I stayed in Visalia, California for a few days last week. Had a chance to visit Yosemite and Sequoia Nat'l Parks. Here's some of my Sequoia pics:

The road leading out of Visalia up to the park, just beyond the park entrance, becomes a narrow, two lane (one each way), twisting, turning road, with 180+ switchbacks, and next to no guardrails, and going up to over 7,000 feet. The drive made my ass pucker. But the Mule deer and the views were worth it.




And once you get to the 7,000 foot range, you get to where the giants live. It's like looking out on something prehistoric. You see different kinds of evergreens, huge in their own rights, then you see the giants among them, making even the huge evergreens look small.




This isn't even the biggest. My wife standing inside a giant.


And here is the biggest single living organism on earth. The biggest tree on the planet. About 279 feet tall - not the tallest by about 100 feet. But the biggest in volume. No other tree comes close.



That big limb up there is about the size of a large white oak tree.


At over 2,000 years old, I thought the bark would have been rock hard. In fact, you can push your finger into the bark. It's spongy. You could, if you tried, tear it off with your hands.


And the view coming down was just as good. Guardrails are scarce, and there are almost no shoulders if you stop. If you go off the road, you going down the mountain. At least you end up someplace pretty.

quote:

Guardrails are scarce, and there are almost no shoulders if you stop. If you go off the road, you going down the mountain. At least you end up someplace pretty.

Indeed! Leaving the state, my drive began about 120 miles to the northwest. Same foothills. The U-Haul was way back-heavy and after a couple of turns I figured out the the front wheels did not have enough weight on them to maintain control. Talk about pucker! Brakes were useless as well.

Downshifted with the automatic transmission and lived to tell the tale.

The bark is super fire-retardant. Maybe that has to do with the sponginess?

Great pics! Thanks!

I've read a bit about the General Sherman. Wow are they massive! Really get a perspective with you folks standing by them. I will never see them for real but the pictures sure tell the story. I wish there was a way to plant and grow more of them.

I love the redwoods. Thanks for the photos.

http://sequoia.visionbib.com/sequoia-redwood.html

Sequoia vs. redwood, appears to be different trees.
Sequoia groves in the Sequioa NP is like being in a cathedral if nature. Email if there before a large number if people are there.

Yeah, sequoias and redwoods are different, but I meant the term in its broader sense.

Sequoias are not as tall, but more massive. Coast Redwoods can grow 100 feet taller, but are not as big.

Been there 3-4 times when stationed at Lemoore NAS.

Those trees are awesome and the drive is a great escape from the rest of the Central Valley

I can't imagine years ago and living strictly in a place like South Florida never knowing these types of tree's even existed. For me, it would be like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. I hope some day to make it out there to see them personally. Thanks for the images!

Thanks for sharing your pics!

Beautiful! Thanks

I did Sequoia and King's Canyon NP last year. I have a photo of me with General Sherman.

flashguy

I seen that 47 years ago,I don't think its grown a bit

A few more from my cell phone. The snow pack was pretty deep at 8,000 feet.












Some short videos:
https://i.imgur.com/Yg4I7oA.mp4
https://i.imgur.com/hCHJ6Zm.mp4


This is what you have to deal with getting there.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Micropterus,