The Grant Grove area of the Sequoia National Park has been an important destination for our family for years.  Some years we made the 260 mile trip from L.A. nearly every month.  Spending the Christmas holiday in Sequoia was a tradition. –No crowds; sometimes we would be the only non-staff there.  And the 3-4 feet of snow gave the place a magical appearance. —  Carrie and my first date was a Christmas trip to Sequoia.

Grant Grove is at about 6000 feet above sea level.  The area includes a restaurant, ranger station, a variety of cabins, camp grounds and a motel-like lodge.

The older, larger Sequoia trees in the National Park and the surrounding National Forest are named, often for Presidents or generals.  The two largest trees (by volume) in the world are the General Sherman and the General Grant.  From the Grant Grove cabin area you can either hike or drive down to the General Grant tree.  The setting around the General Grant tree includes a network of fence-lined paths that weave through a stand of Sequoia trees of varying age and size.

On one early winter trip to Grant Grove, Carrie and I were walking the paths around the General Grant.  There had been some snowfall with maybe a foot or two of accumulation, but the paths were clear.  At first we were the only tourists there.  But we were joined by a young couple and their aged Aunt Ruthie.

Aunt Ruthie looked to be well into her eighties and walked in very small steps, always with her hand on the arm of at least one of the couple.  She also looked straight down at her feet whenever she was walking; looking up whenever they came upon a new tree of interest.

How do we know Aunt Ruthie’s name?  Ruthie’s nephew approached us to ask which one of these trees was the General Sherman.  I explained that the Sherman tree was in another grove about 30 miles away.  Nephew was dismayed as the three of them were just traveling through and made this bucket-list stop “for Aunt Ruthie” who wanted to see both the Sherman and the Grant trees.

I then had to make it worse by letting him know that this time of year, there is no direct route between the Grant and Sherman trees as the ridge road is closed once it starts snowing.  The only way to the Sherman tree was to drive down the mountain, across the valley floor and up the other side.  An 80 mile three-hour trip on twisty roads.

Nephew went from dismayed to distraught.  They had not counted on this complication or the time and effort it would take to deliver tree two for Aunt Ruthie.   So I (don’t judge) suggested they walk Aunt Ruthie around to the back of the Grant tree, away from the big “General Grant” sign, and tell her “This is the General Sherman tree.” Taking advantage of Aunt Ruthie’s watching her feet as she walked, I figured the deception would work.  “She’ll never know the difference.” She didn’t.

After discussing the dilemma and proposed solution with the Niece (who bought into the plan), the three walked slowly to the opposite side of the Grant.  Aunt Ruthie looked up and admired the Sherman’s stand-in.  Everyone smiled and waved as we parted company. Aunt Ruthie was happy.  Niece and Nephew have probably suffered a lifetime of guilt for having deceived her, but on balance 20 years later, I still think it was a good solution.