2025 - January 30-31 - California Days 3 and 4 - Yosemite and Calaveras Big Trees

 

Driving to Yosemite National Park

Very windy roads

Tunnel View

Horse Tail Falls was frozen

I think this is Bridal Veil Falls.

I think this is Cathedral Peak

granite

Signs of fire

Apparently we hadn't been on winding roads. 😕

These roads were so winding 

I think I breathed every 5 minutes

Garage sale in the middle of nowhere.

Calaveras "Big Trees" State Park

This is home for the giant Sequoias

This tree has a sad story... (later photos)

Very large pinecones

An absolutely enormous stump

Apparently used as a 2 lane bowling alley

and dance floor back in the day.

Photos do not do these trees justice

We had met my sister, Sheila here.

Interestingly, Sequoias grow amidst, manyt types of trees, unlike the Coastal Redwoods which grow all together. This is a Pacific Yew. This is the only place where the Yew and the Sequoias grow together.

The mother and son duo

No idea what happened here?

I was trying to do a panorama, I don't think I did that right.

The "bark" is almost foamy

It's a long way down there

This is the tree that "they" scaled all the outside bark out of to bring to NYC and Europe to show the size. Sadly it didn't have it's protective bark to protect it from fire.

Burned in 1908, which makes for good sequoia growing, so this is a very healthy grove.

This used to be a mail carrying route and an old Camel Trail. A group of 9 Bactrian camels imported from Mongolia passed through in 1861 on their way to Walker Nevada.

haha trying to get a panorama. Nothing does justice to the size of these trees!

What a bummer!

Tree hugger 😂

We had lunch at Snowshoe cafe

Gathered near the fire, we were freezing

My sister and Lily

Sheila's husband Michael and Eva

They have the cutest house!

It was so great to see them! (the other 2 girls are at college) Michael made us a delicious meal! Check out the old-fashioned mailbox to the left!

Flying over the Rockies

Not sure why this got down here but it is the Siamese twin sequoias!