The Mariposa Grove

"But those trees! Those trees!

Those Truffula trees!

All my life I'd been searching

for trees such as these."

- spoken by the "Once-ler"

The Lorax

by Dr. Seuss

The grove of Sequoia trees within the park was everyone's favorite part of Yosemite. A segment of our "Grand Tour" was to ride (for over an hour) on a very bumpy "tram" throughout the grove (minus - only were "allowed" two stops of 10 minutes each - not nearly enough time to explore or to take proper pictures. My forehead is still bruised from the camera hitting it as I tried to focus up).



I liked this picture for the light at the top and the dude down below getting some killer video.




On the tram outfitted with our headphones and radio transmitters.




This one is called the "Fallen Monarch". Sequoias refuse to decompose, they are nearly impervious to insects and disease.

This is a live Sequoia with it's "heartwood" burned inside. Fire is vital to the California Redwood for reproduction.

Sequoias do not reach maturity for 800 years.

This was one of the famous trees that people used to drive through. The only thing that usually kills a Sequoia is to topple over. Their root system is their weak point.

This is not the cone of a Sequoia. It is from a Sugar Pine. It was cool to look at but very sticky.

Picture taken by Herb, our bus driver, who said he used to be a professional photographer. It is called the California tree and was carved in an attempt to get more people to visit the park in the 1920s.



This is the tree from the previous picture.

We loved the Grizzly Giant.