General Sherman - The Largest Tree in the World!

We are surprised by a plethora of Dogwood trees in bloom.  They are around every turn!

General Sherman is by no means alone up here.

Standing up or laying down, these trees are enormous.  Imagine a tree lying in your yard big enough to drive through.

These babies are even wide enough to use as one lane bridges - just drop it across a river and drive over!

We reach the location of the General Sherman. Where we parked 10 or 12 years ago is now designated handicap parking only.  The general public must keep on driving up and around until we arrive at a much larger parking lot.  From there we must walk back down to the General. Not bad, but ultimately we will have to trek back up - and we are at 7,000 feet above sea level.






And there he is, the Sequoiadendron giganteum. By volume, he is the largest known living single-stem tree on earth.  Now, to be perfectly honest, he is neither the tallest (that would be the Hyperion redwood on California's coast, nor is it the widest (cypress and baobab have greater diameters), nor is it the oldest.  (See our earlier post, http://www.thetravelerstwo.net/2014/12/the-methusaleh-tree.html.  Methusaleh is over on the eastern slopes of these Sierras in the White Mountain range.  That's not too far from here as the crow flies.) However, the General Sherman, with a height of 275 ft, a diameter of 25 feet, an estimated bole volume of 52,513 cu ft, and an estimated age of 2,300-2,700 years, is nevertheless among the tallest, widest and longest-lived of all trees on the planet.



If you were to uproot this guy (right after the National Park Rangers shot you dead), you could place it in the middle of a metropolitan highway, and it would block three lanes of traffic.  Or you could lay it on a Super Bowl football field and it would reach from one goal line to the opposite 9 yard line.  If it was even possible to get a set of balance scales big enough, you would have to get 10 blue whales to balance out the ol' General Sherman.

Spire tops, rounded tops and snag tops define at a glance the adolescent, mature, and elder Sequoia. Sherman is an elder so he has a snag top.  That means he's as big as he's gonna get, not getting enough nutrients to feed the top of his trunk, and is only feeding what he can.  But he still has many, many years to live.

As with the General Grant tree, all mention of exactly who the real General Sherman was has been removed from the interpretative signs, making me a not-happy camper. (See our earlier post: http://www.thetravelerstwo.net/2015/03/the-redwood-forest.html

From Three Rivers into Sequoia National Park

This is the Kaweah Lake.  We pass it in the very short drive into Sequoia National Park.

But, if you're into trout fishing, keep driving.

Or just take a walk by the river.  It doesn't have to be all about the trees.

Again - just driving around America is utterly beautiful...

Through the tunnel of the past...

Until finally, after many hairpin turns, we go into the mist of ageless trees.

Past rivers and waterfalls,

Until finally we come out above the clouds ...

into the sunshine.

In the distance, a hundred miles away, we think we see the Pacific Ocean.  You'll probably need to be on a computer and not a smart phone to see it.  Then we find an interpretive sign that says that very thing - it really is the Pacific Ocean!

And finally we arrive.

Three Rivers, California and the Sequoia's

This trip will be through the southern tip of Nevada into California, around the southern tip of the Sierra's and up to one of the entrances into Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park.  The wind must be blowing 60 miles an hour!  Even though it's just a seven hour drive through the Mojave Desert gap, by the time we reach Three Rivers Granpa is exhausted from trying to keep us on the road. 
Three Rivers is a teensy-tiny town in the foothills of the Sierras.  Not surprisingly, the town is located near the junction of the North, Middle, and South Forks of the Kaweah River.  While Three Rivers is at about 1,000 feet above sea level, in less than 50 miles the mountains climb to 14,000 feet.  (Woo-hoo!)  Except for the coast line and the Central Valley, California is all mountains.

The scenery at Three Rivers is said to be almost identical to that of the Rhodesian kopje country.  So what, you ask.  Well, there was a group of folks who fought in the Boer Wars in Rhodesia that settled there in the late 1800's, and  some of them are buried here in the Pioneer cemetery.  The men fought in several wars in Rhodesia including the Boer Wars and World War I.  That's pretty different and interesting!

Doesn't this just make you want to get in your car and go!

Here's a big surprise:  One of those Rhodesian pioneers, Frederick Burnham taught woodcraft to Robert Baden-Powell of Paddington, England.  (Ever heard of Paddington Bear?)  Whoopee, you say.  Well, Robert, being inspired by what Burnham taught him, established - and is now known world-wide as the father of - the international scouting movement, and he was the first Chief Scout of the Boy Scout Association.  (He was also a lieutenant-general in the British Army.)  Overall, he is one very interesting dude - a man's man, but also an author and artist.  You should google him sometime:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Baden-Powell,_1st_Baron_Baden-Powell

Did you know that Nazism regarded Scouting as a dangerous espionage organization, and Nazi Germany banned Scouting in June 1934, seeing it as "a haven for young men opposed to the new State"? 

