Though temperatures were in the low 80s, there were still a few patches of snow in the parking lot.  Albeit dirty, it was snow and thus had to be explored.

One of the first documented trees to be discovered here was cut down almost immediately and turned into a tourist attraction.  This stump was used as a dance floor.
 
Over 25 feet in diameter, it took 5 men 22 days to fall it using long handled pump augers in 1853.

This fallen section still sits near the stump.  I have no idea how this child managed to climb it.

One of the many big trees on the 1.5 mile trail.  These Giant Sequoias are the largest  living objects on earth and grow naturally only in 75 groves on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.  The Coastal Redwoods, while not the largest living things, enjoy the distinction of being the tallest.

I'm not sure what caused this large scar but the tree is alive and well.

The root systems of the trees are very wide but not deep.   They can extend out to encompass an entire acre but only go down 6 to 8 feet. 

These trees blew down in 1965 in strong wind.  They crashed with such force, many people thought an earthquake had occurred.

The Giant Sequoia of the Sierra Nevada grow in mixed conifer stands with several other species.  Coastal Redwoods, by contract, grow in pure redwood stands.

These two giant neighbors have a nice walking path between them.

Chase was actually a little timid about getting in and under some of these monstrous giants.  He wasn't concerned about any danger posed by the trees but about encountering ants (which abounded in the park) in these cracks and crevices.  I thought it was a little ironic that among the largest living things on earth, it was the smallest creatures that gave him pause.

There were several downed trees that have rotted sufficiently as to create tunnels you can walk through.  Here you see John leading the way but Emily was actually in front of him.  Chase opted to go around.

Brendan & Alyssa looking back from the other side.

The center of this tree was intentionally carved out in the 1880's to create this tunnel as a tourist attraction.  Amazingly, this tree is still alive and has green branches as it goes up.