The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia’s is where it all started. When Galen Clark discovered the grove of trees in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, he felt that they were worthy of preservation and his efforts led to the Yosemite Grant which protected the land for “public use, resort and recreation…to be left inalienable for all time.” It was the first legislation of its kind signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and grew into what we now know as the National Park System.
Frederick Law Olmstead (designer of Central Park in New York City) wrote an extensive report about the Mariposa Grove, the nature of man and the value of natural beauty for increased quality of life. I found the report, written in 1865, to be both humorous and timely 146 years later.
….The want of such occasional recreation where men and women are habitually pressed by their business or household cares often results in a class of disorders the characteristic quality of which is mental disability, sometimes taking the severe forms of softening of the brain, paralysis, palsey, monomania, or insanity, but more frequently of mental and nervous excitability, moroseness, melancholy, or irascibility, incapacitating the subject for the proper exercise of the intellectual and moral forces.
….This, however, is in very slight degree, if at all, the case with the enjoyment of the emotions caused by natural scenery. It therefore results that the enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it, tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus, through the influence of the mind over the body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system.
Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: A preliminary report, 1865 by Frederick Law Olmstead
The Mariposa Grove is located in the southern part of the park and contains about 500 old growth Sequoias. Being late in the day and pressed for time (see Olmstead’s statement above), we hiked through only a small portion of the grove. As with the Redwoods we had seen a few weeks earlier, the presence of the giant trees makes one stand erect, pay attention and move slowly.
I found these trees to be even more beautiful than the Redwoods. The high tannin content gives the trunks a rich auburn or cinnamon color that becomes even more brilliant with a ray of sun light. The bark also has a finer smoother texture than many other trees. The Sequoia’s are not the tallest trees in the world or even the oldest. Those honors belong to the Redwoods and Bristlecone Pines respectively. But, the Sequoia’s are considered some of the “largest” trees in the world when measured by volume. They have massive trunks sometimes measuring 40 feet in diameter as well as reaching heights of 280 feet.
There was an abused tree in the grove, a “tunnel tree”, one that had been hollowed out for the enjoyment of the tourists and to provide for some unique advertising pictures. It was still alive and the bark was curled thickly around the hole trying to heal the wound but, sap still oozed from the insult.
The woodland itself was interesting with a mix of burned vegetation, evergreen vegetation and plants at their peak Fall color.
We wandered through the forest for as long as we could, saw as many of the giants as we could and couldn’t help but put a hand on a few the thousand year old trunks, communing, in hopes that some of their wisdom might pass through.
Although our visit to the Mariposa Grove was short, it was profound. To think that one man’s discovery and passion for a stand of trees is what led to the National Park System we now have and the concept for National Parks adopted by at least 90 other countries in the world is inspirational. Instead of deliberating on whether a tree that has fallen in the woods makes a sound, we should be spending our time, as Galen Clark did, listening to the ones that are still standing.
“What is the purpose of the giant sequoia tree? The purpose of the giant sequoia tree is to provide shade for the tiny titmouse.” Edward Abbey
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