The hill-pattern changed at frequent intervals. Scrub-covered hills with the usual yellow flowers gave way to hills blanketed in lush green trees.
As we approached the valley, we were greeted by cows, horses, vineyards and orchards on either side, apart from cement plants and cargo stations.
Preeti and I kept munching sandwiches and chocolate biscuits while music kept us going.
We took a quick break and resumed our journey. The landscape ahead was awesome- smoothly folded mud hills with hues of orange. The orange haze, as we noticed when we got closer, comes from the finely sprinkled orange flowers.
We exited the valley,crossed the lake and reached the entrance of Sequoia National Park.
Preeti: "Where are the tall trees?"
Rarely is one's imagination less wild than reality, very rarely. What loomed ahead of us had us stunned to the bones- mountains. Huge, tall mountains, snow-clad, hanging mist, concealing what we had come to see. Well, what I had imagined was this really big forest with extremely tall trees and nothing to see but the sun through tree tops so high that...
The car began the long, spine-tingling climb up the winding mountain road. It was beautiful. We were encircled by nature's preserved web of life- the river making it's way through the mountains, lush green trees and wildflowers leaving not an inch of soil in sight, the fresh blue sky, still no sign of the tall wonders. Were we in the right place?
As the car turned round the freaky hairpin bends to higher elevations, it got a little chilly. We began to see tall, well-built (because they do not appear slender from the bottom) redwood trees, patches of snow melting onto the roads and hey, a deer! We were aware of the fact that winters in sequoia are snowy (which is why we brought the winter coats that we never used) and range from December to May, but that we would see snow...! Considering the fact that I have seen snow before, I still felt as excited as a kid waiting to make the first snowman of his life!!! Following the signs, we reached the Wuksachi Lodge that is at convenient distance from some of the most wonderful sights to be seen, the Giant Forest among them. Situated at the top of a supposedly low-altitude mountain, we had the best views from our lodge itself. Enormous snow-clad mountains, the now-slender redwood trees, steep slopes- all so stunning.
We went to the restaurant and devoured our eagerly-awaited order- fresh bread, spinach salad and crispy-creamy pasta. The night sky was something I hadn't seen in a long time. Back in the city, with all the pollution leading to low visibility, I can count the number of stars and be proud of spotting the orion belt and the ever-gorgeous moon. Countless stars gazed down at us. It really doubled the joy. We were happy, content. We turned off the lights after watching some T.V. and curled up on the cozy bed.
The next day, we ate a light breakfast in our room. The air was crisp and warm and the mountains look as pretty in the morning as they do at dusk. We drove down to the Lodgepole Visitors Center and got some info on some spots that were not to be missed. We decided to hike to the Tokopah falls for sundry weighted obvious reasons.
So we set out on our hike. It was enchanting. We crossed a quaint little wooden bridge built over the river and hopped onto the trail.
Something really interesting goes on here. When you stand behind a tree or walk across a group of trees that are in front of the river, the sound of the water flowing is softer. As soon as you cross the tree and just stand by the river with nothing to block it, it's louder. It is kind of hard to describe. But it is a lovely feeling. There's so much of music in nature.
Trudging over slippery snow and the rough forest floor strewn with pine cones, we continued the steep climb. At a point, the trail forked into two. While we were wondering which way to go, a Canadian couple came behind us and led the way. We had a good time speaking to this jolly couple and crossing rivers with them. Crossing a tiny, shallow yet quick tributary was fun. We carefully stepped over each huge pebble; it was a mini-adventure by itself! We were trapped in a charming ring of mountains- the snow was still melting, the sun was blazing down, birds went about their activities, ignorant of the many hikers who praise their sweetness... It felt so good! I already felt on top of the world.
Then we reached some falls as big as a bed. Greg told us it was what we had come to see! He was joking...and I was glad. And to think I was taken in?!
As we proceeded up the mountain we met a man who excitedly told us that he had just seen two bears. To prove this, he showed us the pictures he has taken of the mother-son duo. How I wished we could see a bear...from a distance. Or a baby bear following me and then wanting to come home with me...ok, I'm getting carried away.
Finally, gently gushing down the mountain with all it's magnificence stood the Tokopah Falls. Any further attempt to describe the stateliness of these falls will be feeble.
We spent some time enjoying the light, refreshing spray of fresh water.
After lunch, we went to see the General Sherman Tree- the world's largest tree. Many trees in the sequoia are taller or even thicker than this tree. But what makes this tree the largest is it's volume! As Sherman died years ago, he no longer grows leaves. But his trunk get's thicker and heavier as the years pass. Isn't that interesting? We took the Congress trail from there and admired more of the sequoias. They look down so majestically! They seem to be gracing the Earth, living their lives the way it was given to them...
We went to the Giant Forest Museum and saw the Sentinel Tree, another of the five biggest trees on earth. We decided to return to the museum the next day. That evening, we went to Beetle Rock. It was touching. I felt like I never wanted to leave that place.
On top of the rock was a man sitting on a wheelchair. I suppose the very sentence makes you feel something down your heart. It is a rare, touching sight.
Beyond the flat rock was the San Joaquin Valley, stretching to eternity... I could have sat there for hours, thoughts just flow. That place made me feel prayerful, hopeful of what life brings everyday. It's pretty hard to describe. But I think I felt what John Muir did, here in Sequoia. I feel blessed to have been able to come here! Preeti is truly my Angel!!!
We learnt a lot from the small museum that depicted the history of the sequoias with so much accuracy & detail. John Muir's quotes were so touching. He seemed to have lived nature...
On our way down the mountains, we went to Moro Rock. The higher we climbed round the winding steps, the grander was the view...spell-binding, breath-taking. We kept going up, wondering where there would be nothing but the sky above us! Preeti and I were daring enough to climb this high-elevated rock, considering the fact that we were the only ones scaling the rock. No one to see us dangling off a cliff, no one to hear our cries. When we were just a flight of stairs short of the top, we decided not to go further. Better safe than sorry. Dodging the lizards, we made our way down, safely, me bossing Preeti all the time and trying to hand over to her the 'experience' I had been given at school excursions.
The drive down was pleasant, we felt content.
One can spend an entire week at Sequoia and still not have the satisfaction of having seen every place there is to see. The magic of this place is that every pretty spot is so well-hidden by the mountain walls. Preeti and I got to see what really drove us here. Tall trees. It's amazing how they grow only up there. Their life cycle is totally different; the factors required for them to regenerate are unimaginable.
People kept asking us- "Why don't you go to Yosemite"? Only when one goes to the sequoias can he realize the mystic grandeur these trees possess, the atmosphere they create. It's simply captivating, inspiring in fact.
I am certainly living it queen size!
Thank you Preeti!!!
