Rise & Shine Tastebuds!

Sequoia National Park is home to some of the largest trees in the world, and standing in the presence of these giants was truly a humbling experience. These trees have been there for thousands of years, and they will continue to grow and be there long after I am gone. It reminded me of how limited our time is, and how infinitesimal we are in this universe. There so much that I’ll never see, experience, or understand, and sometimes thinking about this makes me sad because I want to do it all.

I know that it’s impossible to do it all, and so I try to use the time I do have as an impetus to live the life I want to live. I have somewhat of a unique situation which reminds me to do this; every three months, I have a CT scan. Whenever I have an upcoming CT scan, I always have a sense of urgency to do as much as possible because I feel as though my “healthy” time is running out. As a result, it forces me to focus on the present and decide what it is that I really want. In addition to playing an integral role in my treatment, this is what I take away from these CT scans.

Sometimes we get caught up in the routine of everyday life, and we take the time we do have for granted. Unlike the giant sequoias, we won’t live for thousands of years, so make every moment count.

On the Run Tour (Beyoncé and Jay-Z)

San Francisco, CA

My friend Dan was unable to attend the On the Run Tour, and generously

gave me discounted tickets. Thank you so much for this once in a lifetime opportunity!

The tour sold almost 1 million tickets, and grossed over $100 million worldwide.

Fierce.

The crowd lit up the stadium to a duet of Forever Young.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z's video montage of their lives together was so sweet.

Goodnight AT&T Park.

Mount Tamalpais

Marin County, CA

In August 1896, the first steam locomotive arrived at the East Peak

of Mt.Tamalpais. It took six months of hard labor to carve the grade

and lay the tracks of the Mill Valley and Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway.

The Scenic Railway was called “The Crookedest Railroad in the World.” The

steam trains made 281 turns, and was considered to be the “Disneyland” of its day.

The Gardner Lookout is one of two fire lookout towers in Marin County.

The view extends 200 miles, 25 Counties, and 9 different bodies of water.

It was a beautiful and sunny day.

Robert Mondavi Winery

Napa, CA

Robert Mondavi established his namesake winery in 1966 with a vision to create

Napa Valley wines that would stand in the company of the world's finest. Fumé

Blanc remains Mondavi's signature and one of the winery's most popular wines.

Each Taransaud oak fermentor has a capacity of 5,000 gallons,

and is nearly 11 ft. tall, and 10 ft. in diameter.

These bottles are commonly known as “Burgundy” shapes, originating with

the wines from the Burgundy region of France. Fumé blanc, Chardonnay,

and Pinot Noir are among the wines that are bottled in Burgundy style bottles.

Sadly, all the rare wines were stored far away from our reach.

In the famous words of Jobie, "I don't care!"

Being fed grapes like Julius Caesar.

Kings Canyon National Park

Fresno County & Tulare County, CA

Grizzly Falls

The water over Grizzly Falls makes it way to the Kings

River and eventually to the San Joaquin Valley.

Don't trip and fall.

King's Canyon Scenic Byway

The byway traverses 50 miles eventually leading to Roads End in Kings Canyon National Park.

Mist Falls (9 miles; 4-5 hours; 600 ft. elevation gain)

Following the river to the waterfalls.

It was fairly flat at first, but the last two miles were tough.

The U-shaped of the canyon is the result of glaciers slowly
scraping rock away, leaving sheer cliffs and a wide valley.

Mist Falls is one the park's largest waterfalls.

Chicago Stump

The stump is a remnant of a tree taken to exhibit at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Grant Tree Trail (0.3 miles; 6600 ft. elevation)

The Presidential Tree was named in 1867 for Civil War General Ulyssess S. Grant.

In 1890, the Grant Grove area was created to protect the giant sequoias from logging.

The General Grant Tree is the world's second largest living tree with a

size of 268 ft. tall and 40 ft. wide at just 1700 years of age.

After toppling centuries ago, the remnants of the major roots

at the base of the Fallen Monarch can be seen.

Hart Tree and Fallen Goliath Loop (6.5 miles; 4 hours; 1300 ft. elevation)

The Redwood Mountain Grove has the world's largest grove of giant sequoia trees.

It was lots of fun hiking through the Fallen Tunnel Tree to reach the Hart Tree just up ahead.

In the 1800s, the Hart Tree was discovered by Michael Hart. It's the 24th largest sequoia in
the world with a height of 277.9 ft., circumference of 75.3 ft., and a volume of 34,407 cubic feet.

Sequioas have adaptations to survive fire, and have trouble reproducing without it. The

fires clear vegetation that compete with the seedlings for moisture, nutrients, and sunlight.

