Northern California Trip: Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

Friday, September 9, 2011

The Three GRaces

After roughing it for the past several nights, we splurged on a little bit of luxury by staying in one of Tenaya Lodge's cottage rooms just outside of Yosemite National Park. That's right. I got a shower. And some tasty BBQ. But the next morning we saw giant sequoias. Redwoods! They've been on my 'to do' list since 2009.


Still tired from our 17 mile hike, we managed to add another 3 or 4 miles and 1,000 ft upwards to our tally with this day hike around Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. We were still able to see: the fallen Monarch, the Bachelor & the Three Graces, the Grizzly Giant, the California Tunnel Tree, the Faithful Couple, and the Clothespin Tree. There's some interesting stories about preserving the redwoods, and how naming the trees actually ends up forcing the park to protect certain sequoias to the detriment of the others. So, the National Park Service has slowly been removing name signs from in front of certain giant sequoias so that the grove may persist.

The trees are as tall as a airplane is long, and some of the sequoias have branches that are thicker than any of the other species of trees' trunks. It's wild. They're really just simply beautiful.

Giant Sequoias Near the Museum

More photos of the giant sequoias up on my flickr account.

Look Up! Sequoia Rings Upward, Redwood
Giant Sequoias Giant Sequoias Looking Up
Redwoods and Flowers Clothespon Tree Horsetail Grass

11 comments:

Kathleen said...

i live about an hour an a half from yosemite! What a great northern california check list you have :) enjoyenjoyenjoy

Kathleen said...

p.s. when you are in San Fransisco make sure you go to tartine. you WONT regret it


www.tartinebakery.com

Sam W. said...

gorgeous pictures!! sounds like a great time :)

Jamie said...

I've always wanted to explore this area - even more so after seening this

Stephanie said...

Wow! These pictures are great!

Anonymous said...

those trees!!

Deidre said...

Beautiful! There is something so majestic about giant trees aren't there?

In New Zealand there are trees that are 9 meters in diameter - they are just HUGE and so incredibly amazing.

Amanda said...

We lived near (as in, maybe a mile away) the redwoods for a bit when I was very young. One of my first distinct memories that doesn't come from a picture is of me standing at the foot of a giant redwood and looking up, trying to see the top. Even at 5 years old, I understood that there was something majestic about those trees :) I still love them!

TexaGermaFinlaNadian said...

I got to go here when I was so little. But want to revisit it now. Great photos, nature really is great :)

Kaylia Payne said...

I love Yosemite!! I went there when I was seven, but I have never forgotten it. It's so beautiful there :)

shopgirl said...

these are awesome photos of the yosemites. i've always wanted to go there....some day. :-))

Have a sweet day!

Reese
http://rambleswithreese.etsy.com
http://rambleswithreese.blogspot.com