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Dick's Adventures of
2021 - Part 4 |
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Adventures
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of 2020 2021
Part 1 2021
Part 2 2021
Part 3 2021
Part 5
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Lewis
Creek Trail
Big Meadow Road
Cedar Grove
Redwood Canyon Etc. |
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Lewis
Creek Trail My
friend and fellow founding member of the Ramblers was not going to
be able to go on our next hike, scheduled for July 21. He suggested
that the two of us enjoy a short outing on the 19th, and we decided on
the Lewis
Creek Trail, an area we've both hiked many times. My daughter
Jennifer planned to join us, but she hurt her leg on another hike a
few days earlier, so her participation would be limited to having
lunch with us after our hike. The
usual trailhead most people take is located on State Highway 41,
about five miles above Oakhurst. There's also access from the south
near the community of Cedar Valley, and from the north at Sugar
Pine, which was our destination. When
we arrived at this old logging camp location, the trail was blocked
and tree work was in progress. So we backtracked to the Highway 41
trailhead and started our hike. From this point you can go to the
right (south) to an impressive waterfall, or to the left which leads
you across the creek and up the canyon to Red Rock Falls. In
the past, it's sometimes been challenging to get across the creek,
and I've walked that far several times, then turned back. However,
this time we were delighted to find that a footbridge has been
constructed across the creek, and we spent some time admiring it and
photographing it before continuing our outing.
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Enjoying
the convenience of the new bridge |
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From
here we walked through a forest of pine, fir and dogwood, with lots
of shrubs, typical habitat at this elevation, about 4,000 feet. The
creek was running fairly strong, and there was even a tributary that
offered its own challenges. An easier crossing than the narrow board
I chose was accessible only after getting over a four foot log,
another difficult task as I seem to become a bit more wobbly with
each passing month. We
made it over this narrow bridge and continued along the trail,
enjoying a number of wildflowers. |
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A
considerably less convenient bridge |
Wes
among the flowers |
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A lovely
flower, name unknown |
Pollinator
at work |
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The
weather was quite warm, mostly cloudy, with almost no breeze.
Thunderstorms were a possibility, and later we had about five drops
of rain while driving back to Oakhurst. The clouds and heat did not
stop us, nor any of the dozen or so other hikers we saw, including
some of pre-school age. Eventually the way grew steeper, then
leveled off slightly. Ahead it started down, and we decided to start
back, to avoid another steep climb back up to the point we had
reached.
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Lewis
Creek drops down over many cascades |
A
section of the trail |
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When
we crossed back over Lewis Creek on the bridge, I noticed a number
of plants growing in and at the edge of the water. They had huge
leaves, and I recognized them as Indian rhubarb. In the spring they
put up long
stalks resembling that vegetable, with big round flower heads.
At this time of year, the stems and flowers were long gone, but the
plants were thriving. |
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Indian
rhubarb, in its summer glory |
A chance
to relax at last |
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We
made our way back to the car and drove to Jennifer's. After looking
over the fire prevention work she and Rod had done, we went to
Oakhurst and had an excellent lunch at Pete's
Place. I highly recommend this restaurant, for both breakfast
and lunch. In fact, I had hoped to have pancakes, but breakfast ends
at 11:50. If you go there, be aware that they close at 3 p.m.
After
lunch we took Jennifer home, then returned to the 106 degree heat of
the valley, looking forward to a future outing in the cool
mountains.
--Dick
Estel, July 2021
More
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Big Meadow Road
A
few weeks ago I was talking with my friend Sue Wirt, a member of the
Ramblers hike group, about places to camp in the mountains. My
daughter Teri and I were planning an outing, but had not decided on
a destination. Sue told me about Big Meadows, in the Sequoia
National Forest off the Generals
Highway. I knew about the location,
and had camped along another road nearby, but had never been on the
Big Meadows Road. I looked it up on line and on my paper map, and
decided it had potential.
