Egidio, you hit the bullseye. I love the woods. Getting out of suburbia and into the fresh air is amazing. I especially love the smell of pine trees. I need to get up to the mountains more often. Fortunately, although Sacramento is too low for pine trees, we do have wooded areas around our creeks and rivers.

Let’s start with higher altitude, the forest, specifically Lassen National Park. These pictures were taken from our last visit in 2023. As soon as I got out of the truck, I could smell the forest. It was wonderful being back after a long absence. Unfortunately they were still clearing away the dead trees from the 2021 fire. Our dog was still alive and I enjoyed our walks around the campground. I think he also enjoyed the new forest smells.

Lets move on to a State Park. Calaveras Big Trees State Park. The Big Trees refer to giant Sequoias. They are impressive trees. Not as tall as our coastal redwoods, but they have amazing girth.

Woods change with the seasons. In the Sacramento area, we don’t get too much Autumn color. We photographers have to go up in altitude to find it. I found these in Grass Valley in what we call the Foothills.

While we are still up in altitude, let’s visit Hope Valley and see how fire can devastate our trees. It will take more years than I have left in my lifetime to grow a new grove of aspens.

Down in altitude and in my local area, Dry Creek is a favorite for children in the summer. You walk through wildflowers to get to the creek. Stock Ranch Nature Preserve is located just behind Costco. It is dark and moist–the perfect place for fungi to grow.

And, now for my favorite National Park in California–Sequoia / Kings Canyon. Although joined, Kings Canyon (higher than Sequoia) has mostly cedar trees and a beautiful forest. Sequoia has the larger Sequoia trees. I’m closing with an image of the infamous, well-known General Sherman. You can’t hug this tree!

You can see why I love the forest and its smells and beautiful trees. Thank you Egidio for this trip down memory lane. When you post your response, please remember to link back to Egidio’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Next week, look for Tina’s post since she will be leading the challenge.

In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude!

Please see this page to learn more about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history.

42 thoughts on “Lens Artists Challenge #357: Into the Woods”

    1. Thanks Margaret! I think it’s great that nature offers us differences to experience. And, yes, they all offer rest and renewal if we stop, look, and listen. The forest does have a certain sound.

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    1. Thanks Keith! It is breathtaking to stand near a tree that is hundreds of years old and so large and mighty. Just imagine the stories it could tell if it could talk. The energy they give off is amazing. Maybe we just need to stop and listen.

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  3. These are wonderful Anne, the giants are incredible. Interesting to see it after fire too, I’ve done some of that in the past, it is a good idea to look at it then and what it looks like years later.

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    1. Thanks Leanne! Yes, it is interesting to see how nature rejuvenates on its own. Quite a few years ago, we visited Mt. St. Helens a few years after it erupted. I was amazed at the plentiful ground cover on and along the mountain. At that time they weren’t letting visitors on the grounds to allow nature to take it’s course.

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  5. Beautiful images Anne and so sad to see the damage after the wildfires. It will take the forest a long time to recover and hopefully it will be given the chance to do so too 💚🙏 xxx

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  6. You’re so right about the beautiful smell of a pine forest – it’s a shame that can’t be conveyed through a blog as I’m betting many of these scenes smelled wonderful! Sad though to see those devasted aspen trees.

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    1. Thanks Sarah! We can always get one of those scented pine tree gizmos to hang in our cars. Yes, that was a stark scene with the burned out grove of aspens. Lassen also had a patch also and Yosemite had a small fire. Sometimes it’s nature and most times it’s stupid people.

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      1. When we visited Lassen last year a large part of the park had been very recently destroyed and was out of bounds. And that was definitely a very stupid person! We learned that a man had deliberately pushed a burning car down into a ravine near Chico and the resulting fire had spread over a huge area 😠

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  8. California’s forests are so diverse, Anne. You captured the wonderful essence of the different types of forests in your gorgeous photos! One tree species i miss are Redwoods. I grew 7 of them at our Rancho Cordova home. After 30 years they were quite tall and could be seen from all over our neighborhood. Here in Eastern WA, its too dry for them. Thanks for the lovely forest tour!

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  10. Anne, I love this post! Your trees are all beautiful and so different from the ones here in Georgia. I love the Sequoias! I’m so glad my parents took us to see them when I was a child and glad I returned as an adult to see them again. I can’t find the words to describe the feeling of seeing these magnificent trees.

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  11. Lovely! As a kid, when I read that there are trees with trunks so big that a car can pass through that, I was incredulous. I am so glad that I got to see some in Muir Woods – not the ones through which the car could pass through but still..

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    1. Thanks PR! I haven’t made it to Muir Woods yet. They are not allowing cars to go through the trees any more. Whatever trees have been cut will remain. No new ones though. It’s almost like maiming the tree.

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  12. Ah, yes. The Ol’ General Sherman. Walking through those groves of ancient wonders — I have never experienced such quiet stillness. Imagine, this tree pre-dated the birth of Christ.

    Simply amazing to see in person.

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  13. Anne, I’m thrilled you liked the challenge. You touched on a very important thing about forests: the scents. Yes, it’s an unforgettable moment when you can smell the fresh scents around a forest. What a beautiful scenery to have these gorgeous trees year around and close to home.

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