It rained last night, and this morning is this morning is not looking promising. The cloud cover is extremely low. Lyndsay is driving her car today since it is much smaller than the truck and camper. We left her place about 7:30. She lives a quarter mile from the park entrance. There is a major construction project going on with the main road through the park. They only let traffic pass at the top of each hour, so we timed it to arrive at the constuction site near 8:00.
The Sequoia trees are enormous! The first view of them is overwhelming.
As we drove further into the park, the fog got heavier, and it created an almost mystical appearance.
Fire is a crucial part of the Sequoia success. Without, fire the cones won't open. Without fire, the forest floor becomes to thick for the new seeds to sprout. Without fire, there is not enough open space for the new seedlings to grow. The Park Service maintains a precise program. Of prescribed fire to help maintain a natural ecosystem. Since Lyndsay is a Fire Dispatcher, I got to meet some of the fire crew and the helicopter crew. In fact, they conducted a prescribed fire yesterday, and we got to see the results today. These are not the huge crown fires you see in the movies. Most of these fires are small slow moving fires that keep the underbrush in control. We stopped to check on one of the fires.
Of course, a trip to Sequoia must include a stop at the General Sherman Tree. By volume, this is the largest tree in the world. Again, the fog created a mystical look to it.
We took a hike around Crescent Meadow. Muir called this meadow "The Gem of the Sierra's." Surrounding the meadow is a grove of Sequoia trees. Some of them are huge, some are dead, and some are prospering, just like nature intended.
We drove through the Tunnel Log.
We saw the Chimney Tree, where the inside was rotted out and only the hard exterior remained.
We climbed partway up Moro Rock, but again the view was not to be seen. However the experience of climbing into the clouds was surreal.
As we drove back down the mountains, the sky cleared.
We ended the day by touring the Heliport. Lyndsay knows this crew really well because of the dispatcher work she does. We took the dogs out to play on the landing area. We checked out the helicopter and had a great visit.
Wednesday is calling for 100% rain, so I'm not sure what my plan is. Stay tuned.........
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Dave,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your trip to "the big sticks." The last real vacation that Donna, Lauren and I had together was to the very sacred forest you visited this day. I remember it like it was yesterday. If our memories are tied to our emotions, then the Trees were truly an emotional experience. Give my best wishes to Lyndsay. Glad to catch up with one of my former students as well!
Good Journey...
Ron
Ron,
ReplyDeleteWould you believe that Lyndsay and I talked about you today. The two thousand year old Sequoia trees are truly sacred. It is hard to believe when you walk among them that they were just a seedling that long ago. In fact, I took a picture of Lyndsay next to a five foot Sequoia tree. I told her that her ancestors can check back in two thousand years and see how it is doing. :-)