As I discovered first-hand on my recent trip to Northern California over Christmas, during the winter months in Sierra Nevada mountains at altitudes above 6000 feet there lies real magical winter wonderland… This is where one can meet some of the most fascinating creatures on Earth known as Giant Sequoias or Redwoods or simply Big Trees. Fed by the natural forest fires, some of the giant sequoia specimens are the most massive individual trees in the world. They grow to an average height of 50–85 m (164–279 ft) with trunk diameters ranging from 6–8 m (20–26 ft). The oldest known giant sequoia is 3,500 years old making these characters among the oldest living organisms on Earth. To say that my meeting with these silent giants inhabiting Northern California’s Sequoia National Park left me totally awestruck is an understatement. To be in the presence of a living thing that has been a witness to over 3000 years of human-time history is one of the most humbling experiences I ever encountered.
Drone shot by Reed Rickert
