National Park #17 - Yosemite

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July 16, 2010

We visit my favorite place on earth after spending the previous day exploring the Mother Lode. Mr. Borneman suggested that we take the "back route" to Yosemite, heading east on Hwy 108 - the Sonora Pass - rather than the shorter, less scenic route via Hwy 120.

Glad we did! Even thought this is definitely the long way...it is by far the road less traveled and one of spectacular beauty!

Sonora Pass View

I believe we saw but a half dozen cars on our trip over the Sonora Pass. I'm not much of a fan of dense traffic, so this suited me quite nicely. As Mr. Borneman pointed out, the Sonora Pass route is definitely scenic. Incredible vistas. Many a hairpin turn as you climb to the summit at 9643'. The 15% grades and spectacular drop-offs made Terry squirm in the passengers seat as I twisted and turned our way thru the mountains.

At its easternmost junction, you turn south on Hwy 395 and proceed toward Lee Vining. Along the way, you will pass thru the quaint town of Bridgeport. This is a most excellent place to pick up a loaf of Sheepherders Bread and some meats and cheeses at one of the Basque markets. Good stuff!

Once we reached Lee Vining, I decided to fill up with gas before heading up the Tioga Pass. Bad decision! Regular at the Lee Vining Chevron was $3.99/gallon. In Yosemite...it was going for $3.65. Who would have thought that gas in the Park would be cheaper than that in the city?

The clouds are building as we make our accent up Tioga Pass and on to The Yosemite! Jimmy was right....for beauty, the Sonora Pass wins over Tioga hands down!

Climbing Granite

Yosemite is a massive granite cathedral adorned with sparkling streams, lakes, meadows and forests green. Its colossal cliffs beckon people from all over the world daring them to a climb. In 1868, the local Yosemite guidebook claimed that "The summit of Half Dome will never be trodden by human foot." Do I smell "challenge"? Since that declaration, hundreds of thousands of human feet...(including Terry's, Charlie's, Tosha's and mine) have trodden atop the Dome!

In fact...so many people want to trodden their feet up there, that Yosemite is now requiring a permit to climb Half Dome on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Federal Holidays. And by the way, all permits for this year have been exhausted. And should you choose to climb it on a day when a permit is not required...you'd better make for the Dome in the wee hours of the morning lest you encounter a mob scene at the foot of the cable climb. I'm talking about hitting the trail dust by 4am at the latest!

Another Picture of Half Dome

This one's for you Tosh! Another picture of my favorite rock as viewed from Olmsted Point. Quite a different perspective of the Park's main hunk of granite. You can almost see the steady stream of "ants" climbing up the cables from this view!

Hetch Hetchy

The reservoir...Wapama Falls and the granite walls of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. In the spring, two of North America's tallest waterfalls, the Tueeulala and the Wapama, plummet spectacularly over thousand foot granite cliffs.

John Muir claimed this Valley to be "a wonderfully exact counterpart of the great Yosemite."

John Muir's Nightmare

Hetch Hetchy Dam was approved by Congress in 1913 with the passing of the highly controversial Raker Act and signed into law by president Woodrow Wilson. Controversial because Hetch Hetchy lay within the bounds of Yosemite National Park and thus was supposedly protected from development.

For many years, San Franciscans had their eyes on damming the Hetch Hetchy but failed to convince government to act. However, the devastating San Francisco earthquake and fires of 1906 ignited the fuses of progress. With the Raker Act now intact, construction of the Dam began in 1914 under the direction of Chief Engineer Michael O'Shaughnessy. Twenty years later, the residents of San Francisco began receiving water and power from this engineering marvel.

The backbone of the project wasn't the dam itself...but the 68-mile railway that was constructed along the Toulomne River to transport workers, machinery and materials to the dam site. Once the Hetch Hetchy Railway was completed, the construction of the Dam took but a mere 3 1/2 years to complete. Considering the technology of the era...an incredible feat!

