I've been wanting to do this for some time, so thanks for taking the time to check it out.
I'll try to be heavy on the pictures and light on the text, but will try to include my witty comments when applicable.
For this trip, I went out to:
This is really a gem in the park system. Just out highway 4, east of the bay area, and you are at the northern-most grove of giant sequoia's in the state.
The trees are immense, here is part of the stump of one of the biggest in the park:
And some other shots for perspective:
(That one withstood some fires!)
Here is the tippy-top of one:
This is what the inside of the redwood trees look like (don't worry, despite how it looks, this is only a 1-foot diameter branch, which had fallen out of the tree):
Here is the main reason I came out this spring:
These native dogwoods are spectacular when they bloom. Unfortunately, the late snows really messed them up this year, so the flowers weren't as plentiful and the leaves had emerged. Often the flowers come out first, leading them to look like floating lotuses in the forest.
The park sits across the Stanislaus river valley, at about 4,000 feet:
A sure sign of spring:
These are parasites on other plants, but not fungi. They are called snow plants.
There were also lots of wildflowers out:
and here is a wild yellow iris:
All in all, a great day out. Only two hours from Sac, so come out to Calaveras your next chance!
