Giant meeting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP / California

After high granite mountains with waterfalls and a wide view of Yosemite NP and an overnight stay in Oakhurst, we set off the next day to visit "old acquaintances" in Kings Canyon NP and Sequoia NP.

In this national park, which is divided into Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park, the oldest giant sequoia trees in existence stand. While the tallest trees with a height of up to 120 meters are found in Redwood NP, the oldest trees are found in Sequoia NP. The oldest tree in the park is said to be around 3000 years old. Unfortunately, this tree did not receive a name and therefore could not be visited.

The first old tree we saw was in Kings Canyon. It is the General Grant Tree that attracts people. As the second tallest giant sequoia tree in the world and an age of over 1,600 years, it deserves attention.

Impressive are the measurements associated with General Grant. Over 80 meters high and with a trunk circumference at the base of over 30 meters, that is something special.

But 1,600 years for General Grant were too trivial for us ... we wanted to see the real old one, General Sherman Tree, which is located about 20 miles away in Sequoia National Park.

General Sherman is the largest known single-stem tree in the world in terms of volume. Its age is estimated to be between 2,200 and 2,700 years. Although there were two larger trees in the world in the early to mid-20th century, they were "destroyed" by a storm and by felling (oops, accidentally?).

The two giants do not differ much in height and trunk circumference at the base. The only significant difference is the age.

The tree weighs over 1200 tons. If the trunk of the tree were filled with water, it would take 9844 bathtubs full of water. That corresponds to one bathtub fill per day for 27 years ...

Many trees have experienced a fire. And many have survived this catastrophe. It is said that a giant sequoia tree can withstand up to 5 fires. Even if the bark is charred, the tree continues to live inside and sustains itself, rebuilding its bark over the years.

It is also interesting that these trees do not have deep roots, which one would actually assume. They have wide roots and the root system does not go deeper than one meter. We admire how the trees grow tall, but that is vital for their survival. If they were to grow at an angle, they would inevitably fall over. During our walk around a clearing, where many young and older trees stand on the edge, we found out that this meadow area, for some reason, turns into a swamp and there is a danger that the trees will eventually fall over because they cannot tolerate the moisture at the roots or the ground becomes too soft.

When you look up at the trees, you can see strong branches growing out of the trunk at a height of about 30 meters. These "branches" are as big as trees and fall off when they become too heavy.

There is so much extraordinary to say about these trees. But at some point, it's enough 😊

When you consider that these trees have been here longer than our calendar exists and the "new" trees that are growing will also last thousands of years ... unimaginable ...