July 14, 2024 - California
Giant Forest Hike (Part Two)

We continue hiking through the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park.

What a spectacular hike!
   
Crossing the Circle Meadow.
   
 
   
This giant sequoia is named the Black Arch.  The trail goes right through it.
   
As you can see, the Black Arch is alive and well despite the split base.
   
Lynnette stands at the base of the Pillars of Hercules.
   
Looking up at the Pillars of Hercules.
   
 
   
 
   
A grove of densely packed teenager sequoias.
   
Their tops.
   
 
   
The trail through the Giant Forest.
   
We come to the Cattle Cabin.
   
 
   
Nearby the Cattle Canyon is the Founders Grove.
   
 
   
 
   
We are entering the Alta Plateau, a small area jam packed with the finest sequoias.
   
This sequoia is named the Room Tree because there is a space underneath it you could live in.
   

The McKinley Tree, named after President William McKinley.

I visited his presidential library a couple of years ago:  Link.  It turns out he was an impressive man, starting as an enlisted men in the Civil War and finishing as a Brevet Major.  He then practiced law before going into politics.  Elected the 25th President in 1897, he presided over a successful economy.  The Spanish-American War, which America won quickly and decisively, took place during his administration.  McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan for the second time in the 1900 presidential election in a campaign focused on imperialism, protectionism, and free silver. His achievements were cut short when he was fatally shot on September 6, 1901, by a second-generation Polish-American anarchist. McKinley died eight days later and was succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt. As an innovator of American interventionism and pro-business sentiment, McKinley is generally ranked as an above-average president.

Notice the giant burl on the side of the trunk.
   
This group of giant sequoias is called the House Group.  We didn't know what that meant but eventually we realized it meant the House of Representatives.
   
A close-up of the House Group shows how massive these trees really are.  Truly a wonder of the world.
   
Following Lynnette through the "House".
   
 
   
A little further along the Congress Trail and we come to the Senate.
   
A closer look at the Senate.
   
 
   
Close by the Senate group is the President Tree.
   
The President Tree is in the top five size-wise.
   
I can believe it.
   
The Chief Sequoyah tree.
   
I'm pretty sure this is the General Lee tree.  They must have removed the sign to be politically correct.
   
We backtrack on the Congress Trail to the McKinley trail junction.  At this point we've had enough and it's time to take the Rimrock Trail back to the Giant Forest Museum parking lot.
   
There are still a few giant sequoias to see.  This is "The Cloister".
   
The Lincoln Tree is in the Top Five list of largest trees.  Clearly, a fire-scarred veteran.
   
A picture that captures the Lincoln Tree in its entirety.
   
Now that's a triple tree, although this one was unnamed.
   
Now we're on the Rimrock Trail, headed back to the car.
   
 
   
Generals Highway comes into view down below.
   
Looking uphill.
   
The trail takes us back into the forest for a bit.
   
We crossed fern gully on that log bridge.
   
Baby sequoias in this part of the forest.
   
Where did all the ferns go?
   
Sequoias are getting bigger.
   
And bigger!
   
 
   
Please don't eat the daisies.
   
One last big sequoia.
   
And then we're back at the Giant Forest Museum.  Yay!  I think we hiked close to ten miles today.
   
A look at the Giant Forest Trail Map.  Our path is outlined in red.  The gap at the south is where we took the shuttle bus.  Even though we hiked approximately 10 miles, there are many trails left for us to hike someday!
   
Then an hour drive down the winding road to Three Rivers and our Airbnb, which is at the top of this steep driveway.
   
The Airbnb doesn't look like much on the outside but it was very nice inside.
   
The family room.  My only complaint on it was that the Wifi didn't work.  And since the TV was driven off the Wifi, the TV didn't work.  I didn't have any reading material and there was nothing in the Airbnb so I got kind of bored.  I asked the owner if we could get a break on the fee.  Nothing heard.
   
 
   
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