Not
long after this Sue called and asked if I would like to take a day
trip to the area on July 27, and of course I accepted. She picked me
up around 9 a.m., and by 10:30 we were driving east through forest
and granite outcroppings at the 7,000 foot level.
There
are several official campgrounds and many places for dispersed
camping along the paved section of the road. A short distance in
from the highway is a horse camp, with another campground next door.
Sue advised me that flies are a big problem at this location. A
few more miles from here is the Big Meadow
Campground, which
has six separate units. Checking Recreation.gov, I found that no
weekend dates are available for the rest of the year.
We
turned in on a dirt road to a forested area where several parties
were camping, and informal camps, some with fire rings, have
developed over the years. The fire rings are not a big deal this
year - no fires of any kind are allowed.
Another
area of interest was the Jennie Lakes
Wilderness trailhead. No camping is
allowed here, but there is a restroom and a very nice meadow.
My
favorite spot was an area of granite outcroppings, with vistas
across the basin below to Shell Mountain and a section of the Great
Western Divide. After a couple of phone conversations with
Teri, we decided to try our luck along the Big Meadow Road
August 5 through 8. |
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Shell Mountain on the horizon |
Evergreens at a popular dispersed camping area |
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Rangers Buttons along Big Meadow Road |
Meadow at Jennie Lakes Trailhead |
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On
the morning of August 5, I loaded up my pickup for camping for the
first time since July 2020, and drove east on Highway 180 toward Kings
Canyon National Park. Teri had to work that day, and would be arriving
around 7:30.
Past the park entrance I turned right on the General's
Highway till I came to Big Meadows Road, which is paved for around ten
miles or so, but somewhat bumpy.
I
had hoped to find a spot in an area with a large outcropping of
granite about two miles in from the highway, but there were several
camps set up there, so I continued on the road, stopping a few times to
check out possible sites. I drove as far as the place where Sue and I
ate lunch, then turned back, and drove in to a spot I had investigated
on
my drive in.
The
location was a large, relatively level area heavily forested with
lodgepole pines. There were several fire rings, although no camp fires
or charcoal fires are allowed anywhere in the national forests of
Central California this year. Propane stoves are OK. Best of all there
was really no place for another party to set up camp.
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Our neat, well organized camp
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A remarkable rock formation, with a heart
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I
unloaded the truck and got things set up, including two tables and my
cot. When I first returned to truck camping, I slept in the back of my
pickup, but
getting in and out several times each night was a major hassle, so I
got a very nice folding cot that is longer than I am, and wide enough
to hold the thick folding mattress I've been using for a few years. I
sleep under the stars in a good Coleman sleeping bag, and have always been very warm and comfortable. During
the rest of the afternoon, besides
the usual reading and napping, I made a couple of short explorations. I drove to
the granite outcrop about a half mile west, and walked out to where it
drops off to the south. There's a pretty good view here, and some
interesting, rugged rock formations. I
also did a short hike west on the road, less than a half mile
round-trip. My first impression of the area was that all the trees
were lodgepole pines, but I soon spotted a huge Jeffrey pine, and then
a lot of large and small red firs.
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Old man in the rocks
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A stately Jeffrey pine
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Teri
arrived a little after seven, having driven from Merced where
she works. We didn't do much the rest of the day, but made plans for
an exploration of the Big Meadow Road the next day. On Friday, after
tea and a leisurely breakfast, we took my truck east on the road to
the Big Meadows Camp. Dispersed camping is not allowed in this area,
and there is really no place where it would be feasible. The
campground consists of five or six separate units along Big Meadows
Creek.
We
drove into the last unit and discovered there are in fact a few
"first come, first served" campsites. The last two units
were added in recent years, which may account for the fact that they
are less desirable than the older units.
We
continued on down the road for about two miles, but the scenery was
pretty much the same thing as far as we went - trees and a steep,
narrow mountain drainage. Just past the camp the
road crossed the creek, which was just a trickle, and we saw some nice
flowers along the way.
