Sierra Nevada - Sequoia National Park - Giant Forest 1957/1968
Sequoia National Park 14 Jul 1957
Sequoia National Park 14 Jul 1957

While I was in the Navy in 1957, I took a month's leave and backpacked two weeks in two weeks in Yosemite National Park and two weeks in Sequoia National Park.

To start the second half of my trip in Sequoia National Park I rode the bus from Yosemite Valley to Merced, then took the Greyhound bus to Tulare where I enjoyed a hotel room and received a mailed package of food and other supplies.

The Sequoia and Kings Canyon Company bus took me to Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park where I spent three nights in a car campground at Giant Forest.

While in Yosemite I had seen bears and deer in the valley but had no problems with them. However, in Giant Forest I had bear problems all three nights. The first night one tried to eat my pack before other campers chased him off - then around midnight, after I was in bed, people chased a bear away from the garbage cans and in his haste, he slid into the end of my sleeping bag sending me spinning.

The second night I hung my food between two trees and awoke around mid­night to find this giant bear standing upright only six feet away, swinging at and occasionally touching my food cache. I hollered - he grunted - and we parted company.

The third night I was awakened around midnight by a bear breaking limbs off a nearby tree he was trying to climb. I was ready for new surroundings.

In between the "bear-nights" I toured all of the giant sequoia trees in Giant Forest and photographed every one. I revisited the area in June 1968 and have substituted some better 1968 pictures for 1957 versions.


Arch Rock on General's Highway - Sequoia National Park 14 Jul 1957
Arch Rock on General's Highway - Sequoia National Park 14 Jul 1957
General's Highway climbing to Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 14 Jul 1967
General's Highway climbing to Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 14 Jul 1967

Crescent Meadow-Moro Rock area map - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Crescent Meadow-Moro Rock area map - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Sentinel Tree (2) in Giant Forest Village - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Sentinel Tree (2) in Giant Forest Village - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Base of Fire Scarred Twin (7) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Base of Fire Scarred Twin (7) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Auto Log (8) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Auto Log (8) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Me at base of Jefferson Tree (9) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Me at base of Jefferson Tree (9) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Jefferson Tree (9) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Jefferson Tree (9) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Topless tree showing how a limb takes over as top, Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Topless tree showing how a limb takes over as top, Giant Forest
Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Me at base of Roosevelt Tree (10) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Me at base of Roosevelt Tree (10) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Hanging Rock (11) with Kaweah River Valley in background - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Hanging Rock (11) with Kaweah River Valley in background
Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Moro Rock (12) viewed from Moro Vista - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Moro Rock (12) viewed from Moro Vista - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

View from Mono Rock (12) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
View from Mono Rock (12) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Moro Rock (12) stairway - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Moro Rock (12) stairway - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Steve and David Henderson on Moro Rock (12) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
Steve and David Henderson on Moro Rock (12) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
Steve and David Henderson on Moro Rock (12) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
Steve and David Henderson on Moro Rock (12) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968

Dogwood - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
Dogwood - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
Base of Triple Tree (13) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Base of Triple Tree (13) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Great Western Divide from Moro Rock (12) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
Great Western Divide from Moro Rock (12) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
Parker Group (15) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Parker Group (15) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Tunnel Log (16) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Tunnel Log (16) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Burnedout top' demonstrates 'will to live' in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Burnedout top' demonstrates 'will to live' in Giant Forest
Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

View through side of 'Black Chamber' (18) in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
View through side of 'Black Chamber' (18) in Giant Forest
Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Crescent Meadow (20) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Crescent Meadow (20) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Log Meadow near Tharp's Cabin - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Log Meadow near Tharp's Cabin - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Tharp's Cabin in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Tharp's Cabin in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Tharp's Cabin in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Tharp's Cabin in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Chimney Tree' in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Chimney Tree' in Giant Forest - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Huckleberry Meadow - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Huckleberry Meadow - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Me at 'Squatters Cabin' - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Me at 'Squatters Cabin' - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

'Broken Arrow' - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Broken Arrow' - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Broken Arrow' base - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Broken Arrow' base - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

I took one day to hike down to Crystal Cave and take a tour.

