Caty and I headed out the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. It was hot, hot, hot, but clear and beautiful.
We drove from the coast and pressed past the planned stop in Bakersfield – I mean, why would anyone stop in Bakersfield? The drive wasn't too bad, but the heat and haze – ick!!
We stayed at a lovely Holiday Inn in Visalia. Got in late and left early, but it was a nice stop.
Giant Sequoia NM
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| Just a big tree by the road |
The next morning we decided to explore the Giant Sequoia National Monument. So, we drove and drove through some very yellow/brown fields and then up, up, up a long, winding road. We NEVER saw any evidence we were in the National Monument – just signs we were in the Giant Sequoia National Forest and the state forest.
It was a lovely drive, but probably a waste of time that could have been spent elsewhere. We did see a – meep, meep – Roadrunner. It was too quick for a photo. We didn't get the anvil, either.
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| We both had to pose |
Sequoia NP Then, we moved on to Sequoia National Park, where we saw the General Sherman – the biggest tree alive (not the tallest, not the biggest around, but the most mass). It is 275 ft. tall, 25 ft. in diameter and has an estimated bole volume of 52,513 cubic ft.
General Sherman is estimated to be 2,300-2,700 years old.
It is too big to get the whole tree in a photo.
While the General Sherman is the largest currently living tree, it is not the largest tree known to humans. The Crannell Creek Giant, a Coast Redwood near Trinidad, Calif., is estimated to have been 15 to 25 percent larger than the General Sherman tree by volume. The tree was cut down in the mid-1940s.
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| These trees are old and in sync with the environment |
We saw many groves of the massive trees, some cool forests and great mountain vistas. Giant sequoias have very specific climate requirements, so specific that they grow naturally only in a narrow 260-mile strip of mixed conifer forest on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains, primarily between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation. The National Monument and National Park (plus Kings Canyon) comprise a lot of that area.
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| It strains the neck to visit (but blows the mind) |
A bit hazy from distant fires, but lovely. We saw a Marmot, too.
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| Yellow-bellied Marmot enjoying a stump perch |
When we checked into our cute little cabin, we were greeted by a very large raccoon on the steps. We shooed him away and then wondered why we didn't snap a picture. He was big and somewhat aggressive (we were too freaked out to snap a picture; we heard him hissing even after we went inside).
Kings Canyon NP
The next day, we moved on to Kings Canyon, driving the beautiful road into the heart of the Canyon.
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| Kings Canyon is more than a mile deep and so, so rugged |
We enjoyed both Roaring River Falls and Grizzly Falls. We had a lovely picnic at the latter.
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| Roaring River, left; Grizzly, right; Grizzly is named after bears that no longer live there |
We also visited the General Grant grove, where we saw two adorable fawns.
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| One of the Mule deer fawns we saw |
We eventually saw the tree, too!
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| Another biggie |
About the Parks
Sequoia and Kings Canyon are two National Parks with a combined size of 1,353 square miles. The two Parks feature a wide variety of animals, 200 species of birds and some jaw-dropping scenery.
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| Kings Canyon is mainly about mountains, rivers and the dramatic canyon |
The two adjacent parks extend from the foothills of the San Joaquin Valley to the crest of the Sierra Nevada and contain the highest parts of that range. Pleistocene glaciers left an abrupt topography of granite carved canyons and domes and hundreds of glacial lakes.
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| The Kings River |
Among the peaks is Mount Whitney which, at 14,491 feet, is the tallest mountains in the continental U.S. Other mountains range from elevation of 12,000 feet to 14,000 feet. Sequoia and Kings Canyon house about 200 marble caves (we didn't visit any on this trip, but some are open for tours).
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Kings Canyon
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The most notable vegetation is forests of giant sequoia. Oak woodland and chaparral with chamise and manzanita characterize the lower elevations. Mixed conifer forest occupy the middle elevations. Subalpine forests typify the higher elevations.
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| A spider using a decaying sequoia |
The area now occupied by the Parks was originally inhabited by Native Americans, who used the mountain passes as trade routes.
In the late 1800s, land was finally set aside to protect the sequoia trees.
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| A dead tree is now a tunnel |
After establishing Sequoia National Park, General Grant National Park was created to protect a small area of giant sequoias from logging. Environmental groups, visitors and many local politicians wanted to see more area preserved, but developers wanted to build hydroelectric dams in the nearby canyon. After years of conflict, the Cedar Grove and Tehipite Valley dam sites were annexed into the Park. Then, General Grant became Kings Canyon National Park. In 1943, due to proximity and similarities, administration of the Parks was combined.
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| A downed tree in Sequoia |
Because forest fires have become an increasing threat (there were several in progress while we were there), Park administration conducts controlled burns each year to prevent and reduce future forest fires.
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| A Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel |
Moving On
After visiting the trees, we pressed north and blew passed the planned stop in Fresno (I feel the same way about Fresno as I do about Bakersfield) and ended up in Mariposa (there was NO lodging available in Yosemite, where we were going next). We checked into the hotel and decided to book it to the Tunnel View overlook to see the Yosemite Valley. A long, winding drive as we tried to beat the clock to sunset. Got there a bit late, but in time for some moody shots. The haze was really thick because of a nearby forest fire. But, Yosemite is still impressive, even when cloaked in schmutz.
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| Tough visibility |
After a few shots, we rushed back as twilight darkened. We rounded a bend and saw a strange animal in the road. Then, we simultaneously realized it was a cat – a small housecat. Not what we expected. About a half an hour later, when it was full dark and we were on a road bounded by mountain on one side and river on the other, we spotted a small animal in the middle of the road. We slammed on the brakes and looked as the headlights lit it up.
Was it another cat? No, it was a ringtail – something neither of us had ever seen, Then, two more came behind it and they all crossed the road. By their look and the fact that there were three together, we think they were babies. Although they are allegedly common, we've never seen one. It was too dark and too fast for a picture.
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| Here's what a baby Ringtail looks like; Photo: LA Zoo |
As I have noted earlier in this blog, I use a mixture of Sedum, Yarrow and Spirea for trees on the Trees For Sale
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