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The trickle that is Big Meadows Creek
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Fireweed flourishes near Sierra streams
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We
turned back and returned to camp, going down a few "wonder roads" for
short distances. These are roads you look at and say, "I wonder
what's down that road." None of them revealed any particularly
good campsites, and one took us to a private development.
After fixing and eating our main meal of the day, we
set out for Hume Lake. This is a former mill pond which now has been
developed as a resort, Christian camp, and overall nice vacation spot.
It was probably a 20-mile drive from our camp - back out to the
Generals Highway, north for a while, then a nice drive on a paved road
that passes several campgrounds before arriving at Hume. We took the
fork to Sandy
Cove, the eastern end of the lake, where there is a nice
beach.
I
had passed the spot several times hiking with the
Ramblers, but had
never seen it on a summer weekend day. There were dozens of people,
probably over a hundred, with kids of all ages and people going into
the lake on kayaks, paddle boats and other water craft. Teri floated on the lake in a blow-up raft
for an hour or so, while I sat in the
shade reading, taking a short walk, and watching the families
playing in the lake and on the shore.
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The creek at Big Meadow Campground
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Hume Lake, looking much more tranquil than it
really was
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When
we got back to camp, we took it easy the rest of the day. I think we
may have taken a short walk on the road, and of course, had a snack of
some sort. The next day brought a lot more activity for both of us,
especially Teri. We drove east to the horse camp, and turned north on
the road that goes to Buck Rock
Lookout. A half mile drive
brought us to a developed campground, and after another two miles, mostly
uphill, we arrived at the parking lot below the lookout.
Buck
Rock itself is a thumb of granite on a ridge west of the Generals
Highway, with views north into the Kings River drainage, and south
into the canyons of the Kaweah. The original
lookout, opened in 1908,
was an open platform on top of the rock, which the ranger reached by
climbing a tree with boards nailed across it. In 1914 a live-in
building was constructed, with a precarious wooden ladder for access.
In 1942 the current stairway, with 172 steps, was installed. It has
recently been repaired, and there is a solid metal handrail with wire
fencing below, making it a safe if breathtaking climb.
A
group of volunteers was selling t-shirts at the base, and giving
certificates attesting to a successful climb. Teri went to the top,
while I rested a little more than half way up and waited for her to
come down. I could have made it to the top with little trouble but
going down was a much more challenging matter. Some of the sections
were very steep, and I decided I did not want to go down that many
steps.
As
expected the view from the top (and from the road and the ground
around the lookout) was spectacular. North of the lookout is the Kings
River drainage, and the 7,000 foot deep south fork of the Kings River.
To the south we could see the canyons and peaks of the Kaweah
drainage, including the Great
Western Divide. Unfortunately the latter
view was hazy when we arrived and became more so through the day.
Nonetheless, we had a great time, and got in over a mile of walking,
having parked along the road a few hundred yards before the
parking lot.
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The Great Western Divide
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Buck Rock Fire Lookout
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A closer view
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Teri on the steps
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We
had one more activity planned, which we delayed till early evening,
since it was quite warm during the day. We drove the short distance to
the big granite outcropping, and walked out to the edge one final
time. Although this feature is by no means a dome, there is extensive
exfoliation shaping the rock. It's also the type of terrain which
encourages bonsai-like growth of normally tall trees. We discovered
one that looked like it was auditioning to replace the iconic Jeffrey
pine that graced the top of Yosemite's Sentinel Dome for so many years
until it died and fell over. We also observed a red fir in bonsai
form, something we had never seen before.
All
around us on the rock were dramatic examples of an erosion process
known as weather pits, a term I had been reminded of when I recently
re-read The Incomparable Valley, an excellent book on the
formation of Yosemite valley and similar rock features of the Sierra.
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Gnarled Jeffrey pine, living a long life close to
the ground
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Weather pits on granite boulder
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These
things also happened:
A
woman rode through our camp on horseback, coming from the side
opposite the road. I did not see her but she talked with Teri, and
said she was picking up trash. She had her eye on a large box behind a
rock away from our camp, but it was too big to carry. Teri explained
that it was the
box that held our portable toilet.
