The John Muir National Monument gets high visitation due to its proximity to San Francisco. At most, it is an hour from the city. Tour buses make their way down the serpentine road to the grove on a regular basis. I have been here a half dozen times. This is the first time I have not been able to park in the main designated parking area. This place is really popular now. We arrived fairly early, or so we thought. The overflow parking area was full and both sides of the road for .4 miles were lined with cars. When we left, the parking continued about a mile from the traditional entrance. That is quite a change from my earlier visits. Still the forest seems quiet and serene.
Dusty Fern
Drought persists. Everything had a film of dust on it. My shoes still do.
I was astonished at the number of buses in the parking area, disgorging mostly foreign tourists. You were never certain if you spoke to someone, if they would understand you. Hence, most folks don't speak when passing. There were lots of smart phones taking photos. Selfie sticks were ubiquitous.
No selfie stick here. Still this photo does not convey the enormity of this redwood tree. Even the comparatively small trees had my attention. Seedlings were quite attractive looking unlike Sequoia seedlings.
Nanci stops before a fallen tree. A few have fallen across the pathways and been left to decay. I don't know if this fallen one is a redwood or not. Redwoods, with so much tannin in their bark, will weather for years before slowly rotting away. For that reason, lumbering them was and is a big commercial enterprise, even though it is an unsustainable harvest.
Biggest burl I have ever seen
Imagine what a cross section of this burl would bring in today's market. You could make a number of tabletops from that one burl. I suspect many burls have been harvested for just that reason.
Due to the popularity of this place, I doubt I will return. It is always a treat to walk among the redwoods. I may need to find another grove to enjoy.
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