Giant Sequoias on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada intercepts most of the moisture coming east off the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the extreme dryness of the Death Valley region. That moisture dumps as snow and rain on the west slope of the Sierras up to the peaks that reach 14,505 feet. It’s enough that the Sierras have had huge glacial valleys like Yosemite incised in flanks of the range. There are still a number of small, shrinking glaciers. Giant sequoias require enormous amount of water. 500-800 gallons per day in summer are transpired by a mature tree, and perhaps as much as 1000 gallons per day for General Sherman, the largest giant sequoia.
Here are photos of giant sequoias from Grant Grove and Nelder Grove. The General Grant tree is the second largest sequoia after General Sherman.