The Sequoias & the Stanislaus

August 16, 2011 Tuesday

After we enjoyed a fairly leisurely morning at the cabin (in which I was introduced to the game Dominion, which is awesome) we all headed off down the big hill to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. We usually go there about every other trip, but I think it been a while since I'd last been there. We just took the shorter and easier hike/walk. I think we saw about 20 giant Sequoias, along with numerous baby Sequoias...

A mighty Sequoia! It's hard to tell but this tree probably has a diameter of at least 12 feet. Also, since I have to re-remember this every time, I'll just say it, the Redwoods and the Sequoias are related. Redwoods are the tallest trees, whereas Sequoias are the biggest (ie mass and diameter-wise). This grove is about as far north as Sequoias grow. Also, Redwoods grow in the mountains near the coast as they need the moisture and Sequoias grow in the Sierras.


My beautiful grandmother and I. She and Grandpa joined us at the cabin for three days.


The Family (Grandparents, Daniel, Sam P, Andrew, Jacob, Mum, Me, Julie P, Scott, Tyler, Dad & Bev P. )

We are standing in front of a Sequoia stump that measured 25 feet in diameter. It was huge! You can see a family posing on it behind us. ;)


Part of the tree that made the huge stump pictured in the background in the previous photo.

This was one of the first Sequoias discovered around here during the 1850's. They didn't have any equipment big enough to fell it so they used augers which created the lines above. The stump is about 25 feet in diameter! The part that fell down, of which only part of it is pictured above had at one point a bar and bowling alley built on top of it!


Here you can see a Sequoia that has had it's top die off. Also, check out the size of the limbs. The lower ones are probably around 6 feet in diameter! Later on the walk there were some branches that had fallen down and you could've sworn that they were trees in and of themselves!


This one had been hollowed out so that you could walk through it.


Here's Jacob posing in between two Sequoias. They have burn marks in between them as debris had collected and then was burned off. Sequoias rarely burn themselves thanks to their bark being naturally fire resistant and their sloping sides which encourage falling trees to roll away from them.


Grandma, Me, Andrew, Jacob, Sam P and Daniel

This bench allows you to easily gaze at the tops of the trees. Very clever, I say.


The "let's take a big tree and hollow it out so a car can drive under it" tree.

This is the Stanislaus River. It was quite chilly, but it's so beautiful! The rocks are mostly granite.

And this is what happens when you get a lot of boys (and a few gals ;) , all of whom like to skip rocks...

Also, thanks to Bev and Tyler for letting me use their photos!