Standing on the O'Shaughnessy Dam I felt a genuine sense wonder at how clever we human beings are at manipulating our environment. Just the thought of how to construct a dam is daunting enough to fog ones brain. And to do it in 3 1/2 years? Incredible! And yet I wondered if it was necessary to build the dam here in Yosemite. Was there no other area downstream and outside the Park suitable for a dam project? What about the site of the New Don Pedro Dam? Like the O'Shaughnessy, the Don Pedro is on the Tuolomne River. It is outside of the Park's boundaries. It holds 2 million acre feet of water and is California's 6th largest body of water...which should have been adequate to supply the Bay Area with its needs. Why wasn't this area considered? Ahhh...questions that bother me so!

Local Sherpa's

The road leading to the O'Shaughnessy Dam ends at the Dam. To get deeper into the wilds, one must either hoof it or find beasts of burden to assist with the Trek. The locals have llamas to help carry the heavy stuff!

Hey wait a minute! My Dawg Charlie isn't allowed on the trails...but these ugly beasts are? What's up with that? And do these hikers carry "Llama Poo Papers" and pick up after them like I do my dog? Oh quit your whining Binky and just go take a hike!

Last look at Hetch Hetchy

I have heard the stories and read the history regarding the battles between John Muir and the preservationists and those who argued for progress. But outside of photographs, I had never seen Hetch Hetchy first hand. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It is quite a lovely view gazing east from atop the Dam. And much to my wonderment what would this Valley look like without its 200 foot blanket of water?

In its natural state, the Hetch Hetchy was once a lovely glacially carved valley housing the Tuolomne River and its flora and fauna. Muir believed the Hetch Hetchy to be even more majestic than the Yosemite Valley. To dam her would be to damn him....and shortly after the

Raker Bill passed...so did Mr. Muir.

Granite Slabs

So how did these huge hunks of granite come to be? Legend has it that an Indian woman and her cantankerous husband began to argue and fight to such a degree that the Great Spirits put a stop to their bickering by turning them into North Dome and Half Dome...forever to have to face each other!

One more picture of Half Dome!

And not the last...as we shall once again in the not-so-distant future climb this glorious granite slab. You up for it Tosh and Charlie? Terry says she's in. Anybody else out there want to scale the Dome with me? Let's plan on climbing the Dome in the Summer of 2011. What say?

Next Up: Trek #18 will take us to the Grand Canyon for our "rim-to-rim" hike on August 19th. To prepare ourselves for this most strenuous and infernally hot hike, Terry and I are doing a series of 9+ mile "survival training hikes" on South Mountain...a regional Park located about 5 minutes from our home.

In addition, I'm re-reading Chapter 2 of the book: Over the edge -Death in the Grand Canyon. This chapter is about all of the people who have died in the Canyon when they chose to hike it in the middle of summer! Probably not the most inspirational of reads...however, it has given me a great perspective as to what is needed to not only survive but to enjoy this arduous Trek!

Until the next post...happy trails my friends.

The Mother Lode

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Black Bart

Yosemite will have to wait! Along the Trail leading from Lassen to Yosemite, we encountered this unsavory character in Columbia, CA. This part of the country is known as California's Mother Lode. Bart pulled our wagon over, six shooter drawn and asked us for all our gold and silver. Fortunately, we were out of precious metals so he let us be on our way!

The Mother Lode is the name given to the long stretch of gold and silver deposits that run northwest to southeast in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. I've long been interested in learning more about this area so rather than head for Yosemite, we took up residence in my good friend Jim Borneman's mountain home just outside Twain Harte. Jim was kind enough to allow Terry, C-Dawg and I to stay at his place for three nights which served as base camp for our Mother Lode and Yosemite explorations.

Columbia, CA

California Hwy 49 runs thru and area that was seriously infected with gold fever! Many a fortune was gained and lost along this stretch of road. From Placerville in the north down to Chinese Camp in the south, the region is rich with history and includes a series of cities and towns that played a big part during the Gold Rush days in the mid 1800's.