In addition, it fertilizes the ground, leaving the kind of soil in which the seeds germinate best.

Sequoia National Park

Tulare County, CA

Crystal Caves (3 miles)

Of the 240 known caves in the park, Crystal is the parks' only commercialized cave.

Tours often sell out early, but we got lucky!

Crystal Cave is a marble karst cave. It's heavily decorated with many rare formations such as shields and raft cones. This was my first experience inside a cave, and its beauty did not disappoint.

Remember to bring a jacket since it's a constant 50°F degrees inside.

Through the 50 years that the cave has been open it has suffered heavy vandalism

through its commercialization. Please be mindful, and protect our natural wonders.

The Giant Forest

Giant Forest Museum

The renovation of the historic Giant Forest market building began in 1999,

and conversion to a museum and visitor center was completed in summer 2001.

The museum has exhibits which illustrate the natural and human history of the Giant Forest.

Even though the Sentinel is only the 42nd largest sequoia, it was gigantic in comparison to me.

Vy: 5 ft. 4 inches. The Sentinel: 258 ft.

General Sherman Tree (0.5 miles)

In 1950, the park cut this giant sequoia tree down because it threatened to fall on rental

cabins. This slab shows that the tree lived about 2,210 years. Marks within some rings

show that during that time, at least 80 different fires burned hot enough to leave a scar.

In 1879, pioneer cattleman and former soldier James Wolverton named the
tree “General Sherman,” after the leader he served under during the Civil War.

General Sherman is the biggest tree on Earth. Its top is dead, so its upward growth
has stopped at 275 ft. However, as long as the tree lives its trunk will continue to thicken.

The trunk volume is 52,000 cubic ft., the circumference is 103 ft., and it

weighs a total of 1,385 tons! A few other tree trunks are bigger around, taller,

or heavier, but no other tree has more wood in its trunk than the Sherman Tree.

Ironically, a tree’s own size can contribute to its downfall. If the tree starts to

become unbalanced, its weight quickly becomes more than its shallow roots can support.

Congress Trail (2 miles)

The Congress Grove is the heart of the Giant Forest. Here, the sequoias reach their climax

in beauty and in numbers. Some even rival the General Grant and the General Sherman in size.

Watch out, it’s a black bear!

The grove contains sequoia trees named after the Senate and House Groups,

the President Tree, McKinley Tree, and the General Lee Tree.

Beetle Rock

Beetle Rock was named for the Trachykele Opulenta Beetle that was discovered here in 1905.

Moro Rock (0.25 miles; 300 ft. elevation gain)

The first stairs were built in 1917 of wood. Concrete steps replaced

them in 1931, making them safer and blending them in with the granite

rock. It was tiring climbing the steep 350 steps staircase to the top.

We made it moments before sunset.

The spectacular mountain views reached miles into the wilderness.

My greatest fear in life is death. While I do understand that ultimately we all die, I have a difficult time accepting it. Part of the reason why I’m afraid is because I haven’t lived a full life yet. It’s funny because I’m not entirely sure what a “full life” means.

Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I thought having a “full life” meant finishing my Ph.D, getting married, having children, and traveling the world. I realize now that there’s a possibility that I may not live long enough to complete these things, but that doesn't mean that I can’t live a full life. My friend, Jamie Schou taught me this. Sadly, he passed away this summer, and it wasn't until then did I realize what an impact he had on my life.

Jamie Schou was diagnosed in Spring of 2012 with Synovial Sarcoma, and I met him at Stanford Hospital while we were both undergoing treatment. What I first noticed was how much he was loved by his family. Every time I saw him, he was surrounded by his family, and oftentimes they were talking, smiling, and occasionally laughing. I found it refreshing considering F-Ground isn't necessarily the cheeriest place in the world.

We kept in contact in and out of our chemo treatments. Sometimes our cycles would sync up, and we would catch up in the hospital. When our cycles didn't match up, we would update the other on the latest adventure through messages. He loved skiing, biking, paddling, and sailing, and incorporated his passion for the outdoors through his non-profit, Send It. He saw the beauty that life had to offer, and faced life’s adversity with unparalleled optimism, traits which I've tried very hard to mirror.

Jamie making some turns for me while I underwent Cycle 2.

Although my friendship with Jamie was brief, my life is richer for having known him. Through him, I've discovered that having a “full life” means following your heart and doing what you love, and living each and every day with great passion and purpose. What makes me the most happiest is when I’m spending time with my loved ones, being outdoors, and traveling. Ultimately, the more that I’m able to do these things, the less afraid of death I am.

Thank you for your friendship Jamie Schou. You were loved by so many, and I’m certain that your legacy will live on forever in the hearts of your family, and friends. Cheers to a life well lived.