Mary came to visit us in Lemoore over Christmas holidays in 1975. We had a great time while she was with us which included among other things New Year's Eve in Reno, drives around Lake Tahoe, a speeding ticket (hers) on the way through the Donner Pass on the way to San Francisco, an afternoon visit to Yosemite, and a drive through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
I believe this is on the edge of the road (Hwy 198), looking Southwest towards Visalia, on the edge of the San Joaquin Valley. It was a cloudy day, but at least we were out of the fog you can see in the valley. Dallas always loved coming up here because we'd come up during the middle of the week when there were only a few visitors and I'd let her run loose among the Sequoias.
This is the Sequoia visitors center complex on a different trip. They have very interesting displays in the visitors center describing the specific ecological requirements necessary for the Sequoia to flourish and showing the very few locations that meet the requirements.
I like this picture because I've got both Mary's and Dallas's attention. The light's mostly soft because of the cloudy skies, but when it shines through it really brings out the color of these redwood cousins.
This is the General Sherman Tree - there is also a General Grant Tree in the park. The General Sherman is thought by many to be the largest living organism on earth. (I think I read about some kind of giant algae or moss that grows somewhere in Michigan, but I don't know if that could be considered a single organism.) For your edification, I've listed the specs for the General Sherman Tree:
- Estimated Age_____3000 to 3500 years
- Estimated Weight of Trunk_____1,319 tons
- Height above the Base_____272.4 feet
- Circumference at Base_____101.6 feet
- Diameter at Base_____36.5 feet
- Diameter 60 Feet above Ground_____17.5 feet
- Diameter 180 Feet above Ground_____14.0 feet
- Diameter of Largest Branch_____6.8 feet
- Height to First Large Branch_____130.0 feet
- Volume of Trunk_____50,010 ft.³
When something that big falls it's impressive. (No, we didn't get to see one fall.) There are, however, several in the forest that have fallen and I have to say they're as impressive lying on the ground as they are standing up. Here, Mary and Dallas are posing in front of a fallen Sequoia giving a just hint of the root system, now pretty much clean and somewhat worn away by the weather over the years, that supports these giant trees.
I believe this is on the edge of the road (Hwy 198), looking Southwest towards Visalia, on the edge of the San Joaquin Valley. It was a cloudy day, but at least we were out of the fog you can see in the valley. Dallas always loved coming up here because we'd come up during the middle of the week when there were only a few visitors and I'd let her run loose among the Sequoias.
This is the Sequoia visitors center complex on a different trip. They have very interesting displays in the visitors center describing the specific ecological requirements necessary for the Sequoia to flourish and showing the very few locations that meet the requirements.
I like this picture because I've got both Mary's and Dallas's attention. The light's mostly soft because of the cloudy skies, but when it shines through it really brings out the color of these redwood cousins.
This is the General Sherman Tree - there is also a General Grant Tree in the park. The General Sherman is thought by many to be the largest living organism on earth. (I think I read about some kind of giant algae or moss that grows somewhere in Michigan, but I don't know if that could be considered a single organism.) For your edification, I've listed the specs for the General Sherman Tree:
When something that big falls it's impressive. (No, we didn't get to see one fall.) There are, however, several in the forest that have fallen and I have to say they're as impressive lying on the ground as they are standing up. Here, Mary and Dallas are posing in front of a fallen Sequoia giving a just hint of the root system, now pretty much clean and somewhat worn away by the weather over the years, that supports these giant trees.
No comments:
Post a Comment