Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias (Yosemite National Park, California)

My intention was to get on the road this morning shortly after 5 and knock out three small hikes in Yosemite that I have been wanting to do. However after turning my alarm off and rolling back over, I didn't wake up until nearly 6. I wasn't sure how the timing will play out, but I figured I would give it a go anyway. First on the list, the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias just off of highway 120.

The parking lot was packed, but luckily, the park service had opened a dirt area nearby to accommodate extra cars. I tossed my small day pack on and hit the trail. The first mile or so is just an old paved road that doesn't appear to have been in use for many years. As the road/trail zigs and zags downhill to the grove, I'm joined by quite a few other day-hikers, many of which are speaking French. They must be from one of the large tour buses in the parking lot. 

Finally, reaching the first of the giant trees, I find myself in awe all over again. Though I have visited more than a dozen sequoia groves all over California, the site of one of these massive trees never fails to take my breath away. A couple of years ago, my wife and I visited General Sherman in Sequoia National Park, which by some measures is the largest living thing on the planet. The tree before me is considerably smaller than the General, but still an impressive site.

The trail meanders through a couple of small loops passing a few sequoias along the way, including the trunk of a couple of fallen titans. In the picture, the trunk of the tree standing next to the fallen sequoia is over three feet in diameter . . . just to give you a little perspective.

Continuing on to the next loop, I'm greeted by a grizzly site. The husk of a long dead giant stands as a watch tower over the trail. Early enthusiasts in this area cut massive tunnels into some of the trees, one of which stands before me. Unfortunately though, cutting such a large chunk from the trunk was a death sentence for this guy. Such a shame . . .

The trail back up to the jeep is pretty steep, but I set a good pace and make it back pretty quickly. Total distance for this short trek was just short of 3 miles. On to the next grove.