Yosemite

Almost 2,000 sq miles, Yosemite National Park is one of the oldest protected lands in the U.S. Here are 9 fun facts for your Thursday afternoon about this pristine park in northern California. 

1. Male deer (bucks) in Yosemite Park shed their antlers every fall after mating season. They grow them back in the spring.

2. Giant Sequoias which grow in Yosemite National Park are the biggest living things on the planet. However, the seed for the Giant Sequoia is only the size of a piece of oatmeal. Grizzly Giant is the name of the oldest Sequoia in Yosemite Park.

3. The American Indians who live in Yosemite are called the Ahwahneechee Indians. Their traditional homes look like teepees, but are actually made of incense-cedar bark.

4. Yosemite National Park is visited by over 3.5 million people every year. Summer is by far the busiest season at Yosemite.

5. Though Half Dome and El Capitan are Yosemite’s most well known summits, Mt. Lyell is actually Yosemite’s highest peak.

6. Yosemite National Park covers nearly 1,200 square miles. However, only a tiny fraction of that land is traversed by visitors. The vast majority of the park is largely untouched and uninhabited by humans.

7. California has approximately 7,000 known plant species. Yosemite contains twenty percent of those species.

8. Galen Clark was the first designated Guardian of Yosemite. He used to hike through the park barefoot and was quoted as saying that shoes are “cruel and silly instruments of torture, at once uncivilized, unhuman and unnecessary.”

9. Black bears found in Yosemite weigh between 150 and 500 pounds when full grown, but when they are born, they weigh less than half a pound. The mother black bear is fast asleep during hibernation when her baby is born.

It’s Friday and that means time to chill in the Zen Den. 

This California heat has us quenching for a nice summer storm. Come with us as a thundering storm softly rumbles its way across the Grand Canyon. 

Fun Fact: “According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service, approximately 1,800 thunderstorms are occurring at any given time, resulting in about 16-million thunderstorms each year. Most thunderstorms last about 30 minutes and are typically about 15 miles (24 km) in­ diameter… The two most basic elements that cause a thunderstorm to develop are moisture and rapidly rising warm air. Because moisture and warmth are crucial to thunderstorms, it makes sense that they would occur more often in the spring and summer, particularly in humid areas such as the southeastern United States. “ 

Hence “Summer Storms.” Sit back, relax, and let the weekend roll in. Laissez le weekend rouler.”