The best collection of preserved boom town architecture is found in Columbia where authentic buildings and artifacts are readily accessible to visitors.

Painted Wagon

I'm a huge fan of the musical Paint Your Wagon. The theme song goes something like this:

"Got a dream boy. Got a song. Paint your wagon and come along. Where'm I goin'...I don't know. Where'm I headed...I ain't certain. All I know is I am on my way. When will I be there I don't know. When will I get there I ain't certain...all I know is I am on my way!"

Sorta sums up the way I feel about this Trek thru the Parks. Although we do have some idea as to where we're goin'....when we get there is arbitrarily decided once the wheels start to roll!

Take this Trek as an example. We packed up our Silver Wagon and headed west on July 7th. Our original plan was to make our way up to Redwood National Park. Then on up to Crater Lake in Oregon. Back down to Lassen. Then Yosemite. A brief stop in Bakersfield for the Lopes Family Reunion on July 17th. Then back north to Sequoia and Kings Canyon before heading home.

Heading west, we though we needed to take another look at NP#4 - Joshua Tree. Our original visit was brief and we really didn't give it a chance. So we entered the park from the southeast ad drove thru it one more time looking for visually pleasing sites. We discovered that it looked very similar to our first visit. It hadn't changed and still remains at the bottom of the Park ranking report. After our second "drive-by" thru Joshua and with C-Dawg in tow, we changed our plans and headed for Sequoia instead of Redwood.

"Wheels were made for rollin'...

...Mules were made to pack...I've never seen a sight that didn't look better looking back! I was born under a wanderin' star. A wanderin'...wanderin' star."

More lyrics from Paint your Wagon. We found this wagon in Columbia. Authentic Stage from the old days when Wells Fargo hauled passengers and payloads up and down Hwy 49. A bit touristy...however, the detail of the carriage was remarkable.

Gold Fever

A painted wagon from the Densmore Mining Company carried supplies from town to mine. The 49'ers were mostly a rag tag bunch of get-rich-quick treasure seekers who possessed no mining skills and little knowledge of geology. They were, however, possessed with a heavy dose of gumption and gold fever and forever wandering from creek to creek in search of that big strike!

During the Gold Rush Days 125 million troy ounces of gold were extracted from the Mother Lode. In today's dollars, that would equate to $50 billion. In 1954, the largest gold nugget was found in Carson Hill above the Stanislaus River and weighed in at 195 lbs.

The most intriguing fact that came out of our Trek thru the Mother Lode is that 80% of all the gold located in this region is still in the ground! Can you say Gold Fever?

Gold Miner's abode

No, this isn't Borneman's Twain Harte dwelling... however, it does closely resemble his more rustic cabin just east of Chico.

Black Bart's Abode

Gold Miner's Destination

Binkele Destination

The town of Murhpy's is a short side trip off of Hwy 49 on Rte 4 and takes you deep into the Mother Lode's wine country. Here it seemed that there are more wine tasting opportunities per square mile than anywhere else in the world! Tasting rooms everywhere we looked!

The Sierra Nevada mountains form a wall running the length of California along the states eastern edge. What this means to winos like Terry and I is that the area possesses geophysical characteristics conducive of producing grapes worthy of consumption!

At elevations between 600' and 15oo' above sea level, where Murphy's and many of the other vineyards are located, the weather is blessed with warm days and cool nights. There is plenty of rainfall and the decomposed granite soils serve as a rich bed for grape growing.

From these soils, we are treated to wines that tend to be more dense and full flavored. My kinda vino! If ever in this region...do take in Murphy's and taste the fruits of the vine!

Murphy's Hotel

And should you indulge a bit too ambitiously with the grape juice, check into this historic Inn!

Frog panhandler

Another colorful character we encountered when in Murphy's.

How to pan for gold: Needed Item: 12" or 15" gold pan. Steel is preferred. Darken pan over campfire to make gold flecks more noticeable.

