Big Trees California Winterim

Day 4

We left San Francisco under cloudy skies and headed down the coast on our long drive across California. The surf was pounding and muddy in color from all of the silt and debris having been washed down since the floods began. We stopped along the coast just north of Santa Cruz to stretch our legs and watch the surf roll in. Then, turning east, it was off to Pacheco State Park and the rolling hills of the coast range with flowers and contorted trees dotting the hillside.

 

After crossing the Central Valley and the rows upon rows of orchard trees, we arrived at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and the town of Three Rivers. The impact of the floods coming from Sequoia National Park was immediately evident — tomorrow is a day of understanding these impacts and the area's history.