Two
young men walked in from the road and asked if we could spare some
water. They were running in the mountains to train for a marathon, and
were not aware of how elevation speeds up dehydration. We gave them
each a 500 Ml bottle, which they finished pretty much without stopping
for a breath, and went on their way.
Driving
up one of our "wonder roads," we were asked to stop and wait
for several bicycle riders who were speeding down the steep hill
ahead.
The
weather was good throughout our stay. Daytime highs were around 75 -
warm enough that we always wanted to sit in the shade, but a big
improvement over the 100 to 110 we've experienced at home this summer.
At night it got down to 35 degrees, with no wind. Teri slept in her
new Toyota Highlander in great comfort. I was never cold outside on my
cot.
As
mentioned, this was our first time ever to camp and explore in this
area. It definitely won't be the last.
--Dick
Estel, August 2021
More
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Cedar Grove
This
was one of my rare outings with a fairly large group of people - my
daughter Teri, and four of her friends. As often happens with larger
parties, we arrived in three vehicles over three days. Teri finished
her workday in Fresno on August 19 and drove up to Cedar Grove in
Kings Canyon National Park, where she had made a reservation at Moraine
Campground.
I
had a doctor appointment that afternoon, but I got up very early the
next day and was on the road at 7:45. With various stops along the way
it was 11 by the time I arrived. There is a unique sequoia tree just
inside the park entrance - big around but damaged at the top so it's
not very tall. I had never taken a close look, so I parked in a
pullout just past the tree and walked down the road to take photos.
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The Methuselah Tree
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Like many huge sequoias, it has a burn scar from
lightning strikes
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As
I was admiring the tree I heard someone say, "Hey, Grandpa
Dick." It was my grandson Johnny (Teri's son) and his friend
Dustin. It was not a big surprise - he had said he was going fishing
in the Kings River and would try to stop in at our camp. We talked a
few minutes, then continued on our way, with another stop for me just
up the road at the Big Stump Trailhead to use the restroom.
I
drove past the General Grant Tree area and out of the park. Where the
road begins to drop down into the South Fork of the Kings, I could see
smoke up the canyon instead of the usual view of mountains and rock
formations. Large fires in northern California (and a new one we
didn't know of south of us in the Kern County mountains) were sending
smoke down the San Joaquin Valley and up the river canyons.
When
I got to the point where the road reaches the river level, there were
Johnny and Dustin getting their fishing equipment ready, so I stopped
for a few minutes additional visiting. As it turned out, they never
made it to our camp - it got late before they knew it, so they
returned home.
From
that point the road closely follows the river, gaining elevation from
about 3,000 feet to 4,000. Although the water is very low, it still
has dangerous places and it did not look as if anyone was tempted to
test the water along this stretch.
About
two miles from where the road re-enters the national park at Cedar
Grove there is a nice waterfall on the left. Grizzly Falls can
be huge
but even at low water it's an attractive feature. I stopped for a few
minutes and took a couple of photos. (Some web sites say it is in the
park, but it is actually in the national forest.)
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Grizzly Falls and the cascades below
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Close-up of the main fall
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As
I entered the park, there were signs saying "Road Closed"
and "Detour." This took me on some less familiar roads
through Cedar Grove Village and back out to the main road, then
another mile to the campground, where I easily found Teri's campsite.
Having had an early breakfast, I was ready for lunch, so I unloaded my
stuff and we enjoyed fajitas in the shade of the cedars and pines.
To
the north of us was an obvious section of the lateral moraine
left behind when the glacier that carved this valley melted. We went
up to the top, where we found it dropped off rather steeply to the
river on the other side. At one end of it was a rough path down to the
water, but it was nothing either of us would consider walking on.
I
noticed another section of the moraine a short distance upstream in
the eastern part of the campground. There are no doubt many such
features in this valley, but we didn't really search for them.