Go to stream, creek or river. Look for gravel bars in middle of body of water. Place pan under water and keep it there at all times. Fill pan with gravel while trying to keep from freezing your butt off when wading in the icy waters of the Sierra Nevada. Throw away large stones and break up clumps of mud and clay.

Hold pan level with both of your shivering hands and rotate pan with swirling motions. As you rotate the pan, the heavier gold settles to the bottom. Tilt the pan downward to let the dirty water, sand and gravel wash over the edge of the pan.

Continue to raise and lower lip of pan so water flows over it. Continue shivering and raising and lowering the pan until all that is left is your gold. Loudly shout out Eureka! and proceed to the Assay Office! (See "Gold Miners Destination" picture above)

Or, dress up like a colorful frog, hold out pan and hope tourists throw a few nuggets your way!

Mark Twain's Cabin on Jackass Hill

One of our country's most colorful writers, Mark Twain, was born in Florida, Missouri in 1835 as Samuel L. Clements. Self educated, Mark learned from books at local libraries and from his many experiences. When he was four, his family moved to Hannibal, MO along he Mississippi River which later served as the foundation to many of his famous works.

At age 22, on a voyage down the Mississippi, Steamboat Captain Horace Bixby persuaded Twain into pursuing a career as a Steamboat pilot. Twain in turn, convinced his brother Henry to work with him on the Boats. Unfortunately, Henry was killed when the Steamboat Pennsylvania exploded. Twain was guilt ridden from this accident and forever held himself responsible for Henry's death.

In 1861, Twain headed west and along the way, ended up in Angel's Camp (located on Hwy 49) which helped to inspire his famous writing - The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. He did a short stint as a silver miner in Virginia City, NV and failed miserably. He then signed on with the Virginia City newspaper, the Territorial Enterprise where he first used his pen name - Mark Twain.

His cabin pictured above is located just outside Tuttletown, CA atop Jackass Hill. Here Twain spent a couple of years looking after miner's mules while writing some of his famous works including the Jumping Frog.

The one thing I've found to be fascinating about this blogging business is that it has got me looking deeper and deeper into the rich history of the people and places that we've visited. Yes, most everyone has heard of Mark Twain...however, little did I really know of this man until I googled him and did some real in depth research.

Probably the most fascinating aspect of his history that I certainly related to was the fact that although Twain obtained a sizable fortune via his writings and lectures...he squandered much of it on bad investments...mostly on new inventions. And although he had earlier filed for bankruptcy, in 1894 Twain embarked upon a worldwide lecture tour to earn enough money to pay off all of his creditors even though he was not legally bound to do so. As I read Twain's biography, I couldn't help but think back to my days at Rainforest Construction and the financial highs and lows Tim and I experienced.

Nonetheless...our Trek thru the MotherLode was filled with rich visuals of days gone by. Not a National Park...yet well worth noting as a most charming "Side Trip".

Happy Trails friends...and yes...the next stop is Yosemite!

National Park #16 - Lassen Volcanic

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July 12, 2010 - Lassen Volcanic NP

Camped out at the "dog friendly" Holiday Inn Express in Redding, CA last night. The temperature here in Redding is resembling those back home. As we pull into town, the thermometer is screaming 106 degrees. Originally, our plan was to do the CA Parks in July to escape the heat! Wrong!

Lassen Volcano and Manzanita Lake

Mt. Lassen last erupted in 1915 so outside of St. Helens, it is continental America's most active Volcano. When she blew her stack in '15, congress saw to it to preserve the area as a valuable thermal laboratory and inducted Lassen into the National Park system in 1916.

To this day, scientists keep a watchful eye on Lassen as her hydrothermal sections are still bubbling hot mud and spewing sulphuric steam from a number of vents throughout the western boundaries of the park.

C-Dawg flees Flies and Skeeds

Throughout our Trek, Terry and I have made no campsite reservations at any of the Parks...except for Lassen. We've been very fortunate to have found a site at each campground thus far...and I didn't want that string to end when we visited Northern California. I got online (www.recreation.gov for those of you wishing to make reservations at any campground in the Park System) and reserved site A05 at the Manzanita Campground for July 12th and 13th.

