This morning I was going through old photos taken in the 1960s, when I came across this one below. I snapped this picture back in summer of 1967. We had taken a vacation, in the pictured GMC pickup, with a camper shell. The destination was Yosemite National Park. The famous Wawona Tree was one of main attractions in the Mariposa Grove at Yosemite. Sadly it fell over in early 1969.
In earlier generations, the Giant Sequoia trees weren’t as cared for. Outrageous things would sometimes happen to them. For example, this tunnel through this tree was cut in 1881 as a tourist attraction.
When the Wawona Tree fell it was approximately 2,100 years old, 234 feet high, and 26 feet in diameter at the base. The tunnel was 7 feet wide, 9 feet high, and 26 feet long at the base.
Recently, I had wondered what happened to the tunnel tree. Sadly, I read its fate online. I am glad I was able to visit the tree in the months leading up to early 1969 however. And I’m glad I still have this picture!
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