How'd I get off onto that rabbit trail?  Oh yeah, I was surprised by the Rhodesian-war fighters in the cemetery.  Well, back to the Sierra's...

John Muir came to this area in 1873.  He said that it was "a magnificent growth of giants...one naturally walked softly and awe-stricken among them.  I wandered on, meeting nobler trees where all are noble...this part of the Sequoia belt seemed to me the finest, and I then named it 'the Giant Forest.'"

Maybe, possibly - if you are on a computer and not a smart phone - you can get a sense in this next photo of what Muir was talking about.

Do you see the "Keep Right" sign?  to the right of it, halfway to the Sequoia, you will find Granpa. NOW do you get a sense of how monstrous these trees are?  And these are not the biggest of the big.

Arizona to the Tee

I think the Arizona desert is beautiful.  And I found the perfect blouse for camouflage, too, didn't I?

 

 

But I'm not the only one out here enjoying the beauty of Spring.  (Hurray for zoom lenses!)

 

 

 I love driving through the valleys.  I could do this day in and day out.

 The way up to the top of mountains is beautiful.

Granpa's contract has been extended.  Again.  I think we'll be putting this app to good use...

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arizona's Hummingbirds

Ever seen a hummingbird on it's nest?  Check these out - live, brought to you by the Desert Museum of Tucson, Arizona.  Remember the size of a hummingbird and, therefore, the size of this nest must be  pretty small!

 Or a white hummingbird?

 

 

(Golly I hope this is a photo Granpa took.  It downloaded from his phone.  No tellin' where he got it...  But the Hummingbird House at the Desert Museum was all aflutter with hummingirds!)

 

 

 

Well. Just A Few More. For The Record.

Nope, not a coyote.  It's a Mexican Wolf - El LOBO!  Now, listen up.  This is important.  While I don't support killing the entire California economy and starving the rest of America of fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables to save the smelts (teeny-tiny fish that are preventing water conservation), I DO support keeping animals from becoming extinct.  I just don't want humans to become extinct in the process.  (Never mess with me when I'm protecting human life!)

At any rate, the Mexican wolf is a subspecies of our gray wolf and looks pretty much like them except for a brown stripe down it's back.  El lobo was top dog (literally) of America's southern borders, feeding off weakest, oldest and sickest of deer, elk, and javelina and thereby keeping themselves and (believe it or not) their prey healthy and smart.  (God is good that way, creating the balance in nature that sustains the planet.)

But, wolves unfortunately eat cattle, too, so the settlers who brought cows and horses in chose to kill at will.  By the 1970's the thousands of Mexican wolves were eradicated.  FINALLY, in 1998 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wised up and brought eleven Mexican gray wolves back into Arizona. Slowly, wolf pup by wolf pup, the population has grown, but they actually remain on the most endangered subspecies of wolf  IN. THE. WORLD.

And THAT is why the Desert Museum proudly houses this fella here.

And speaking of houses.  In Arizona we have discovered that it doesn't take much for humans to be physically comfortable.  A little water, a little shade and you just about have it because doors and windows aren't needed to keep flying bugs out - there ARE no flying bugs!  So, what did the Indians do for shade in a place with essentially no trees?  They used dead saguaro, of course.




The thicker portion they would use for the uprights and lay the "sticks" across the top.  See?


(Kinda nifty the way I snuck that "house" story in, huh? LOL!)

Now, back to the animals.

This guy keeps popping up.  He doesn't look real, does he?  The way his skin fits his "wrist" it looks like he's got a sweater on.  I just really do like this fella, so I shared him with you (which means I like you, too!!)

Und ve have bobcats...  While El lobo keeps the big mammals in check, the bobcat keeps the little ones in good biological balance.

And grey fox that are about the same size and do the same thing as ye ol' bobcat does.















And throughout this entire location we are regaled with beauty of all kinds.

Even the moon in broad daylight!

Now, these tall tooters need master pollinators to keep on track. YOUR problem is that we could not get one of those European honey bees to sit still long enough for a portrait.  We kept tempting them with bowls of pollen - but couldn't compete with au naturale.  Did you know that the number of honeybees in America has declined by more that 25% recently?  And that means that there are even fewer human-managed bees than at any other period in our lifetime.  Calling all beekeepers!  I mean, doing without honey (especially whipped honey!) would be a major bummer, but the food supply would disappear if we didn't have pollinators to carry on the cross-pollination of life! So, get yourself a bee box and start saving the food supply and slurping up honey!

