Looking up at a giant Sequoia.




I went to Sequoia National Park and the surrounding country right after Labor Day...a perfect time to travel! Weather's good, crowds are gone. Stayed at the Buckeye Tree Lodge, as usual. It's in Three Rivers, just a quarter

mile from the southwest entrance to the park. The lodge is right on the Kaweah River, and the rushing water is refreshing on a hot day...you can go sit on a rock and dangle your feet in the river while enjoying happy hour. There's also a pool which hits the spot after a scenic if dusty day of hiking.

As for the Sequoias, their power and majesty has inspired me for 33 years. I started going to the park when I was in the Navy, and the totally different world in the Sierra...compared to San Diego...was always a wonderful change for me. I still enjoy the refreshing air of the mountains; the grandeur of the massive trees; and the peace of the wilderness.

As you can see on the picture to the left, Sequoias are naturally resistant to fire. Their bark is very thick...up to 31 inches if I recall...and the trees contain a great deal of moisture. Even hot fires usually don't kill the tree...they may scar the bark or even scour out the inside of the base of the tree. However, the Sequoia usually just goes on living, even if the bottom fifty feet or so of the tree are hollow. Over centuries, the tree will grow bark around the fire scar to repair the damage.