Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks

I think the last blog left me in the parking lot of a grocery store while Gene picked-up a few necessities before heading to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. We had traveled highway 65 for some time and it had followed the valley through blossoming orange groves and olive tree groves. Wow, the aroma of hundreds of acres of orange blossoms! Highway 245 appeared on the map much as 65 had so we decided to take this route to the northern entry to Kings Canyon. We had read that the southern entry to Sequoia was not recommended for vehicles over 22 feet due to the altitude and winding road on the Generals Highway. Well we were in for a surprise, 245 was just as bad as the Generals Highway but at long last we made it to our campground at the Grants Grove entry - Azalea Campground. Thank goodness we saw very few cars on 245! Whew!

Words and photos cannot describe the beauty and grandeur of not only the Giant Sequoias, but the Colossal King's Canyon! We hiked amonst the giants and then when we got too tired, drove the toad into King's Canyon for a hair raising, 32 mile drive of hairpin and steep rocked wall canyons! Glad that we had not driven the motorhome in the Canyon, we were shocked as we approached the lower canyon, to see travel trailers camping alongside the raging spring thaw river and at least one fifth wheel that must have been 34 feet! Oh, to be young, brave and full of testosterone, says Gene!

Back to the Sequoias: The Sequoia National Park is the second oldest park in the System, following Yellowstone. King's Canyon was added fairly recently. High in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Sequoias only grow in a narrow band from 5000 to 7500 feet high. Though the Redwoods, which generally grow along the California coast are taller, mighty Sequoias are the largest living species on earth. It is quite humbling to stand at the base of these behemoths and realize that fact alone. The General Sherman Tree is actually "the largest living thing on earth!" At 275 feet tall and 103 feet in circumference, with a maximum diameter at its base of 36.5 feet, it was stated that if you cut the tree into 1 by 12 inch (board feet) boards, it would run 119 miles! It adds the equivalent of a 6 story tree in growth every year. I don't know where that growth all goes, since it seems it would get larger and larger and larger-but I can tell you that it had limbs that had fallen from the tree that were taller than I! One thing Gene enjoyed was Auto Log-we have video of his dad driving back and forth on it, with his mom way down on the ground waving and trying to describe the experience! We drove today to Coarsegold California which is about 22 miles south of the Yosemite entrance. Our travel guide says that visits to Yosemite are life changing events for some people. Hope we can sleep tonight as we anticipate what changes might occur for us! We're having a marvelous time at this. Wouldn't want to change too much! Check in with us in a few days. We will report what we find!

Apr 26, 2008

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