Tonelli's Travels

The day I was scheduled to move on to Kings Canyon, the neighboring national park, and I set out late morning after cleaning up camp. Down in the foothills, where I had been resting, it was sunny and a brisk 60 degrees. As I woke up the mountain to traverse to Kings Canyon, the sky behind the mountains was dark grey and ominous. Cars were streaming down the highway, and only a few had come up behind me. I began to wonder if I was headed the wrong way.

It wasn’t the wrong way, but it certainly was an interesting ride. As I climbed higher in elevation, first it rained, then sleeted a bit, then turned to big white snowflakes. Hugging to the ground around the bases of the Sequoias, it was a stunning landscape. Although only 34 degrees at the top, I had to hop out and take a few pictures. Snow, in May, while at Sequoia National Park!

The rest of the drive was slow and long, the road wet and temperatures just above freezing. I tried to enjoy the view, but was also nervous about the conditions. I made it out of Sequoia National Park, into Sequoia National Forest and National Monument, then eventually into Kings Canyon. At this point I’d already driven over an hour and was worried about gas. I had plenty, but also no service and no idea of where the next gas station would be. So instead of turning into the park, I headed left towards town.

Except town was miles away, down a never ending scenic highway. Again, with no service. I still had over a 100 mile range to my tank, but not knowing where the next service station was made me nervous. Finally, I got one bar and found a Valero only 7 minutes away. Thank goodness. I filled up and parked to rest for a few minutes.

I called my mom to take care of mail and things at home, and tried to decide if I wanted to drive back to my campsite at Kings Canyon, 40 minutes away where temps would be below freezing that night. With it being the weekend, and no good alternatives nearby, and the fact that I hadn’t enjoyed Kings Canyon yet, I went back. And there I rested for the night, in the forest surrounded by other campers and giant pines, snow falling gently around us, grateful for van living and propane heat. I stayed inside that night, promising to explore the next day.

Only slightly above freezing as the sun rose, I chose to stay in bed, under the covers and enjoy the propane heat in the van for a while. When I finally did manage to get up, the snow had melted and the sun was shining, and it was still nippy outside. A warm breakfast and multiple clothing layers later, I was ready for the day.

I backtracked a bit from Princess Campground in the Sequoia National Forest and then to the Grant Grove Welcome Center of King Canyon. I wanted to pick the park ranger’s brain for hiking, grab my souvenirs, and walk among the noble giants just a bit longer. On this Saturday morning it was hopping here, more people than I’ve been accustomed to with midweek traveling and hiking. Even so, it was peaceful and exciting.

I headed over to the General Grant Tree area and started out on the short North Loop. Once I hit the trail, the crowds disappeared and I was largely alone to enjoy the forest. Just how I like it.

The path traveled down an old road, towering pines and sequoias all around. Down, down, down we went for 400 feet, with streams trickling down with me. The sequoia love water, so it was no mystery why they were flourishing here.

Along the loop I passed through several areas devastated by forest fire. Timber sticks still standing, but burnt and black, ready to be knocked down by the next big wind. It’s always hard to see the damage of a forest fire. And I know that some of them occur naturally and are important. Those that are controlled burns or natures own doing being new life afterward. The brush is cleared away, letting the sequoias still standing breath and continue to prosper. And the heat from the fire pops open the pine cones on the earth floor, releasing the trapped seeds and allowing new noble giants and pines to begin their life. Without fire, they would never begin their growing journey.

I kept this in mind as I continued on, stopping to eat on a stump with a brilliant view of a cinnamon red sequoia. I am so lucky to be on this journey. Soon I climbed back up to the parking lot, completing the loop, legs properly stretched for the day.

Before leaving the area, I had to see the General Grant Tree. The third largest tree in the world by volume, it is 40 feet in diameter at the ground and 268 feet tall. It is so wide, it would take 20 people holding hands to circle all the way around it! While it is a relatively young sequoia, only about 1,700 years old, it is quiet famous. (The oldest sequoia is 3,200 years old!) It is named in honor of Ulysses S Grant and is known as America’s Christmas Tree. And when you see it, it stands up to all the hype.