This would be the belly of the beast.  It is the inside of a Saguaro cactus.  We see ugly holes in the sides of those cactus.  Being a Texan, my first thought was that teenagers were used to using the Saguaro for target practice.  Turns out, the birds and other desert dwellers use these bellies as a house.  Cool, huh?


Now, this is hidden because it is inside a prickly ol' Saguaro. A hummingbird's nest is hidden because it is so very, very small.  Just like them!







Have you ever seen a baby Big Horn sheep?  Awwwwww.

This darlin' is only eight days old!

When this daddy Big Horn not-so-politely butted the baby Big Horn away from some food, I opinied out loud, "Daddies are the same no matter what species."  There was an about 12-year-old boy standing next to me.  He looked at me like I had opened his eyes to the wisdom of the world.  I just hope that the next time his daddy is acting like "a man" that he remembers this and doesn't take daddy's rebuke personally...

Suffice it to say that one doesn't get this kind of a view in a "museum."  I think they should rename this place the "Living Desert Museum."

The Desert Museum - Which Is No Museum At All

We heard from a friend, when we were here a few weeks ago to visit "Old Tucson," (see earlier post, http://www.thetravelerstwo.net/2015/02/old-tucson.html ) that there was a must-see place called the Desert Museum. 

"Yeah, right," I'm thinkin'.  "What might one possibly put in a museum of the desert." 

But, trusting our old friend, we are headed there this morning.  It's still Spring-ish here in Arizona.  The air temperature is fine; the sunshine, however, quickly stings the skin as though it was mid-summer in Texas.  We are on the doorstep when this place opens for business.  (I'm still wondering what on earth is worth Paul's endorsement, though.)

It's a beautiful location.  Those waters you see are essentially holding ponds that will slowly filter through the sands to refill the aquifers and keep this valley more natural and hospitable for desert plants.  The tips of most saguaros are preparing to burst open with blossoms.

The fare is pretty steep:  $20 per person.  If this doesn't live up to a certain-someone's expectations, Paul may owe us a very big steak!  Then I discover that 85% of this place is outdoors.  What? there are old covered wagons? Indian teepees? broken pottery?  Why outdoors?  There are signs pointing the way to different areas indicating desert animals.  Are these crazy people leaving their stuffed coyotes outside?  And, as if on cue, we hear the yip-yip-yipping of coyotes.

In for a penny, in for a pound, and we start following signs. 


Well, this guy certainly isn't stuffed!  But, what's a parrot doing representing itself as a native Arizonian?  Truth be told, there are two species of parrots that are historically found in North America.  Apparently they like to hang out in the conifer (pine) forests as opposed to deserts, but it looks like this guy has a right to be here - if he's a thick-billed parrot.



Ditto this squirrely lookin' fella:

And definitely this baby blue lizard:

My question is whether these guys are part of the Museum or just visiting like us.

This looks more like a museum, but, what's this?  The real deal!!

And we begin to see why 85% of this "museum" is out of doors.  In Texas we call these places "zoos."  They have drawn together most of the animals that are now or used to be found throughout Arizona - from snakes and lizards all the way up to big horn sheep and black bear!  Anyone for a picnic?

 And right next door is a full-grown mountain lion!

We discovered here that the museum keepers don't just feed these animals.  They feed them in a way that mimics reality.  They hide the bears food under logs and behind bushes and in the hidey-holes of rocks.  For the mountain lion they smeared cream cheese in a dozen different places.  (Remind me not to take cream cheese camping with me the next time!)  This fella is licking the cream cheese off of this spot and will go looking for another asap.

This is an American Kestrel.  I thought Granpa got a great shot of him with wings and tail spread wide.

The intricacy and perfection of this alone should be enough to convince anyone that creatures of the earth - including humans - didn't "evolve" from some slimy ooze.

When you get tired of looking at the animals, just look up.  It's beautiful country out here!



Now, isn't this the cutest little guy you ever saw?  This is almost a baby Javelina hog.  You can find out more about him by going to a post of one we saw in the wild.   (http://www.thetravelerstwo.net/2015/02/cochises-stronghold.html)  Was that really three months ago?!?

By temperament the hogs are about as prickly as this porcupine.

And this one doesn't look any less prickly.  Again, I don't know if he's a resident or a visitor.

Well, we spent over four hours walking around this place and still did not see it all.  I don't know if I'll post more pictures of everything from a newborn big horn sheep to a hummingbird sitting on it's nest feeding baby hummingbirds... maybe I'll let you decided, or Granpa.  If you want more pictures, click on "comments" and let me know that.  Otherwise, you'll just have to book a trip to Tucson and see things for yourself.  (hehehe!)