Ironically, when we departed Kings Canyon on Sunday (July 11) in route to Lassen, we discovered that "if you do not contact this office by 5pm on Friday (July 9th) your reservation will be cancelled!" What the....?

When we finally reached an area where cell phones actually worked, Terry called home to retrieve any messages that had been left while we were away. One such message was from the office of Recreation.gov. Apparently, I had underpaid them when I made the reservation back in June. Now, two weeks later, they're telling us that our campsite ressie has been cancelled!

Terry was a bit distraught at this news as I began to laugh at the thick irony of it all. I'm thinking we should have just showed up like we have in the past! Nonetheless, Terry gets on the phone and straightens out the situation. Site A05 is ours for the 12th and 13th.

Second irony. This campsite is the worst one we've had! The fly and skeed population (Binkelian for mosquito) is so prevalent , the C-Dawg chose to hang out in the tent! By the way, the best site at the Manzanita Lake Campground is D-7.

Manzanita Lake is located at the northwestern part of the park and is accessible from Hwy 44 about an hour east of Redding. Overall, the Campground is nice...if you don't mind winged visitors buzzing your ears!

Lake Helen still frozen - July 12, 2010

Northern California had a late and rather heavy snowfall this past season. So much snow fell that the main road running from the Northwest entrance at Manzanita Lake on down to the Southwest Entrance did not open until July 8th. We arrived 4 days later. Last year, this road opened on June 4th.

Consequently, many of the main trails and attractions were still under snow...despite the 80 degree temperature!

Clearing the path to Bumpass Hell

The one hike I really wanted to do was down to an area called Bumpass Hell. Unfortunately, heavy snowfall and large rocks blocked the trail. Try as I did, I was unable to move the rocks blocking the path!

Bumpass Hell is Lassen's largest geothermal feature lying directly over a major plume of heated water rising above an active magma chamber. It is filled with smelly scalding hot acidic waters hissing from vents, bubbling mud pots and part of Kendall Bumpass's leg!

In 1864, Kendall Bumpass, a well known hunter and mountain man, discovered this part of the Park. He is also the first person known to have stepped through the thin crust of earth that separates man from boiling hot water! Alas, Kendall lost his leg in this hellish cauldron thus it became Bumpass Hell!

Bumpass Hell Wildlife

Unlike other Parks we've visited, Lassen was devoid a plethora of wildlife...unless you count the Flies and Skeeds! We did happen upon this doe munching on grasses about 75 yards down in a meadow below us. Good time to practice using the telephoto lens.

Sulphur Works

If you like the smell of warm egg salad sandwiches...you'll love Sulpher Works! Sulphur Works is a volcanically active area that once offered visitors hot mineral baths to visitors. The Park Service put a halt to that.

Gurgling blob of Hot Mud

Care to take a mud bath? At Sulphur Works, you can lose your leg or other valuable body parts while coating yourself with scalding hot mud! Despite warning signs screaming "Do Not Touch"... people still want to feel for themselves. Idiots Stimpy!

Lassen Snag

I'm a real fan of snags. If you recall, a snag is a dead tree. Its purpose in nature is to serve as a perch for birds of prey. A home for rodents and insects. Deer use snags to sharpen their horns. Bobcats and Bears sharpen their claws. Snags serve as a soil stabilizer. And eventually, the snag returns its soil enriching nutrients back to the earth.

Snags also are rich in visual texture. And texture in nature is one of my most favorite things to seek out and photograph when hiking. The snags, the lichen, the minute wildflower blooms, the footprints in the trail dust, the scat...all very satisfying elements of any good Trek!

Honkers

The only other noteworthy fauna in Lassen was the gaggles of Canadian Geese that abound around Manzanita Lake. These are rather fearless fowl allowing me to get within a few feet to photograph.