Instead,
when it cooled off a little about 5 p.m., we drove up to Roaring
River Falls. This is a short but very scenic waterfall that comes
out of a steep granite gorge and drops into an inviting pool. At least
it was inviting at this season. People were swimming, despite the fact
that they said the cold water made their heart skip a beat. I've included a
photo of the falls in June 2017, at peak runoff. Care to swim in it
when it's like that?
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The Roaring River Falls drops into this tempting
pool
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During peak runoff, no sane person is tempted
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We
then drove up to the Zumwalt
Meadow trailhead, where a
trail crosses the river and goes in a loop around the meadow and
and back across it on a boardwalk. Or used to. As we suspected, high
water had washed out part of the boardwalk, and you could only walk in
as far as the south side of the meadow. We saved this outing for the
arrival of the rest of our camping party.
For
the rest of the day and evening we relaxed, read, and walked around a
bit. There were no campfire songs, no s'mores, no warming ourselves by
the fire as it grew colder. Fires are forbidden throughout the
national parks and forests of the Sierra due to extreme drought and
the existence of a dozen wildfires across the state. This includes
charcoal fires - only propane stoves are allowed.
The
daytime temperature had been just under 80; it was 50 degrees through
most of the night, dropping down to 46 about 4 a.m. Due to the smoke
there were no stars, but the moon was an interesting orange color.
The
rest of our party arrived late the next morning, all people Teri has
known a few years: Kara, Bobby, Maria and her daughter Abby. I had
hiked before with all but Bobby.
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Abby and Maria
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Bobby and Maria
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After
they unloaded their equipment and set up tents we drove once again to the
Roaring River Falls trailhead. In addition to the paved trail on the
east side of the river, there is a steeper, rougher trail on the west
side. It arrives at a lookout point higher than the main trail and
provides a different perspective on the falls, the river, and the
narrow granite gorge from which the falls emerges.
After
enjoying the view here, we returned to the road, crossed the bridge,
and walked up the main trail, where a fellow tourist took a photo of
our group. Everyone agreed that the pool looked refreshing, but
cold.
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Roaring River Falls from the west side
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Our camping crew: Dick, Kara, Teri, Bobby, Maria,
Abby
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Next
we drove up to the Zumwalt Meadow trailhead, and walked to the meadow.
Where the trail comes in across the meadow we saw the remains of the
boardwalk that had been partially washed out by high water some time
in the last few years. We were able to walk on it and into the edge of
the meadow, but it was obvious that it was unsafe to go more than a
few steps in that direction.
We
enjoyed the view of flowers and cattails in the meadow, with the huge
rock formation known as North Dome looming over us. From this point it
did not look much like a typical dome, and we called it "the El
Capitan of Kings Canyon."
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Zumwalt Meadow
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The boardwalk and North Dome
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Kara approaches the gap where the boardwalk washed
out
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Bobby, Maria, Abby and Teri in the meadow
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On
our way back to the parking lot, we stopped to enjoy a huge cedar tree
that has some big, dramatic-looking branches that curve out and up. It
had burn scar in the base big enough for humans to enter.
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A magnificent incense cedar tree
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There's room inside the burn scar
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A
couple more adventures were still in store this final day. First we
returned to camp to eat and restore our energy level. Several members
of the group are familiar with Muir
Rock, a huge granite boulder adjacent to the river east of Zumwalt
Meadow. It's a good swimming spot at low water, and many visitors are
tempted to jump off the rock into the river, include Kara.
I
don't go into wild water anymore (meaning any water not a swimming
pool) so I stayed back at camp resting and reading, and making another
visit to the top of the moraine.
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That's Kara launching herself from Muir Rock
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We zoom in for a close-up
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At
lunch we had discussed how nice it would be to have ice cream for
dessert, but an ice chest does not work. However, a little over a mile
away is Cedar
Grove Village, with a store, restaurant and other services. When
the swimmers returned we drove to the store and chose our favorite ice
cream bar (subject to the limited selection), and enjoyed them on the
deck overlooking the driver.
