Annul Tradition Continues in National Park
The General Grant great sequoia, has been known as “The Nation’s Christmas Tree” since the 1920’s when President Coolidge gave it the name.
Every year, families from across the state make their way to the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks to revel in the majestic beauty of the snow covered General Grant.
General Grant is a massive specimen of Sequoiadendron giganteum. General Grant measures almost 270 feet tall and 107 feet around at its base. The tree was named in 1867 to honor Ulysses S. Grant, It is one of the ?biggest? attractions in America?s national park system.
The Trek to the Tree has been an annual event for 89 years now. The General Grant is the second largest tree in the world behind the General Sherman, but during the Christmas season Grant attracts the largest crowds.
The Sanger Chamber of Commerce puts on this annual event, to honor those who have served and are currently serving our country. The presentation is complete with Christmas carols, performed by the Sanger High School choir, a cermony honoring the veterans and finally the laying of a wreath at the foot of the tree.
Charles Dayton of Kingsburg has made the Trek for nearly ten years,
“I enjoy hiking in the national parks and being out for a long time without tany contact with the grid,” Dayton said. “But the Trek is very important to me, because I won’t to show my respect to those serving. It’s definitely one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season.”
During the Trek, there was atleast two feet of snow, which most of the patrons were not accustomed to. Past years have not been quite as cold or had as much snow as this year due to the years of drought.
We can only hope that the Trek continues for another 89 years and any more after that, so our younger generations can be educated in the subjects of science and preservation. All while observing our great state and nations power and majestic landscape in the merriest season of them all.
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For more features, read the Dec. 23 article, Central High School students connect with French pop star.
