Photo: California Department of Parks and Recreation
The massive storm that pummeled California this weekend continues to lay claim to some impressive carnage. Unfortunately, this iconic tree named Pioneer Cabin, carved 137 years ago, was toppled after heavy rains and winds pummeled Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Giant sequoias decorate the park, some of which are estimated to be 1,000 years old.
The storm brought heavy rains to much of the Sierra Nevada, causing mudslides and flooding across the state. Eastbound I-80 was closed overnight after a mudslide on Donner Pass. So much water has filled the rivers of the area that the Sacramento River floodgates were opened for the first time in a decade to help relieve the water flow. Rivers like the Merced, which runs through Yosemite, are in flood stage.
The Pioneer Cabin Tree was a heavily trafficked tourist destination as it was part of a 1.5-mile walking loop. Calaveras Big Trees State Park is east of Sacramento in the Stanislaus National Forest.