With
dessert finished, it was time for dinner. Kara made hamburgers, and I
tried a meat-free burger. It was OK, but I'm not ready to give up my
carnivorous ways.
After
this we sat around the camp - not the campfire. One party
up the hill from us appeared to have a fire, but when I went to let
them know fires were not allowed. it turned out to be a portable
propane fire pit. Later a man just across the road from us had a fire.
I gave him the information, and I think he put the fire out a few
minutes later. There are signs all over the camp and along the road
regarding fire restrictions but he came in after dark, so maybe didn't
see them. But there is a big towed LED sign near the park entrance
that flashes NO FIRES NO CAMPFIRES night and day. One would also wish
for common sense and an awareness of what is going on all over the
state.
Maria
and Abby had a tent, and Tara had brought a small pop up tent. She
decided to sleep under the moon and the few stars visible that last
night, turning the tent over to Bobby. He had forgotten his sleeping
bag, and about 3 a.m., when it was 48 degrees, he got up and put on
his jeans and all shirts and jackets available. Teri was very
comfortable inside her Toyota Highlander. With my folding cot and a sleeping bag
that's good down to 25 degrees, I also slept under the sky.
Late
at night, shortly before dawn, quite a few stars became visible, and
the moon put on a show each night, appearing dark orange, then yellow,
then finally the appropriate silver.
The
next morning Tara fixed a breakfast of potatoes and sausage, after
which we packed up at our usual leisurely pace and started out of the
park. We made a final stop at Grizzly Falls, which some had not seen
before. Everyone but me ventured into the creek near the base of the
falls, a place that would be fatally dangerous at high water, and I
went closer than ever, to a spot where I would have been soaked by the
mist that blows off the rushing water in the spring.
It
was a congenial group, and we all had a great time 80 miles into the
Sierra away from civilization.
--Dick
Estel, August 2021
More
Photos
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Redwood Canyon Etc.
I
had a rare experience the last weekend of August. I looked at my
calendar, and had nothing scheduled for the coming week. I have wanted
to check out Redwood Canyon in Kings
Canyon National Park for some time. I didn't want to hike, then
drive home late in the afternoon, so I booked a night at
Montecito Sequoia Lodge, on the General's Highway between Kings Canyon and
Sequoia parks. Redwood
Canyon contains one of the largest sequoia groves in the Sierra,
with 15,800 trees over a foot in diameter at the base. Several
thousand of them exceed six feet at the base.
I
left home at 8:30 the morning of August 30, and made the 55-mile drive
to the turn-off without incident. Soon after you enter the park, the
road forks. The left fork goes to nearby Grant Grove, and 32 miles to
Cedar Grove, in the Kings River Canyon. The road to the right goes to
Sequoia National Park and numerous points of interest along the way. A
little less than four miles from the junction, a paved road to the
left follows Ten Mile Creek down to Hume Lake.
To the right a rough dirt road goes down hill about two miles to the
trailhead for Redwood Canyon.
As
soon as you start down this road, you are driving among redwoods. The
road goes down along the side of the canyon, with steep drop-offs on
one side. Redwoods growing on the slopes below the road offer a direct
view across to the upper half of the tree. Also of great interest
along the road is what appears to be a natural tunnel tree, created by
fire.
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View along the road to the trailhead
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Natural tunnel tree, created by fire
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The
road is very rough, with bumps and potholes hidden in the shadows, but
you want to go slowly and enjoy the scenery. It's about two miles to a
junction where you turn left and drive a short distance into the
parking lot. Giving promise of a great hike, it is surrounded by large
sequoias. It also has one of the most architecturally charming
restrooms I've ever seen.
The
trail goes in two directions from this spot, forming a long loop
trail. There are several shorter loops within the main outer
perimeter. Since the shortest loop is about five miles, I knew my hike
would be "out and back." Sometimes a hike of this sort has a
specific destination; sometimes I just go "half of far
enough." This one was a little of both.
