Photo via Flickr user tieulinhclc
The massive storm that hit California and Nevada this past weekend was too much for Calaveras Big Trees State Park's iconic Pioneer Cabin Tree, which toppled after attracting tourists for more than a century thanks in part to its signature hollow base.SFGate reports that the giant tree was originally tunneled through in the late 1800s and had been an attraction ever since, though in recent years it was closed to vehicles—cars once passed through—and open only to hikers on foot.According to a park volunteer, the storm flooded the trail around the tree, most likely loosening the sequoia's root system and causing it to fall on Sunday afternoon. Before it came down, the interior of the tree's tunnel was covered in graffiti capturing its storied history. The tree shattered when it hit the ground.Sequoias are some of the largest and oldest trees in the world, growing hundreds of feet tall and living for millennia if undisturbed. The Pioneer Cabin Tree was reportedly still living when it came down, though another park volunteer told SFGate it was "barely alive" and that there was "one branch alive at the top" that was "very brittle."The massive weekend storm has caused widespread damage and flooding across California and Nevada. The National Weather Service called it a "once-in-ten-year event," according to LA Times.