Grizzly Giant

The Grizzly Giant, a giant sequoia, is among the most popular attractions in Yosemite National Park's Mariposa Grove. (For scale, people are visible at the bottom of the photo.)

The Grizzly Giant is a massive giant sequoia located in Mariposa Grove within Yosemite National Park. Famous for its impressive size and age, the Grizzly Giant has been a symbol of the park since tourism began.[1] The Grizzly Giant stands out with its enormous trunk, which is much larger than typical giant sequoias, and its unique, uneven branches shaped by centuries of weather and environmental factors.[1] Its name comes from its imposing presence, reminiscent of a California grizzly bear.[1]

Another angle of Grizzly Giant, also with people visible for scale. (July 4, 2023)

The Grizzly Giant is the oldest tree in Mariposa Grove, which is Yosemite National Park's largest grove of giant sequoias, containing hundreds of mature trees.[2] Although once considered the oldest and largest tree in the world, recent dating techniques have estimated the Grizzly Giant’s age at about 2,995 years, with a margin of error of plus or minus 250 years.[3][4][5] In 1990, the tree's volume was measured at 34,005 cubic feet (962.9 m3), making it the 26th-largest living giant sequoia.[6][7]

Nineteenth-century photographs and paintings of the Grizzly Giant vividly showcased the immense scale and beauty of giant sequoias, convincing a skeptical public of their existence and spurring early conservation efforts that ultimately protected Mariposa Grove.

On July 16, 2022, the Washburn Fire threatened Grizzly Giant and other trees in Mariposa Grove. The National Park Service used sprinklers to protect the famous tree.[8]

History

Sixteen mounted soldiers in front of the Grizzly Giant. From 1891 to 1913, the U.S. Army protected Yosemite National Park.[9]

In 1859, publisher James M. Hutchings, on the advice of naturalist Galen Clark, named the tree the Grizzled Giant.[10][11] By 1888, it was commonly known as the Grizzly Giant. Hutchings said the tree "looks at you as defiantly as the oldest veteran grizzly bear ever could."[12]

The Grizzly Giant was once believed to be much older, with David Starr Jordan estimating its age at 8,000 to 10,000 years.[13][14]

The tree has endured severe fire damage over the centuries, losing over 80% of its bark and sapwood, along with significant heartwood. This damage has limited its nutrient intake, slowing its growth and healing. In addition to fire, the tree has faced countless storms, including one in 1942 when it was struck by lightning six times.[13]

Since 1904, the Grizzly Giant has been closely monitored due to its significant 18-foot lean.[15] Despite weighing an estimated 3,700 tons, the tree remains balanced through its naturally curved structure, strategically placed branches, and a robust root system.[13] In 1912, a wire fence was installed around the tree's base to stop visitors from damaging it by hacking off pieces of bark for souvenirs.[16]

The tree has hosted visits from notable figures, including Presidents Roosevelt in 1903 and Taft in 1909.[17][18]

Dimensions

Height above base 63.7 m 209.0 ft
Circumference at ground 29.5 m 96.5 ft
Diameter 1.5 m above base 7.8 m 25.5 ft
Estimated bole volume 963 m³ 34,000 ft³

Visual Arts

Photography and paintings of the Grizzly Giant significantly shaped 19th-century views of giant sequoias and played a key role in the conservation efforts that protected Mariposa Grove.

Photography

Carelton Watkins' photographs of the Grizzly Giant in the 1860s captured more than its size; they bridged a continental divide. A key image, showing the tree towering over people at its base, made the enormity of giant sequoias clear to Eastern audiences cut off by the American Civil War. These photographs dispelled doubts about the so-called 'California Hoax,' convincing academics and the public of the giant sequoias' existence and sparking both fascination and scientific study.[19]: 102–110  Botanist Asa Gray was particularly struck by these photos. He acquired Watkins' full collection, using them in a 1872 American Association for the Advancement of Science lecture.[20] His presentation highlighted the sequoia’s ecological importance, driving further research and ultimately, conservation efforts that would lead to state protection of Mariposa Grove.[19]

