July 14, 2015 • 76

An American Treasure: Sequoia National Park (II)

"Towers" (Sequoia National Park, California)

“Towers” (Sequoia National Park, California)

The United States’ system of National Parks has been called “America’s Best Idea.”

I tend to agree.

No matter who you are, where you come from, or what you believe… the beauty of this planet – in its pristine state – is something we can all support and appreciate.

I have been to several National Parks, and each one has impressed me more than the other.

Magnificent. That’s all I can say. Please enjoy these photos and facts!

"Mr. and Mrs. Pink" (Sequoia National Park)

“Mr. and Mrs. Pink” (Sequoia National Park)

Rugged and Pristine. In the contiguous National Parks of Sequoia and Kings Canyon, there are no roads that run east to west. This is because of the parks’ rugged terrain. In fact, all roads in the parks are on the west side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

"Strange Days" (Sequoia National Park)

“Strange Days” (Sequoia National Park)

Protect History. The parks protect over 100 historical sites, and over 500 Native American archaeological sites.

"The Meadow of Life" (Sequoia National Park)

“The Meadow of Life” (Sequoia National Park)

Natural Protection. Although many Giant Sequoia were logged during the late 19th and earth 20th centuries, the activity stopped. Why? Because – the Giant Sequoia’s wood is so brittle, that the trunk would often shatter to pieces upon hitting the ground.

"Yogi Bear" (Sequoia National Park)

“Yogi Bear” (Sequoia National Park)

Sadly Extinct. In 1922, the last known Grizzly Bear in California was shot just outside of Kings Canyon National Park.

My lovely wife, Ellen, gets credit for the bear photos. We were driving along when she spotted him/her. She basically jumped out of the moving car to snap some photos on her phone before the  bear walked leisurely into the forest. Is she a hero? Arguably, yes. 🙂

"View of Magic" (Sequoia National Park)

“View of Magic” (Sequoia National Park)

Growing and Growing. Surprisingly, a Giant Sequoia’s rate of growth can increase during old age.

"HUGE Tree - Trust Me" (Sequoia National Park)

“HUGE Tree – Trust Me” (Sequoia National Park)

Categories: Ideas, Inspiration, Photography

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76 replies »

  2. Thank you for liking “Barber No More.” I enjoyed reading this informative post. There is so much beauty here in our own backyard. Great photos! 🙂 I especially like “Strange Days” and “View of Magic.”

    I did not know that Grizzly Bears were extinct. That is sad. Once they are wiped out, they are gone forever unless they find some way to resurrect extinct animal species in the future.

    I became familiar with some of the Native American archaeological sites in the U.S. after I did a two-part series about rock art on my blog. There are some interesting petroglyphs and structures on some of those sites. However, I did not know that there are over 500 sites. Wow!

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    • Hi! Thanks for the kind words, and the comment. Fortunately for Grizzly Bears, they are NOT extinct; they are just not here in California anymore. Yeah, there are some really beautiful Native American sites across the USA, especially here in the Southwest. I have visited a few in Arizona and New Mexico. I even went to a Native American museum in Albuquerque, NM, where my wife and I were lucky to run into a very friendly, and informative museum guide, who gave us a great personal tour. Glad to see you are back to taking your photos and writing great content on a consistent basis. You have talent, for sure! Have a great day.

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      • You are welcome, Kevin. 🙂 While I do not want to encounter a Grizzly Bear in the wild, I am glad that they have not become completely extinct. Thanks for the clarification.

        I have seen a few Native American museum exhibits, but I have not actually visited any Native American sites in person. It sounds like you had a great time in Arizona and New Mexico.

        Thank you for your kind words about my blog and for appreciating my work. I am still trying to adjust to doing freelance work now instead of a regular part-time job, and I still have so many things to catch up on. However, I am glad that I have a little more time to blog now. 🙂

        I hope you had a great day, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the week. 🙂

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  6. Wow, Kevin. These photos are breathtakingly beautiful. I especially love the bear pics. High five to your wife. BTW, did I mention that I nominated you for the Bloggers’ Bash? You appear under “Best Dressed” for your gorgeous photos. Sorry if I didn’t tell you sooner. I meant to.

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  7. Pingback: Do Other Countries Have Donald Trumps? | pundit from another planet

  18. I too, tend to agree that The United States’ System of National Parks is “America’s Best Idea.”
    For me, connecting with nature is beyond therapeutic and beyond spiritual. Natural beauty can outdo any special effects I’ve seen, in fact Mother Nature may just be the best special effects artist of all time.
    In some ways, I am fortunate to be a Canadian; we have a lot of green space. I don’t feel we’ve ever reached our potential as a leader in conservation and sadly public apathy rules the roost here – people want tax cuts and with that has been severe cuts to our National Parks. Not the direction I think we ought to be going in and it’s a direction you don’t want to be going in when you suddenly realize, it’s too late to turn around.
    I have a Master’s in Forest Conservation but I have been wanting to get the whiteout and change it to Forest Conversation.
    Thanks for this inspiring and grounding peace.
    Peace, Harlon

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    • Hi Harlon, thanks so much for your insightful comment. I grew up in a relatively rural place – about 50 miles north of NYC. I grew up appreciating what the natural world has to offer. As a young boy, I would spend hours upon hours hanging out in the “woods,” exploring and building little forts. Those are some of my best memories. Let’s keep the conversation going, and hopefully more people will engage. Have a great day!

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    • Thank you for the positive feedback!! It’s funny, I used to get bored when people took photos on vacation. Now I spend so much time looking for that “perfect” shot. Haha. Thanks again for your kind words!

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  27. Great blog as always! The park is absolutely beautiful and the highlight for me was the bear encounter of course and spending time with my lovely family!

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  29. Absolutely loved this blog – the photos and commentary were superb. What a stunning area and reminder of the unparalleled beauty of nature.

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      • Hi, I’m immersed in nature daily with trees in our covenanted forest (will do a blog with more photos of it some day) and it is wonderful. Similarly, in the last week I’ve been in to the city and it was nice to “step into” the culture there. It’s nice to have a bit of both. I’m still smiling about your wife getting out to get the photos of the bear – sounds like something I’d do! Have a nice weekend.

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      • Hi Deborah! Yeah, she was very excited about the bears. It was very cute. 🙂 Our 2 year old was in the car seat saying “mommy, bears, picture.” lol Thanks for the comment, and have a great weekend too!

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