I knew they were big trees. I've known for awhile. but i didn't research them etc. etc. I just chose to stay in Visalia, CA at an airbnb. It was a beautiful drive. I reached in the evening. Chris...my host...he was sorta big...with mustache and beard that don't touch each other...he crossed his arms while speaking or listening...in the house there was a cat and dog...the cat interacted with me the next day. he told me about General Sherman...the oldest and largest living tree...some 2,000-3,000 years old.
The nice thing about not researching is that you hear and discover things for the first time...like when Chris said..another human to me...he told me things...and he said...when you go up there...oh...whatever your religion is...buddha...doesn't matter...you'll see god there...you'll feel it.
that evening i went to visalia downtown...ate dinner at a mexican place i think...too high end for my liking. it was monday night i think so the downtown looked abandoned. next morning i recall waking up naturally at 6am...there was the marketing call...after that i went to WinCo to buy stuff...that lady there at the counter...she told me that after working for 10 years everyone becomes an owner...chris warned me to not leave food in the car because the bears can smell it...i spoke to mummy and nana from the car outside...
there was a traffic jam while getting to the sequoias. I stopped to pee at one history/local museum type place. they said on a sign to make a donation.
the first view of the sequoias was stunning. here was me and my car...and there was this huge, huge tree. i opened the windows...drove more slowly...staring at this unbelievable sight. the air...it was fresh...very fresh...and cool. i might've stuck my head out too. suddenly i also felt that sensation you feel when you come face to face with an obvious whiff of the Creator...
i drove...reaching the main park area. i bought that constellations cards thing for ahaan. possibly those cards for swaraj and ahaan. outside...i was on another call. i think after 40min or so i started driving because it was already afternoon. midway i lost the connection.
and i drove...to that point...where everything was...chris had mentioned Moro rock...so I started on that trail...but somewhere along the way I went in a loop, got lost...and ended up going towards Hanging Rock. Which was nice too. In the far distance I saw moro rock. i saw families...with babies hung onto them...walking here and there. A little while before...I settled in on a giant Sequoia...i took a video etc. I laid down my bag. sat there. so wonderful it was. magnificent. quite easily God-like. A few thousand years old. Far older than me. It just stood steady. Alive. Sturdy and yet very, very gentle. Calm. Strong. It embodied everything. Old. Aging. And yet alive and young. New. Fresh. It would let me do whatever I wanted. And yet its demeanor wouldn't let me do whatever I wanted. I felt connected. It was like me laying on Mother Sequoia's lap. It's roots go far deep into the earth.
I went inside a burnt tree. Hollow on the inside. But the outer surface existed. Graham (from Kansas or was it Kentucky...I think Kansas) whom I met later told me that when the tree catches fire...it burns off the dead...inside of the tree is dead...outside is alive. So I went inside this giant tree...following some kids who did it by crawling...and it felt cool, silent...the tree felt as though it's simply being, listening to everything around. Not reacting. Just doing its thing...of being. whatever the world may do or not do.
The fires make the Sequoias. They destroy everything around including the Sequoias themselves...and Graham said the heat let's the seeds come out...fall on the ground that's cleaned by the fire...ash...and several thousands of seeds around...and only a few grow to be plants...and from those plants...only few grow bigger...and only few from that grow even bigger...and 2,000 to 3,000 years later...may only one or two or few survive to be the Sequoias...the largest in the world...by volume. Adding ring after ring each year. Yes, it humbles you and everything that you drive yourself crazy over at work or whatever. Nature does its thing slowly, steadily...with lots of redundancy. It's taking a million chances before a tree grows up to give rise to more trees. Nature uses the same tool - fire - to make Sequoias and destroy them. And that's mystical and magical. It's seeking for a certain universal harmony...where there's nothing really that's good or bad or any label...it simply is.
The forest ranger (a lady) told me to drive to general sherman. And yet I wanted to walk. Then I met an old couple. I asked them how long would it take this trail to the giants...they said there was a lot of snow...it was already 4.30p...and it gets dark in the forest sooner...i had sports shoes...and I finally decided to drive. Good decision.
I got to spend time in the area of general sherman. named by someone in the army after his general. there were lots of people here. Stupidly I don't think I dressed appropriately...felt cold I think. I went to the tree...connected...asked if there were messages for the tribe...said, allow Nature to work on you and through you...
here's something about general sherman...
With a height of 83.8 meters (275 ft), a diameter of 7.7 m (25 ft), an estimated bole volume of 1,487 m3(52,513 cu ft), and an estimated age of 2,300–2,700 years, it is nevertheless among the tallest, widest, and longest-lived of all trees on the planet.
I had my fill...i would've definitely liked to stay on...and be inside the giant forest. still it was dusk and i had to go. i noticed i wanted good photos...to share with people...and i wondered how long will i keep running after these things...of showing off...of vanity...when will i simply be...
On the way back...I went off on another trail...to reach the parking lot. Seemed like a short cut? instead of the steps. And I was lost. Huh? I waited...I knew it'll be stupid to get lost at this time. So I closed my eyes...trusted my intuition on the direction where I should be walking. It was to the right...like north-east from where I was...and I moved in that direction. Soon I heard a car honking...thank you! And I knew I simply had to walk towards the sound. In a few min, I was back at the parking lot.
The girl at the park entrance had suggested I could drive up to King's County national park...and take another road straight down to visalia. Anyways...google maps etc. wouldn't work in these areas. I went...drove straight ahead to King's county...no cars were around. Everyone must've gone home. The parks itself are open through the night. They give you a 7-day pass. You can even camp there. I saw a beautiful sunset there. It was very very nice. I kept listening to songs on my itunes...i remember charlie puth :) it's linked to Ahaan's musical at school for me...
The way down was windy...and with darkness...difficult. I don't like driving fast and was holding up a car or two behind. I was also tired. Quite tired I think. Lack of sleep generally and the day. Finally after may be two hours or so reached Visalia. Was happy to reach. Chris had even checked with me via email. I went straight to a chinese restaurant...had a beer...so satisfying. Took the food togo. She didn't give me rice. Didn't matter. Came back. Happily ate...something mixed veg? broccoli? Ya, I ate a very tasty broccoli thing in brooklyn on bed-sty the night I reached there.
I slept well. Late. And left the ancients, the giants the next morning. Towards Pradeep's place in SFO.