Manzanita Creek Trail

Because of the heavy snowfall, many of the trails in Lassen were still closed. The Ranger said the 3.3 mile Manzanita Creek Trail was open for about two and three-quarters miles before you hit snow.

Terry and C-Dawg took refuge in the Hob to avoid the Fly and Skeed invasion while I ventured out to explore this trail. As the Ranger stated, the trail was clear until I reached the 7000' elevation. As the above picture shows, the trail became covered with snow and mostly undistinguishable. Lunch on a log and then back to camp.

The other hike we did at Lassen was the Lily Pond Nature Trail...a short one mile loop thru the forest. This easy self guided trail introduces you to the amazing diversity of the forest and the wide variety of plant life that typically goes unnoticed.

The Trail points your attention to White Fir, Red Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Jeffrey Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Sugar Pine, Incense Cedar, Douglas Fir and Mountain Hemlock. Nine different trees that blend into one big forest...until you actually stop to take a close look at them.

This semi-retirement thing has been a good thing for me. I've learned to slow the heck down and actually look at the trees in the forest!

Happy trails friends. Next up...my favorite place on earth....Yosemite!

National Park #15 - Kings Canyon

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July 10, 2010 - Kings Canyon National Park

Sequoia and Kings Canyon are situated so close together, I felt that I should count them as a single unit along our Trek of forty of our National Parks. And after visiting the Grant Grove and viewing the General Grant Tree...the Park's 2nd biggest sequoia...I thought, yep....more of the same...so I'll count Sequoia and Kings as one.

The Nation's Christmas Tree

The amazing thing about these monsters is that they only grow on the western slope of the Sierras. Often mistaken as the same species as the coastal redwoods...which only grow along a narrow strip on the Pacific Coast...the Sequoias will rise to a height of 300' and yet produce a cone the size of an egg.

And watch out for those "sequoia eggs" when hiking. They can be as slippery as the worst of scree. Trekking along a path littered with sequoia cones is like walking on marbles! The bruise on my butt is proof positive as to how slippery Sequoia cones are!

The only way the cone releases its seed is when it is heated by fire. Yet for many years, fire was an ugly word amongst Park and Forest Service personnel. The policy was to extinguish all fires as soon as possible. Smokey Bear and Bambi were recruited for ad campaigns telling us that "Only YOU can prevent forest fires!" During WWII...Germans and Japanese were villainized as potential fire-starters. Everyone was hell-bent on extinguishing anything that smoldered...until now!

After years of research, it was discovered that in order for the Sequoias to reproduce...fire was necessary! They also discovered that these 2000+-year-old giants experienced fire about every 15 years and somehow they have survived. Consequently, the Park Service now does controlled burns in order to get those eggs to drop their seeds into the ashen soils so the species can continue. It is quite odd to see the firemen actually setting fire to the underbrush and trees...yet we've seen this in action in almost every Park.

No Dog Zone

Have I mentioned that the National Parks are NOT dog friendly? Everywhere we go, there are signs reminding us that our mutt is not welcomed here. Now we knew this going in...so we have only our selves to blame for dragging C-Dawg along with us. Terry swears this will be his last National Park tour. I know this to be true as there have been so many wonderful hikes to be had. And so many NO DOGS ALLOWED signs at each trailhead!

Picnic Site along the Kings River

I mentioned earlier that I was going to count Sequoia and Kings Canyon as one Park visit. That was until Terry and I drove out to the end of Hwy 180. We discovered what Kings Canyon is really all about. It's not about the General Grant Tree or the giant trees in the Grant Grove. The best viewing of Sequoia's is seen in the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. Kings Canyon is all about the King's River and the magnificent canyon it has carved.

The picture above is a sandy beach we found alongside the Kings River near the roads end. A terrific place to roll out the blanket and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Three by the Kings

Prior to lunch...pictures must be taken to memorialize the moment!

