Gentle Giants

The sun bursting through “The House,” a famous cluster of sequoias along the Congress Trail in Sequoia National Park. The scale of these trees is quite simp...
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The sun bursting through “The House,” a famous cluster of sequoias along the Congress Trail in Sequoia National Park. The scale of these trees is quite simply, staggering. They are towering giants from another age that make fully-grown pines look like match sticks. The trees are thousands of years old and have survived countless wildfires, droughts and storms. A 19th-century logger reportedly cut one down and counted 3,000 rings on the massive stump. He turned in his axe and became one of the forest’s early defenders. It's easy to understand why.
Although carefully managed by the National Park Service, Sequoia still feels wild and remote. A mountain lion prowled near our campfire on our first night and a black bear lumbered across the road in front of us the next. Delicate deer grazed all around. If you find yourself in this part of the American West, this awe-inspiring National Park is a must-see.
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