Grant Grove of Sequoias where the largest one is also named after a Civil War General (can you guess which one? It starts with 7th letter of the alphabet.). And unlike the Canyon, it can be explored in the winter months when snow adds another dimension of beauty to the setting.

073119

073120

073121

073122

Adventurers who have extensive downhill skiing experience but only a couple of hours on a groomed trail with cross country skis may wish to try snowshoes instead of skis in this area lest they find themselves employing an extensive variety of words that would not be approved by one’s mother utilized at a particularly high decibel level; trust me on this one.

073123

Mineral King

Skiing? Sequoia? Is this all familiar? Yep, the location for Disney’s never realized ski resort has since been folded into Sequoia National Park. It is easy to see how the terrain could carry skiers without being severely altered, relatively speaking. But the three hour, 27 mile drive proves that there were certainly transportation considerations, too. Regardless, it’s a place explored without lifts today. However, there are also marmots in this area, ones that have developed a tasted for anti-freeze which they obtain by redeveloping automotive hose to include opens with a sort of “chewy” motif. Many cars parked in the area will be surrounded by little fences, yet don’t look nearly as silly as a vehicle drained of fluids.

073124

073125

The area is also the park’s best trailhead for reaching the high altitudes above the tree line. Monarch Lakes are reached via a trail climbing 2,000 feet in 4.5 miles. It takes a bit of effort; after all, the lakes are over 9,000 feet above sea level. But here as with our other National Parks, that effort is lavishly rewarded more often than not.

073126

073127

While You’re In The Area

It is possible to go even higher or lower within the boundaries of Sequoia National Park. The highest point in the lower 48 states, Mt Whitney, is the height of the high country ’round these parts, and can be reached after a strenuous hike that begins in Lone Pine east of the Park. More attainable to most is Crystal Cave, a well lit cavern which can be experienced on guided tours for an additional fee from May through November.

For more information:
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks www.nps.gov/seki
Crystal Cave http://www.explorecrystalcave.com/

Marc Ricketts
Marc Ricketts is a writer/photographer who has not yet outgrown roller coasters, and provides news and information about San Francisco Bay Area destinations. Mark's columns can frequently be found on MiceChat in our Weekend Updates.