C-Dawg awaiting lunch

There were no NO DOGS ALLOWED signs near our picnic site so C-Dawg was able to plop his fuzzy body down on the cool wet sand and do what he usually does...nothing!

Kool Tootsies

Terry, on the other hand, decided to refresh her feet and found the frothing Kings to be quite frigid! No kidding, darling! This is snow melt water. Forty degrees tops. And very refreshing on this hot summer day.

Kings River

The Sierra's had a very long and snowy winter this past season...which contributed to amazingly high river flows. The Kings Canyon Park got its fair share and its river roared past us at every stop with rapids that would make even the most skillful Kayaker think twice about dropping in amongst the boulders and eddies.

All of the Park's literature warns of the dangers of the rivers and yet we still see idiots diving into them. More deaths are attributed each year to the fast currents and very cold waters of the rivers than any other means. Yes, the river is mesmerizing...and deadly!

Kings Canyon

Ice age glaciers with the help of fiercely flowing rivers have carved some of the deepest canyons in all of the Sierras here in Kings. And one of the best parts about exploring the far reaches of this Park...very few people does so! I was pleasantly surprised at how light the traffic was on our very scenic drive eastbound on 180 into the depths of Kings Canyon.

And if one were in need of a campsite? Plentiful here at the Cedar Grove Visitor Center. According to the Ranger, only occasionally do these sites fill up. She said that the typical day there will be up to 100 campsites available. And at the Cedar Grove Visitors Center...there are also hot showers to be found! Something my bride and I are now developing a genuine appreciation for!

Now don't get me wrong...I like hot showers! However, when camping, you find alternatives to the shower. Our solution...the Hob Bath. Heat up two pots of water on the Coleman. Fill the salad bowl with cool rinse water. Take one Camp Chair and two washcloths into the Hob. Get Dawg to lie down on his blanket. Strip down naked. Dip washcloth into a hot pot of water. Work washcloth from head to toe...bypassing the midsection until all other areas have been cleaned.

Squeal with delight once the trail dust has been washed away. Put on fresh clothes. Pour two glasses of Cabernet and relax by the campfire.

There's nothing like camping to get you back in touch with the raw materials of living! On our June Trek , we packed way too much gear. On this Trek, we trimmed down the load a bit (to accommodate the Dawg) and still found ourselves way over packed for the simple lifestyle that camping has to offer. Life is good my friends. Happy Trails to all.

Next stop - #16 - Lassen Volcanic National Park.

National Park #14 - Sequoia

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July 8, 2010 - NP #14 - Sequoia

What a contrast between the last post - Joshua Tree and Sequoia! No comparison my friends. Sequoia hands down! 5:30 am June 8th - we depart Porterville, CA after spending the night at Terry's folks house on our way to Sequoia. We reach the Park as the sun begins to peak over the mountaintops and find ourselves once again stuck in another now infamous American Recovery Act Road Construction delay. It seems as if all of the Parks are under reconstruction.

We arrive at the Lodgepole Campground at 8:30 am...without reservations. Will our luck hold out once again? So far we've been very fortunate about finding a campsite without ressies. We do have reservations for Lassen beginning July 12th...however, here at Sequoia/Kings Canyon...we're winging it once again.

Good fortune remains close at hand! We get the last available campsite at Lodgepole. Site #81. It just happens to be the worst site in the entire Campground...but what the heck...we've got a place to stay for the next couple of days. If you ever want to visit Sequoia and camp...here's the game plan. Go online to reservations.gov...select Sequoia...select Lodgepole Campground...and then reserve either site 128, 144 or 101. Those are the most excellent sites in this Campground.

Tokopah Falls

Site #81 may have been sucky...but it was adjacent to the rapidly rushing Kaweah River and the Tokopah Falls Trail. The 3.5 mile round trip on this trail s well worth it.

Kaweah River

Check out the amazing colors of this river! It varied in color from yellow to orange to turquoise...blue to green depending upon where you viewed it from.

Tree Moss or Lichens?

