Day 12/13 - Some Big Ol' Beautiful Trees (Sequoia)

I made my way across Nevada, past the soon to close Mojave Desert mirror power plant, and into California. I was greeted by an Agricultural inspection which I thought was a bit out of place but all they asked was if I had any plants or flowers and I drove right through. I headed to Sequoia national park first, even though my itinerary was to go to Yosemite, I realized milage-wise is made more sense to switch them.

I made it to the Sequoia national forrest around 7pm. The winding roads up the mountain side quickly became the most exciting driving I think I've encountered. Feeling G-forces as I turned, compensating engine braking verses actual braking...it was fun! I made it up to the Giant Tree Forest and a thick fog began to overtake the scenery...it was super creepy cool.

With the sun setting, the mist continued to increase (like that M. Night Shamylan movie with the terrible ending). I felt like I was driving through a scene of Silent Hill...it was pretty awesome! I hiked a couple trails and took photos as it rained on and off until the sky began to darken. Not having reception, I decided to go back to the town near the base of the mountain to find a campsite. This began the most intense driving of my life.

Without sunlight the  mist seemed to thicken. Visibility dropped to 5-10ft rather frequently so I took my time. I had to watch the white sidelines on the road to determine If I was still going straight. Corners occasionally startled me, seeming to come out of no where, and the possibility of wildlife jumping out at any moment kept me on edge and alert. I didn't realize how hard I was riding my brakes until about 15 minutes in and I started smelling burnt rubber. I quickly switched to riding 2nd gear most of the way back down. 

I stopped at one of the rest stops in the park and noted the errie haze the bathroom lights made from the parking lot. There was a van parked there and the mist make it look abandoned and decrepit. This drive was more of a journey, full of twists and turns, with my favorite music guiding the way. It was by far the most intense driving experience (or any mechanical experience) of my life. 

It took twice as long (nearly 90 minutes) but I made it down safe and sound. I captured one of my favorite nighttime photos of the trip at one of the less foggy turnouts overlooking the mountain side with Fresno in the far distance. I Found a gas station around 11pm (as there are none in the boundaries of the park) and gritted my teeth to pay $3.29 a gallon ($0.50 higher than stations further from the park). While filling up I searched for free campsites in the area and was disappointed to find all the ones listed on the website were located further up the road I had just come down! So far on this trip I was able to find free camping relatively close, so I slightly chastised myself for not looking ahead of time when I decided to change my itinerary. The distance to the nearest listed free site was fairly close as the crow flies however the roads to get there would take 3-4 hours.

I decided to drive back up into the park (ascending the misty roads was actually a bit easier), and I stopped at the same rest room on the way. I noticed the same van parked but now there was also a sedan in the same lot. I realized (it being midnight now) that these people were car camping so I decided to follow suite and parked in the lot and dozed to sleep.

I awoke the next morning bright and early and made my way back up to the Giant Trees Forest. The experience was different in the day, more picturesque and less creepy. It was great to get a side by side comparison as I hiked some of the same trails and checked out the trees again. One of the highlights, The Sherman tree, is almost ridiculous. around 275 ft. high and at a 110 ft. circumference of the base the tree has died out on top but continues to grow 12-18" in width a year! Its the largest tree by volume in the world (over 4 million lbs), and pictures did it no justice. The Sequoias have as much grace and radiate an aged wisdom as much as mountains do (and with over 8000 of them, the collective energy is palpable). 

I found the history of restoration of the Sequoia National Park incredibly interesting. During the 1900's a small city was practically built in the giant forest causing damage to the ecosystem, killing trees, and preventing new ones from growing (mainly from forest fire suppression). As the impact was realized, the resort area of roughly 300 building was slowly restored to natural land, removing buildings, excess infrastructure, and pavement until in 1999 the last building was torn down. Now there is simply a leftover market building used as the museum as well as restrooms with self guiding plaques for tours. It gave be a sense of hope in humanity recognizing its impact and making changes to preserve a limited resource. 

I drove through the rest of the park this time, stopping in an alpine style lodge for a burger and a shower (the coin machine stole my first dollar so I had to get a refund). The drive was gorgeous and continued with the winding roads, although visibility made it much more pleasant. I ended up coming out of the loop on a northern highway back into Fresno. I stopped at an Amish cherry stand on the way and picked up some hella fresh cherries (some were crispy like watermelon!).

I traveled the rest of the afternoon, excited for my next stop at Yosemite, not having any idea what to expect...

Perception:
I would argue that Sequoia is as beautiful as Zion but in a different way. The grandeur of the Zion canyon and the colors of the cliffs made for a more breathtaking view. And while Sequoia didn't take my breath away in that regard, being able to walk up next to the monolithic trees, touch them, move around them and change perspective, gave me a sense of oneness with the energy (something thats harder to achieve with a mountain).

Introspection:
There were many great moments of reflection as I enjoyed this park. I felt inconsequential walking amidst the wooden giants of Sequoia. Their monumental energy (and the fact you couldn't see the tops in the mist) made for a humbling experience. I did my best see as much as I could. I felt like I was jumping in and out of my car for brief moments of enjoying nature before the motivation to see more kicked in. A few times I felt the sense of only experiencing the park "though the camera" and reminded myself to take in the sights with my own eyes which helped calm some of the rush of getting to everything.
The first night of mist also gave me an unforgettable memory I may not find again in my life (unless I go looking for it). I felt like I was one with my car, navigating a treacherous pathway that not all are intended to survive. It got my heart racing and my thrill meter going.
I also sensed some odd adventurous nostalgia as I hiked thought the trees (maybe because trees haven't seemed so big since I was a kid) and parts of the forest smelled like fresh Lincoln Logs =).