| Giant Sequoias |
| Silver mist rises from the Sierra foothills, rolling over the golden grass and through graceful oaks. Far above, storm clouds blanket the highlands, quietly showering snow on the monumental sculpture of Sierra Nevada granite. |
| At the mountains' halfway point, mist rises through falling snow. Swirling past pines and firs, the mist rises toward the clouds, rising higher and higher until it lifts off the ridges, slipping through the crowns of the tallest trees of the Sierra forest. |
| These big trees - last to feel the rising mist, first to catch the snow - are the giant sequoias, largest beings on Earth. |
| Today when we stand before the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, we stand before the most massive living organism on our planet, the individual with the largest number of cells interconnectd in a single, discrete whole. And with each passing year this great chunk of Life produces new cells by the millions. |
| Stands of lesser conifers often blur into monotony, but each giant sequoia retains its individuality. Scarred by fire endured a thousand years ago, garnished with moss and lichen like barnacles on the back of a whale, each big tree is unique. |
| In their character and rarity, no other living thing compares with them. Their story is far from esoteric science, but rather the testament of Life's largest accomplishment, the survival methods of the world's greatest being. |
| Text by Stephen Trimble Photos by me! |
| Indeed, what impresses us on a walk under the giant sequoias is their vitality. These trees destroy the passive image we have of plants; the simple word "tree" cannot convey their authority cannot communicate their dignified bulk. |
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