Among The Giant Sequoias

Travel

Jan 6

The giant sequoia tree, Sequoiadendron giganteum, is enough to make you cry. Or at least it did me after two months in the desert. The oversized life force that is these trees is stunning, majestic, and overwhelming. Sequoias can live to be 3,000 years old and are among the largest trees (and the largest beings) in the world. In fact, we saw the three largest trees in the world in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The mild summers, snowpack, and fire history create ideal conditions for the trees to reach their full size and age.

A powerful force surrounding these magnificent groves is wildfire. The aftereffects of recent fire contributed to the emotional response in viewing the sequoias – charred remains of forest mates line expansive tracts in this region of the Sierras in California. Sequoias, firs, and pines lay like scattered matchsticks; others still stand, blackened and lifeless, as crews work to fell them safely.

wildfire damage — *Kings Canyon National Park*

In 2020, there was a complex fire here (where two or more fires burn at the same time and can merge), and just last winter, another. Communities and treasured natural resources stand transformed. Firefighters fought to protect area resources and the larger groves of sequoias, including The Trail of the Giants in Giant Sequoia National Monument, as well as many others within and outside the national parks. Stands fared better in the parks, with the national forest showing areas affected by a cataclysmic fire event.

Camp Nelson trail, wildfire effects — *Camp Nelson, California; Sequoia National Forest*

We know that regular forest fires occur naturally and benefit forest health. Regular fires can reduce fuel buildup on the forest floor, suppress competing species, enrich soil, and disperse seeds from plants that rely on the heat from such events. The giant sequoia tree is one of the species dependent on fire for all the above reasons. It even has waxy, fire-resistant bark and will likely withstand several fires in its long lifetime. In areas where fire is suppressed, however, coupled with warmer temperatures and extreme drought in the western U.S., a wildfire can well surpass a regular ground fire and quickly turn into a blaze that changes the face of the landscape.

wildfire trail signs, California — *Trail signs, Sequoia National Forest*

A special power the sequoias have is to instill hope. Their very existence seems miraculous, triumphant. Sequoias are a pioneer species. They prefer open, sunny areas, are relatively fast-growing, and bear seeds that disperse to take root in a hospitable spot. That’s good news for the forest and for areas being protected to foster their growth and related ecosystems. Hundreds of years of sequoia growth were lost in the fires (youngsters in the sequoia lifespan), but the next generations are in line, and life is returning to the forest.

ancient Giant Sequoia — *Giant trunks pool like legs of a creature, Kings Canyon National Park*

Even with the recent fires, this region is astoundingly beautiful. Many areas remain lush, green, and soft with needles and that fresh evergreen scent. Rugged mountains, roaring rivers, boulders, conifers, meadows – the dramatic landscape and serenity of the forest tell the real story of a landscape shaped by time. It is gorgeous.