Giant Sequoia National Monument
Giant Sequoia National Monument is relatively new and a visit here was a first for us.
Our explore began at the Trail of 100 Giants, at the location where President Clinton signed the Proclamation. We learned a great deal about these Giants. What a great introduction to the "Big Trees".
The giant sequoia regenerates by seed. The seed cones are tiny (surprising for such a massive tree), 1 1⁄2–3 in long, and mature in 18–20 months, though they typically remain green and closed for as long as 20 years. Each cone gives an average of 230 seeds. Some seeds shed when the cone scales shrink during hot weather in late summer, but most are liberated by insect damage or when the cone dries from the heat of fire. Young trees start to bear cones after 12 years.
All along the trail are informative signs which educated and, at times, intrigued. I delighted in learning about various uses of the lightning damaged trees. How clever that farmers penned their domestic geese here, to protect them from the hazards of the night.
Many of the sequoias had symbiotic relationships with trees that grew too close. This one is entwined with an incense cedar... both growing healthily.
These old giants do fall at times which tends to be the only way they die. In 2011, two came crashing down. Evidence of the fall had blocked the trail.
Can you see me hidden within the root base?
Look at this size of this burl. A burl is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds. Burl formation is typically a result of some form of stress such as an injury or a viral or fungal infection.
We ended our day on top of The Dome, a distinct climbing rock, off the beaten path.
It was here where we found snow and the perfect camping spot. Never have we felt closer to Tahoe.
Ancestral forms of giant sequoia were a part of the western North American landscape for millions of years. Giant sequoias are the largest trees ever to have lived, and are among the world’s longest-lived trees, reaching ages of more than 3,200 years or more. Because of this great longevity, giant sequoias hold within their tree rings multimillennial records of past environmental changes such as climate, fire regimes, and consequent forest response. I would say that deserves a hug, don't you think so, too?
Dome-shaped granite monoliths, like this one, are common in the Sierra Nevada. They form by exfoliation—the spalling or casting off in scales, plates, or sheets —of rock layers on otherwise unjointed granite. Outward expansion of the granite causes the exfoliation. Expansion results from load relief: when the overburden that once capped the granite has eroded away, the source of compression is removed, and the granite slowly expands. Fractures that form during exfoliation tend to cut corners. This ultimately results in rounded, dome-like forms. Hmmm.
"And into the forest I go,
to lose my mind and find my soul."
-John Muir
1 comments:
Looks like a magical day. Sequoias are amazing!
I am wishing I was there right now (especially instead of getting ready to go to work).
I will be sure to look back on this when we go!
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