Painting

In the 1870s, Albert Bierstadt, a key figure of the Hudson River School, painted the Grizzly Giant's grandeur in The Great Trees, Mariposa Grove, California.[21]: 46–47  Inspired during his 1871-1873 visits to Yosemite and Mariposa Grove, Bierstadt completed the expansive five-by-ten-foot canvas in 1876.[22] The painting, inspired by Watkins' renowned photograph and displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, broadened public exposure to the West's natural beauty, reinforced support for the conservation movement, and echoed themes of manifest destiny.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Lowe, Gary D.; Carpenter, John (2017). Clark’s Ranch: From Homestead to Big Tree Station. Galen Clark’s Portal to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia 1856-1879 (PDF). Stanford Digital Library Edition.
  2. ^ Minteer, Ben A.; Pyne, Stephen J. (2013). "Restoring the Narrative of American Environmentalism". Restoration Ecology. 21 (1): 6–11. doi:10.1111/j.1526-100X.2012.00909.x. ISSN 1526-100X. S2CID 82998273.
  3. ^ "The Biggest Tree in the World". San Francisco Call. Vol. 94, no. 35. 5 July 1903. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  4. ^ "Grizzly Giant Tour - Enduring Giant". National Park Service. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  5. ^ Hutchinson, Elizabeth (2004). "They Might Be Giants: Carleton Watkins, Galen Clark, and the Big Tree". October. 109: 47–63. doi:10.1162/0162287041886476. ISSN 0162-2870. JSTOR 3397659. S2CID 57565084.
  6. ^ Flint, Wendell (2002). To Find the Biggest Tree. Sequoia Natural History Association. ISBN 978-1878441096.
  7. ^ "The Largest Trees in the World". National Park Service. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  8. ^ Albeck-Ripka, Livia (July 12, 2022). "How to Save an Ancient, Giant Tree From a Wildfire". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  9. ^ Bingaman, John W. (1961). "Guardians of the Yosemite". Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  10. ^ Hutchings, James M. (1862). "The Mammoth Trees of Mariposa and Frezno". Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  11. ^ "Grizzly Giant". Famous Redwoods. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  12. ^ Hutchings, James M. (1888). "The Berenda Route to Yo Semite". In the Heart of the Sierras. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  13. ^ a b c McFarland, James W. (1949). "A Guide to the Giant Sequoias of Yosemite National Park". Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  14. ^ "The Largest and Oldest Living Things in the World: Famous Redwood Trees Thirty Feet Through and 8000 Years Old". Truckee Republican. Vol. 42, no. 67. 12 July 1911. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  15. ^ "Monarch of Mariposa Grove Slowly Dying". San Francisco Call. Vol. 96, no. 37. 7 July 1904. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  16. ^ "Grizzly Giant No Longer Free". San Francisco Call. Vol. 112, no. 76. 15 August 1912. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  17. ^ "Beauty and Grandeur of Famed Yosemite Valley Fill the Heart of the President with Delight". San Francisco Call. Vol. 93, no. 167. 16 May 1903. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  18. ^ "Giant Sequoias Visited by Taft". Morning Press. 9 October 1909. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  19. ^ a b Green, Tyler (2018). Carleton Watkins: Making the West American. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520287983.
  20. ^ Gray, Asa (October 1872). "Sequoia and Its History". The American Naturalist. 6 (10). The University of Chicago Press for The American Society of Naturalists: 577–596.
  21. ^ Tweed, William C. (2016). King Sequoia: The Tree That Inspired a Nation, Created Our National Park System, and Changed the Way We Think about Nature. ISBN 978-1597143516.
  22. ^ "The Grizzly Giant Sequoia, Mariposa Grove, California". LACMA. Retrieved 2023-12-18.

Bibliography

  • Geology of U.S. Parklands, Fifth Edition, Kiver, Eugene P. and Harris, David V. (John Wiley & Sons; New York; 1999; pp. 227) ISBN 0-471-33218-6

37°30′12.65″N 119°36′2.39″W / 37.5035139°N 119.6006639°W / 37.5035139; -119.6006639

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