11/05/2026
MILE AFTER MILE
We traverse dense shrublands in Redwood Mountain Grove, searching for giant sequoia seedlings and working our way toward the next research plot. Diverse topography and tangled vegetation make even short distances demanding. Some days, our progress is measured as much in effort as in plots checked off the to-do list.
Relatively few people spend their days this far into burned forests, gathering the field data needed to understand their ecology. Every plot we reach adds to that understanding: how giant sequoias regenerate after fire, how quickly they grow, how they live among the tall shrubs surrounding them... a never-ending list of questions grounded in a curiosity that builds our relationships with these beautifully burned ecosystems.
Four years after fire, our research team documented an average of nearly 8,000 giant sequoias per acre in the grove's largest high-severity patches. Within those patches, giant sequoias grew vigorously among dense shrub cover. The vegetation that makes our passage so difficult is an essential component of this thriving forest community and is full of biodiversity.
Between plots, islands of fallen giant sequoia bark offer reprieve from the tangle. We set down our packs and catch our breath beneath the snags. As the sun moves across the sky, their shadows shift across the bark, offering moments of shade before moving on.
From these small resting places, we look across the landscape at giant sequoia seedlings and saplings growing among shrubs and beneath the standing remains of an older generation. Then, we shoulder our packs and continue. Occasionally, a long strip of fallen bark offers a walkway through the messy habitat, briefly easing our passage, if only for a moment.
Mile after mile, we are documenting a remarkable chapter in this groves history and getting to know these ecosystems. Follow along as we explore questions few have asked and showcase the wild beauty of a burned forest that hasn't been witnessed in centuries.
Visit our website or substack to learn more!
đź”— www.johnmuirproject.org
📸 Video taken by Nicholas Scritchfield in Redwood Mountain Grove, Kings Canyon National Park. August 2026
