Our visit to Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park ended up being a quick day trip from Freso. Normally we would have spent four or five days at the park but the campground and the Giant Forest Museum had just closed for the season. That and we all needed a break from driving tiny squiggly mountain roads.
The 90 minute drive from Fresno could have been a pretty drive if it weren’t for the smog. It obscured the views in every direction. One could get a hint of mountains in the distance but just barely. There is something about having to drive through a smog bank to go into a protected wilderness area that can put a damper on ones enthusiasm. There is even an air quality report for the park so if you have breathing problems, you can check to see if it is safe for you to visit. I imagined having to pick up an oxygen mask at the gate.
Smog.
We braved the twisty roads into Kings Canyon first. The terrain was mountain and desert at the same time with some outcrops of very unusual geology. The layering, squishing, scrunching and uplifting of the earth left a very unique pattern in the rock which I have never seen before. Unfortunately, when we got to the visitors center for the Dudes to get their ranger badges, I forgot to ask about the rock formation so I have no explanation to offer. I guess I don’t deserve a ranger badge.
We went all the way to Grizzly Falls where we had a picnic lunch. Even though it was the dry season, the falls were still running. I am always preoccupied with the thought of how things got their names and as we ate lunch, I pondered the name of the falls especially since there are no longer any grizzlies in the State of California.
The Lil’ Dude had been quiet (really) on the way out to the falls which meant that he was car sick so we limited his picnic lunch then stuck him in the front seat with a bag for the return trip. His voice returned on the way back to the visitors center and he was able to finish his ranger book in time for them both to add another badge to their collections.
We originally intended to visit the General Sherman Tree which is considered the largest (by volume) tree in the world but it was late in the day and it would have required another hour of driving on puke producing roads so we opted to go see the General Grant Tree, the third largest tree in the world, instead.
You may get tired of hearing me talk about big trees but I never get tired of seeing them. And, evidently there were others that loved the trees too since Sequoia was designated as the second National Park back in 1890.
Several of the biggest trees in Grant Grove are fenced off which makes it difficult to appreciate their size. The Fallen Monarch, however, was available to walk through. The tree has laid on the ground for over 100 years and has served as a saloon, horse barn and house. Being able to walk inside definitely gives one an appreciation for the size of the amazing trees.
left and below: The Fallen Monarch.
Although we didn’t get to see as much of the park as we would have liked, we did get to some some of the largest trees on earth that have managed to survive for over a thousand years. Now, if humans would just give them some fresh air to breathe, they may just have a chance at living another thousand.
“The wrongs done to trees, wrongs of every sort, are done in the darkness of ignorance and unbelief, for when the light comes, the heart of the people is always right.” John Muir