When we rounded the end of the Sierra Nevada's the terrain changed
to rolling, grass covered hills. The grass got more golden and the hills more pronounced the further we progressed around the bend in the late afternoon towards our hotel in Visalia where we had reservations. I began to understand why California is called the "Golden State". Those were the most beautifully glowing golden hills I've ever seen. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of them, but this one is a little like them. We were pretty tired out when we got to the hotel so we finished off our lunch meat, and called it a day.
The next morning we drove for a gorgeous 30 miles of rivers, lakes, and green hills which grew into the Sierra's and Sequoia National Park.
The Giant Trees grow at about 7000 feet and under that range's particular conditions, so once again we ascended switchback mountains on the scary, I mean thrilling, side of the road.
And then we entered, tada!:
The weather was just perfect as we ascended further with our windows down into the expanding trees.
After the Visitor's center area, the parking lot for access to General Sherman,
the tree with the most mass, not the tallest, widest, or the oldest mind you, was quite a steep hike above the tree.
Luckily there was a place to drop off those who didn't feel like exerting themselves that much, like Rebecca and you-know-who. The rest of us got quite the work-out.
The Park Ranger said he's about 2000 years old according to carbon dating, but with new methods he gets younger all the time. Here's some more pics of Sequia National Park:
One of my favorite things during our ascent into the forest was listening to the akathist to the Sitka Mother of God icon, sung by the Diocese of Alaska clergy choir. We had picked up that CD from Fr. Michael Aleksa at St. Seraphim cathedral in Dallas long before we ever dreamed of going to Sitka.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that the General Sherman sequoia has more mass than any other tree. I like the way one park ranger put it - the General Sherman is the largest living organism on earth.
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