Sequoia Short Stay

After our two week stay in the LA area, it was back to nature for Team Breitmann.  Our trek took us to the Northeast thru what locals call the "valley" where we went thru towns like Bakersfield and Visalia, where agriculture is the business.  Miles upon miles of citrus, fruits, olive trees and hay and then we transitioned into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Three Rivers, CA, which would be our temporary home for a few days as we visited Sequoia National Park.  

Me and the girls at the south entrance near Three Rivers, CA. This National Park is famous, primarily, for two things.  First, it contains the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney, which stands 14,505 feet above sea level.  Second, for the "giant forest" of Sequoia trees. At this sign we are around 1,700 feet above sea level and is in what is called the foothills region.  The road from here climbs upwards to 9,000 feet and takes us another half hour of driving numerous switch backs.  

Tunnel Log is a tunnel cut through a fallen giant sequoia tree. The tree, which measures 275 feet tall and 21 feet, fell across a park road in 1937 due to natural causes. The following year, a crew cut an 8-foot tall, 17-foot tunnel through the trunk, making the road passable again. Our faithful, Saturn cruises right thru without a hitch!  

Ever notice that the National Park Service Rangers have a aura of military about them?  Well, I did not know this but, before the NPS was formed, it was the job of the US military to guard and care for the new federal parks.  So, nothing has changed, if it's too big, folks don't know what to do....call in the military, they'll git r done!  

In the summer of 1903, Captain (later Colonel) Charles Young and troops of the 9th Cavalry from the Presidio in San Francisco traveled to national park, in order to manage and protect the park. The 9th Cavalry was one of four regiments in which African-Americans served in the U. S. Army.

At the time, Captain Young was one of only four African-American officers, the highest ranking in the U.S. Army. When he graduated from West Point in 1889, he was only the third African-American to do so. Colonel, later became the first African-American acting superintendent of a national park. Here, Hailey poses beside the massive tree named in his honor.

Stacey poses in front of the root system of the Buttress Tree. 

Hailey and Stacey pose to give you another perspective of the Buttress Tree.  It is amazing how large these things are.  Driving and walking amongst them makes you feel like an ant!

Hailey works diligently on her Junior Ranger program booklet.  She is highly motivated to obtain a badge in every National Park we visit.  She takes her oath and duties as a Jr. Ranger very seriously!  We love it that she is so interested in this program.  She is a self-starter on these booklets and she pushes us to take her where she needs to go in the parks, in order to complete the books!  You go, Jr Ranger Hailey!

Hailey demonstrates how small the seed cones are of the Sequoia tree.  It is ironic that such a small seed can produce a giant like the Sequoidendron giganteum.  It reminded us of the Matthew 17:20; "...I tell you the truth, if you have the faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Heidi and Hailey show amazement on their faces at the size of this pine cone.  What?! This is not the cones from the Sequoia tree?!  Nope.  It is from the Sugar Pine tree. Things are not always as they appear.

Crescent Meadow, a small, sequoia-rimmed meadow in the Giant Forest . This meadow marks the western terminus of the High Sierra Trail, which stretches from the meadow across the Great Western Divide to Mount Whitney.  Conservationist John Muir visited this meadow many times and praised it,  calling it the "Gem of the Sierras". Here Hailey shows off what remains of the winter snowfall, which has been significantly less than average. Rangers told us that this year the Sierra Nevada mountain range only received 30 percent of what it "should have'.

Here it is, the General Sherman tree.  By volume, it is the largest known living single stem tree on earth.  The General Sherman Tree is neither the tallest known living tree nor is it the widest nor is it the oldest living. With a height of 275 ft, a diameter 25 ft., and an estimated volume of  52,513 cu ft, and an estimated age of 2,300 – 2,700 years, it is however among the tallest, widest and longest lived of all trees on the planet.

Hailey poses in front of the Tokopah Valley Trail that leads to the Tokopah Falls.  Just she and I did this trail together.  Stacey and Heidi were both not feeling well this day and Hailey and I spent the day together exploring.  What a great day we had!

Along the Tokopah trail.  Absolutely beautiful day for this hike. You can see part of Watchtower peak behind her, which rises 1,400 feet above the trail we are on.

Hailey gets overcome by the affects of the altitude on our hike!  So, she spots this convenient rock "lounge chair" on the trail and takes a break.

Hailey, my girl who has a big heart and an eye for them, spots a heart shaped piece of granite along the Tokopah trail...uh...at least we think this is granite.  I'm no geologist!

We finally reach the Tokopah Falls, where Hailey takes a nap as she feels the cool mist blowing off of the falls!

Here it is! Tokopah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Sequoia National Park. It measures 1,200 feet. The last half mile, getting to this point, Hailey and I had to cross a rocky moraine in the U-shaped canyon and was not easy for her.  She was a real trooper to make it across!  We took a nice long rest here as we knew we had a nearly two-mile hike back out.  She earned her Jr. Ranger badge today!

Hailey enjoys the warm sun and the cold water down river from the falls.

Hailey and I enjoy a nice leisurely lunch.  As part of her Jr. Ranger assignment, we spent a full 10  minutes in silence here, using four of our five senses experiencing what was around us and recording it in her Jr. Ranger book. 

Good bye "Forest of Giants!"  What an awe-inspiring experience to tread at the foot of living giants.  Wow!  God is amazing! We are off to Yosemite National Park, which is north of here, also in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.