It is among other glorious trees that I wandered around and stared up at. I was surprised to learn that the giant pine cones you see in the forest are actually from Sugar Pines, no Sequoias. Sequoias actually have small, dense pine cones that pack in nearly 200 seeds! But they only are able to grow when they touch bare ground, hence the importance of clearing out brush. I also learned that monarch trees with snags, or dead tops, aren’t actually dying. They are still very much thriving but scars from fires prevent nutrients from reaching all the way to the peak. Instead, the tree focuses on keeping the trunk and lower branches healthy. Nature is amazing.

After my learning walk, I hit the road, back past Princess Campground and onto the far reaches of Kings Canyon. The road stretched ahead of me for 30 miles to Cedar Grove, down in the canyon, and slowly snaked down the mountainside. At points I could see the path before me and wondered if I’d ever make it.

The storm clouds over the mountains flanking the canyon made for a spectacular view though and the trip passed quickly. They cast beautiful, moody shadows on the peaks and hillsides, begging to be photographed.

Eventually I made it down and stopped at Roaring River Falls for a short walk. Out to the waterfall I went along the paved path, a quick jaunt to raging water. White and foaming down the rocks it fell, creating teal pools at the bottom, swirling among the rocks. I lingered for a bit then walked along the river to capture the light on the granite mountains around me. Gray with flecks of white, beige, yellow, they glowed in the sun peaking through the blue gray clouds. It was hard for me to watch where I was going because I kept looking up.

Feeling tired and ready for rest, I headed for Sentinel Campground not far away and settled in for the night. I decided I was ready to build my first ever solo fire and went about collecting fallen wood from the forest floor. I hit the jackpot near the closed cabins. No one had wandered this far and their were plenty of sticks to be gathered and a recently cut down tree with good chunks ready for a fire. Yes!

I built my stick tent, filling it was kindling and pine needles like my mom taught me, layering bigger pieces on the outside. I set it alight and success! A friendly neighbor came over to donate his extra firewood and I enjoyed a few hours of heat and light in the cool forest, eating dinner and listening to the river rush by. I was proud of myself, feeling accomplished, and joyful by how the day turned out. I’m glad I decided to turn back this way after the gas dilemma yesterday. It was worth all those extra miles. Feeling grateful.

The sun was shining the next morning, and a trailhead only a short walk from the campground, so I set out early to climb to Cedar Grove Overlook. The campground was calm and quiet, the trees providing darkness for anyone wanting to sleep in. Not me! There were views to see.

The route began at the Lewis Hotel Trailhead, almost immediately climbing up the hillside. A series of quick switchbacks took me higher and higher, stunning views at each turn. I paused each few turns, both to admire the mountains and to catch my breath! Along the way, to distract me from the climb, purple lupine stood confident, mixed with fiery red cacti and little white blossoms from the manzanita.

About three-quarters of the way up, I stopped to take photos for a couple from Massachusetts, who I later had a lovely long chat with at the summit. Then away I went, eager to be able to see down the canyon. Finally the trail leveled out and I walked along the ridge line, through a forest partially burned from a long ago fire. Downed trees blocking the trail added for an extra obstacle. Sometimes I stepped over easily, others I navigated around the end, and a few times the trunk was so big I had to climb up and stand on top before jumping off. Nature likes to keep things interesting.

Soon the trail end was ahead, a short climb up to the rocky viewpoint, a place I had all to myself for a while. In front of me was Kings Canyon, the river flowing steadily below. But it was so far away, sometimes it looked like it was standing still. Then behind me were snow capped peaks, holding on to their magical white dusting. It was hard to choose which way to look, both were beautiful.

Eventually I was joined by the hikers from Mass and a few others, but it remained fairly quiet and peaceful. I sat for a long time, admiring the view, nowhere else to rush to.

When I did head down, a breeze kept me cool under the blazing sun, and the trees provided some shade. I took my time, lingering at bushes and flowers. Soaking it all up.

That afternoon, back at the campground, I swung for a while in the hammock and relaxed. I nearly finished a book, washed some socks, and enjoyed the calm day. Tomorrow I was off to my next destination, Yosemite! Kings Canyon was joyful though, and I’m glad I made the journey down here after that snowstorm. In my opinion, Kings Canyon doesn’t get the attention it deserves – overshadowed by Sequoia which it is attached too. So, if you make it out here, definitely plan a few days at Kings Canyon – it’s worth it!