General Sherman giant sequoia in the Giant Forest of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. The “Sherminator” (some say) is on American Forest’s national national registry as the champion  Sequoiadendron. October 2017, my wife Jan, joined me to visit this park. Surprisingly, the most outstanding sight was not General Sherman, but other scenery. The General is magnificent. But there’s an incredible array of wildlife and rocky scenery on that mountain. Autumn color was on display, probably the best season to visit.

After triple-checking, I am 100% certain General Sherman is not the largest known single stem tree anymore (partly related to new discoveries and findings 2014 – 2017). For practicality, it’s  worth leaving as-is on brochures because there’s rails and trails and it’s an easy huge photo op.

On a somber note … General Sherman looks to be in decline. Aside from some deadwood, there isn’t very much healthy foliage for a tree of it’s size. Probably due to age, but foot traffic may be carving years off it’s life. Unlike some other Sequoiadendron, or even coast redwoods like the 2009 Nat Geo cover, the General is sparse. Hopefully it has another century left.

I highly recommend this grove, the adjacent Congress trail, and especially the surrounding scenery. The forest and mountain are spectacular. Below are a few photos, including Jan in the midst of some giant rocks. Continue reading following the images …

 

 

The 2017 visit offered some extra insight. Some visitors jumped fences for photos, and others stayed back on the paths. One group talked about the tiny new signs telling people not to go over the fences. They felt that it was okay to go over the fence until the small signs were added. This means that paths and rails are not a reliable deterrent. A few people are jumping over with the signs, but not as many.

As with the coast redwoods of Del Norte and Humbolt, tourists arrived later in the morning. I arrived about 7 am when lighting was better for photography, and only one other car was in the parking lot. A few hours later, a steady stream was walking down the path, including an entire tour bus worth. Already I heard someone comment  about whether is was possible to get a photo without a bunch of people in the scene. But I won’t complain. That trend helps my photography.

This forest can’t be compared with the coast redwoods or vice versa. Each are different and are what they are. The more sparse vegetation tends to reveal size of giant sequoia. In the coast redwood forest, ferns and shrubs cloak the base. If the same density were added to the giant sequoia forest, the trunks wouldn’t be so outstanding right away.

One word that doesn’t fit the Giant Forest is “Jurassic”. Over in the coast redwoods, people use words like Jurassic or primeval to describe that area. But the giant sequoia forest doesn’t match that nomenclature. The atmosphere is much different.

I spotted a good number of sapling and small giant sequoia. Provided those germinated naturally, it’s a good sign for this species’ longevity. We passed by smoldering ashes along the way, which has been the norm up there for thousands of years. These giant sequoia benefit from fire and heat to open cones and clear natural seed beds. For us, the smoke made the trip more memorable.