Friday, October 11, 2019
Today we checked out Glacier Point. From here you can see two waterfalls and way out into the valley. Half dome can also be seen.
More big rocks to climb on.
Half dome
We then drove south in the park to the Mariposa Grove. This is a giant sequoia tree grove.
These benches are made of huge logs.
Fallen tree!
Sequoias have unusually shallow roots for such a large tree.
This is a slice of a Sequoia.
Fun facts:
This squirrel was cute, pulling down the flowers and munching on them.
Tunnel Tree
Fun with shadows.
There are still some wildflowers blooming.
They call this one the Clothespin Tree
Giant Pine Cones. These are from a Ponderosa Pine Tree (their bark smells like butterscotch).
This is actually the cone of a Giant Sequoia. Huge tree, tiny cone.
In case you don’t know how seeds come from a cone. The cone opens up…
And the little helicopter or whirly-gig seeds come out. For a Sequoia cone to open, it needs the heat of a forest fire.
Galen Clark…(from Wiki)
Galen Clark (March 28, 1814 – March 24, 1910) is known as the first European American to discover the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees, and is notable for his role in gaining legislation to protect it and the Yosemite area, and for 24 years serving as Guardian of Yosemite National Park.
Galen Clark built a cabin in the midst of the giant Sequoia grove.
This is a rebuilt replica.
We drove past El Capitan on our way out in the dark. It was very neat to see headlamps of the climbers still up there. Like Christmas lights on a tree. There were at least a dozen up there. Sorry, no picture.