Along this trail and many in the Sequoia/Kings Canyon Parks you will see trees covered with what appears to be moss. This fuzzy lime green stuff is actually Lichens...which, if you read the Black Canyon Blog, you will know that lichens is formed when Freddy Fungi mates with Alice Algae! Their offspring - Lizzy Lichens. These Tree Lichens do no harm or no good for the tree. they just hang out and reproduce. What a life!

General Sherman

Now if you want to see the largest living thing on earth...you can drive to within a tenth of a mile to view it. Or, if you really want to earn your visit...you hike 2 1/2 miles..all uphill... from your campsite at Lodgepole to the Giant Forest so that you can feel really good about taking a couple of pictures of this sequoiadendron giganteum . I didn't see a soul on the trail to General Sherman...making me the only idiot to sweat his ass off to get a glimpse of the Giant One!

It was well worth it!

Top of General Sherman

Gnarly footprint of the General

The Sherman Tree is the most famous of those in the Giant Forest...however, if your legs are up for the trek, make sure you wander thru this fascinating garden of Giants. In fact, I had decided to take a hike on a loop trail called Trail of the Giants.

I have most likely mentioned this before in other blogs...however, its worth mentioning again. if you really want to experience the Parks in solitude...take a hike on a trail that ventures out more than a quarter mile from "the main event". This trail took me by some of the most spectacular specimens of sequoiadendron giganteum that the park has to offer. It takes you past The President which to me was as impressive as Gen. Sherman.

But a word of caution to those of you trekking Sequoia. The trails are not well marked! As I ventured deeper and deeper into the forest on what I thought was the Trail of the Giants...my Spidey Senses began to tell me that I was heading in the wrong direction.

I came to a trail junction and nowhere was there any indication that I was on my intended trail. I looked at my map and my GPS. Yep...I'm heading east when I should be heading southwest. Hmmm. I'm out here all alone. (Terry is back at camp keeping C-Dawg company) I'm sensing that I'm not heading in the right direction. I'll wander another 10 minutes more on this trail and then double back if I see no signs of life or any directional trail signs.

Is that a Black Bear out here in the woods with me?

Around the corner, I spot some movement down in the wash below. Much to my surprise...it's a life form...a black bear! A very big black bear...looking for food! My heart jumps a beat or two as my now hyperactive brain reminds me that hiking in the woods solo is NOT the recommended MO. But what the heck...here I am...its just me and the Bear out here. I haven't seen another human since Sherman. Pulse accelerated, I fumble thru my backpack to unload the camera and snap off a couple of pictures of this rather peaceful looking creature...in case he eats me...at least there will be evidence of my demise! Unless of course, he eats the camera as well!

He looks up at me. Pauses for a moment and then proceeds to head toward the path that I was about to make my retreat. So much for exit stage left! I continue on the same wrong path and after a 4 mile hike find myself back at the General Sherman parking lot!

Tharp's Cabin

Another less stressful hike takes us out to a meadow where we find Tharp's Cabin. Back in the mid 1800's, Hale Tharp was the first white guy to settle into this region. He built this "summer home" out of a fallen sequoia that's innards had been hollowed out. Adding a few boards, shingles and rocks for a fireplace, Tharp had constructed himself what John Muir called a most "noble den".

Moro Rock

The last hike on our Sequoia stop is to climb to the top of Moro Rock which involves at least 500 steps that some crazy guys carved into this granite monolith back in 1917. Atop the climb, you are treated to a fabulous view of the Great Western Divide and the Kaweah River canyon. It is steep...but not nearly as exciting as the path leading out to the end of Angel's Landing in Zion!

July 10th. We're moving out of Lodgepole as they did not have an extra night available for us and checking into the Stoney Creek Campground for the evening. Site #23 proves to be the "Best of Campsite" - private, many trees to shade the Hob...and a bunch of firewood just 10 paces behind the tent!

We set up Camp and then venture off to National Park #15 - Kings Canyon. Happy Trails friends. We'll catch up with you in the next blog.