Crystal Cave map - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
Crystal Cave map - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
Entrance to Crystal Cave - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1954
Entrance to Crystal Cave - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1954
Spider Web Gate at Crystal Cave - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
Spider Web Gate at Crystal Cave - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957

Miniture Fairy Land in Crystal Cave - NPS Photo - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
Miniture Fairy Land in Crystal Cave - NPS Photo - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957

'Marble Room' in Crystal Cave - NPS Photo - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
'Marble Room' in Crystal Cave - NPS Photo - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
'Organ Room' in Crystal Cave - NPS Photo - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
'Organ Room' in Crystal Cave - NPS Photo - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957

Waterfall near Crystal Cave - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
Waterfall near Crystal Cave - Sequoia National Park 16 Jul 1957
'Burnt Twins' (living) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Burnt Twins' (living) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

The Congress Trail is a popular paved loop that starts at the General Sherman Tree, the largest in the world, and goes about a mile south to an impressive collection of immense sequoias, a few of which look just as big as the Sherman Tree, and some unusual clusters of sequoia.

Congress Grove Walk map - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Congress Grove Walk map - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
General Sherman Tree (1) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
General Sherman Tree (1) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
General Sherman Tree (1) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
General Sherman Tree (1) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968

General Sherman Tree (1) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
General Sherman Tree (1) - Sequoia National Park 02 Jun 1968
Cross sections of the bases of General Sherman and General Grant Trees - Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks 15-17 Jul 1957
Cross sections of the bases of General Sherman and General Grant Trees
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks 15-17 Jul 1957

Generai Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park is home of the General Grant tree and others.

General Grant Grove Map
General Grant Grove Map
General Grant Tree (7) - Kings Canyon National Park 02 Jun 1968
General Grant Tree (7) - Kings Canyon National Park 02 Jun 1968
General Grant Tree (7) - Kings Canyon National Park 02 Jun 1968
General Grant Tree (7) - Kings Canyon National Park 02 Jun 1968

Grant Grove, David Henderson - Kings Canyon National Park 03 Jun 1968
Grant Grove, David Henderson - Kings Canyon National Park 03 Jun 1968
California Tree (12) in Grant Grove - Kings Canyon National Park 02 Jun 1968
California Tree in Grant Grove (12) - Kings Canyon National Park 02 Jun 1968

'Fallen Monarch Tree' (14) in Grant Grove, David Henderson - Kings Canyon National Park 02 Jun 1968
'Fallen Monarch Tree' (14) in Grant Grove, David Henderson
Kings Canyon National Park 02 Jun 1968
'Burned Chamber' (8) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Burned Chamber' (8) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Fire scarred giant' {9} - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Fire scarred giant' {9} - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Base of Chief Chief Sequoyah tree (11) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Base of Chief Sequoyah tree (11) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Top of Chief Sequoyah tree (11) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Top of Chief Sequoyah tree (11) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Bottom of President Tree (12) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Bottom of President Tree (12) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'The Senate Group' (13) of trees - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'The Senate Group' (13) of trees - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Closeup of roots of Fallen Sequoia (14) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Closeup of roots of Fallen Sequoia (14) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Me in 'The House Group' (15) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Me in 'The House Group' (15) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Overgrown stump (16) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Overgrown stump (16) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Fallen Tree' (17) root system of tree that fell on my 21st birthday Aug 22, 1953 - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Fallen Tree' (17) root system of tree that fell on my 21st birthday Aug 22, 1953
Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

August 22, 1953 fallen tree showing wood cambium layer and bark - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
August 22, 1953 fallen tree showing wood cambium layer and bark
Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Cattle Cabin (19) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Cattle Cabin (19) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

'The Room' tree (20) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'The Room' tree (20) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
McKinley Tree (22) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
McKinley Tree (22) - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

'The Cloister' - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'The Cloister' - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Meadow near Congress Grove - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
Meadow near Congress Grove - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Nursery Tree' - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957
'Nursery Tree' - Sequoia National Park 15-17 Jul 1957

Finishing this enjoyable visit, on July 18, 1957 I headed for the High Sierra Trail.