California (and Tree) Dreaming

Many of you will know I'm a big fan of old-growth evergreen forests (especially those of you who regularly listen to my sermons), so I've been looking forward to Sequoia/King's Canyon National Park. And this is one of the parks on our list that I have no memory of visiting previously (my Dad assures me I've been there before, but I'll have to take his word for it).

Before we even got to Sequoia, though, we left the desert and entered the land of lush citrus groves (lush because of irrigation, of course). Driving by field upon field of orange trees weighed down with fruit, the smell was incredible. It's a nostalgic fragrance for me, bringing up lots of memories.

Nostalgia was the  overriding feeling for me as we wound our way up through the foothills. I don't remember much of my very early years in California (see the earlier comment about visiting Sequoia), but the grassy hills scattered with gnarly little oaks and tiny orange and purple wildflowers all felt so familiar to me. I was almost exactly Maggie's age when we left, which is both shocking and encouraging. These experiences will sink in and shape her.

We camped two nights in the foothills on the south side of Sequoia. My first observation is that a 23 foot motorhome is not the right vehicle for this park. We drove the whole Generals Highway (despite recommendations that vehicles over 22 feet should not), and it was slow going. But the views on the way up were spectacular - the wildflowers!

When we finally got up to the top the main attraction, the trees, did not disappoint. We did the Trial of the Giants and hiked the Congress Trail near the General Sherman Tree (largest in the world by volume). It was a bit chilly, but sunny and serene. It's hard to imagine people today naming groves of these most-impressive trees after the Senate and House of Representatives, given congress's dismal approval ratings.

It was my favorite hike of the trip so far. Sequoias are funny trees. They aren't shapely like the Ponderosa Pines or Incense Cedars that also grow in that forest (and certainly don't have the cedar's delicate, feathery fronds). In fact, a mature Giant Sequoia is kind of goofy looking, with this massively fat trunk and no branches for a long way, before fanning out a disproportionately fat crown. Look it up sometime - it looks a bit strange. But all those features have purpose, and you can't argue with thousands of years of staying power.

That was my overwhelming response to these trees. They have staying power, and you can see it. Every single mature Giant Sequoia has scars, whether from fires, animals, or storms. Even the General Sherman Tree, largest in the world, has a dead top. You don't live that long without picking up some serious dings and scratches on the way. Because they grow so slowly and densely they don't hide them, either. For a time I was looking for the perfect specimen of a healthy Giant Sequoia to take a picture of, but then I realized that.most of them are healthy despite their scars, maybe even because of their scars. Like a risen Savior who still bears the wounds of crucifixion. I loved it. And yes, of course, this will be appearing in future sermons.