High Over Down Under

In the course of the history of life on Earth, there have been, and still are some huge animals. In the distant past, there was the Wooly Mammoth and the Brontosaurus who were dominant species. Most of the dinosaurs were supersized compared to the beasts of today. Presently the Elephant still exists, and in the ocean the Blue Whale grows to 100 feet long and is the largest animal in history. Overall, there has been a collective reduction in size for most of the animals. There is another species of living things that tends to get overlooked. In California, there are various climates that provide a wide diversity of landscapes and life. On the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada grows a special land of forests and meadows. In the middle of this magical forest grows a tree, simply named Sequoiadendron giganteum, the largest living thing in the history of planet Earth! The giant Sequoia has to be seen to be believed. They measure up to 26 feet in diameter and over 300 feet high. Their reddish-orange color provides a great contrast to the greens of the forest. They simply tower over everything. But wait, there is more.In Northern California near the Pacific Ocean, there is strip of land that receives a special amount of moisture where forests can thrive. It is here in these fog shrouded, dark, mysterious woods that on can find the Sequoia sempervirens. It is the tallest tree in history. It is more commonly known as the California Redwood. While their diameter is slightly less than the Giant Sequoia, they can reach height that approach nearly 400 feet. It is difficult to see the top of these giants that are living skyscrapers. As magnificent as California is though, it has a twin territory on the other side of the planet. Down under the equator, at the same latitude south is Chile. If you take California and flip it upside down, you get Chile. It is virtually identical save the language of Spanish. The northern tip is like Baja California, the central part has a central valley of vineyards with an eastern mountain range called the Andes. The southern part is like northern California and Oregon. It is in this central and southern area where you will find the same dramatic coastlines, mountains, forests and, yes, Sequoias. Both types of Sequoias are found here. In fact, there is a national park in the south called Alerce Andino where the Redwood thrives. It is an isolated park that is only accessible by a long gravel road. There is no visitor center, no facilities, and no staff to get oriented. It does have trails, lakes, and majestic mountain scenery near the fjords. It was on one of these trails where we hiked and filled our water bottles from the water falls coming down the mountain. Southern Chile has some of the purest waters in the world, not to mention some of the greatest white water rafting and fly fishing. It is a land that sometimes feels like the California of 100 years ago before it became so popular and inundated with millions of people. It is a place where you can be in the wild country in a flash. It is a country with mountains that stand taller than anywhere except the mighty Himalayas. It is a country where you can walk amongst some of the oldest and largest living things in history. It is a magical place where you can walk alone and feel the essence of the big tree, There is no other living beast like it.