Giants in the Snow

Giant Sequoias are impressive enough on their own, but if you get a chance to see them in the snow they are downright magical. There is something about the way the red stands out against the white background; if you throw in a nice snow flurry so that you can't even see the tops of the trees, it seems like they just go on forever.

Bob and Rebecca cross one of several creeks

California has had a very strange March and April this year; not only are we getting storms, but they are very cold. Taking this opportunity to tour into Sequoia National Park with our good friend Bob Campbell we found tons of snow with a nice layer of light stuff on top - not the usual April snow in CA...

A white, red and black wonderland

Heading in past the Sherman Tree and towards the Congressional Grove is a nice easy tour with a high density of Sequoias. Once you get about 100 yards in you have the place completely to yourself.

Makes you feel a bit small

Unlike the summertime when you have lots of people and designated trails, wintertime in the Giant Forrest gives you solitude and freedom; something that is not always easy to find in some National Parks.

Bob and Reba checking out the vista

On the way back to the car we took a high route and found some nice backcountry area to do some turns. The light snow made turns a blast, even on my skinny skis.

Bob drops through the trees and over a bridge

I've done this tour a few times, and it never dissapoints. This trip, the combination of the great conditions and the great company made it one of my favorite days of 2010 for sure.