Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias (Yosemite National Park)

The second hike for the day is another grove of mighty sequoias just a few miles away from the previous. The Merced Grove is said to be the smallest in terms of specimens, but it's still worth a visit. 

Find a parking spot here was no easier than at the last stop, but luckily having a jeep means I can make my own spot in some cases. I hit the trail and started down a long stretch of flat dirt road before finally reaching a fork, where a sign indicated the grove was to the left. This is where the downhill started. Nothing terrible, but enough to at least feel it a little bit in my knees. After another mile or so, I finally reach a cluster of giants - six in this case, all close together like a giant football huddle. It seems that sequoias often grow in clusters like this, or at least that has been my observation over the years.

Heading a little further into the woods, I encounter another cluster - fewer, but larger trees this time. There are only three of them here, but each appears to be about 15-18 feet in diameter and approaching 220 feet tall - massive!

Continuing on, I spot a small log cabin boarded up and surrounded by giants. Two of them are on the other side of the trail and approximately the same size as the previous three. In the surrounding woods, I spot 10 or 12 more, but must are considerably younger.

As I push even further on, I begin to notice a lack of specimens. Unfortunately, I'm paying too much attention to the woods and not enough to the trail. A large tree has fallen and it's root system has uplifted 80% the width of the trail, and in my search for more trees, I clumsily step on the edge of what remains only to slip and land on my arse. Thankfully, nothing serious - I only scratched myself up a bit and wounded my pride.

After about half a mile with no sing of a sequoia and with the trial in obvious disrepair (several fallen trees have not been cut away to clear the trail), I decide to turn back, assuming that I passed the end of the grove. They way back is a little steep, but nothing too serious.

As I near the trail head, a doe walks right out of the woods to cross the trail in front of me. She's nice enough to pose for a shot afterwards. All in all, this hike was a little longer than I had expected, about 4.4 miles round trip. It's getting late into the afternoon and I decide to skip my third hike and head back home.

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.