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This excellent specimen welcomes hikers at the
parking lot
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An upscale outhouse
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I
was delighted to find that any place on the trail that I stopped to
look around, I could usually count at least a dozen large sequoias
close by. This condition persisted throughout my hike, but I
understand there are places beyond where I turned back that they are
sparse for a while. The web site Redwood
Hikes has an excellent
description and large scale map of the trails.
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Views like this were constant along the trail
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Near the Redwood Creek Trail junction
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The
trail is pretty much all downhill as far as I went, but not really
steep. Eventually I came to a trail junction, the Redwood Creek trail,
which connects with the longer, outer loop trail. A little beyond this
place I came to Barton Creek, where I rested and had a snack at a
large flat area. Although this grove was not heavily logged, there
were two big
stumps here, and it's a short distance to Barton's Post Camp,
where trees were cut into posts, railings, and probably roofing
shakes. The creek was barely flowing but offered moisture for ferns
and wildflowers.
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The trail guide tells you to cross fern-lined
Barton Creek
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Wildflower next to the creek
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After
my rest, I retraced my footsteps back to the parking area. Among the
other sights along the way was a good
view of the west side of Buena
Vista Peak, where I have hiked a number of times. I also
saw more big sequoias, with the usual different perspective you get
walking the opposite direction, and dogwood
leaves just starting to change to fall colors.
A
group of three passed me as I got close to the trailhead, and a couple
came out while I was finishing my lunch in the shade of the firs,
cedars, pines and sequoias. Otherwise I had the place to myself.
There
was still a lot of time left before I could check in to the lodge at 4
p.m., so I explored a couple of the roads that lead off the Generals
Highway. First I went down Road 14S04, where I had camped a few times
40 or 50 years ago. Most of the land along this road seems to be
private or leased grazing land, and roads off this route were mostly
guarded by locked gates.
Next
I went to Big Meadow Road, where I had camped with my daughter in
early August. On the big granite outcropping that we had explored
twice, there was a hole in the granite boulder at the southern edge. I
had stuck my hiking pole into it, and found it went in about four
feet. Someone had placed a pine cone and a moss-covered stick inside.
I had wanted a photo, but did not get one on my previous visit, so I
accomplished that goal.
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Hole in the rock by Big Meadow Road
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What's inside the hole
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Returning
to the Generals Highway, I drove a few more miles to Montecito
Sequoia Lodge. When I booked the room I had asked for a ground
floor. Soon after I received an email saying my request had been
honored. When I arrived I had been assigned an upstairs room. The
clerk said no downstairs rooms were available. With great difficulty,
I carried my luggage and my 82-year old body up narrow, unsafe stairs
with a loose handrail. Then a staff person came and said there was a
ground floor room I could have, for $10 more. They provided someone to
carry my luggage down, but of course, I was already worn out from
carrying it up. They acted like they were doing me a favor by charging
me $10 extra for what I had asked for in the first place.
Other
than the booking problem, the place is quite nice. There is a pond,
swimming pool, trampoline, playground and other kid=friendly features.
Meals are included. although if you stay only one night, you don't get
lunch. Supper was a buffet with sloppy Joe's and hot dogs, while
breakfast included cereal, eggs, potatoes and sausage, plus sweet
rolls, fruit and other snack items. The cooked food was typical motel
food - no gourmet meals here despite room rates that matched the 6,000
foot altitude of the location. Late in the evening cows wandered
through the grounds, munching grass around the plantings. Apparently
they are the landscape crew.
The
room had a king bed and bunk beds, plenty of drawers and cabinets. It
was a tight fit, but the bathroom was large, the towels high quality,
and the bed comfortable.
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Montecito Sequoia Lodge main building
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Landscape crew at work
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Signs
on every building warned of the danger of snow falling from the roof,
since the facility is open all year, subject to weather-related road
closures..
I
had a bad night, nothing to do with the facility, and slept very
little. However, the morning brought an amazing view of the distant
peaks to the south.
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I had no worries about this in late August
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View of Sierra peaks to the south
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After
breakfast I got the car loaded, checked out, and went on a brief
scouting expedition, driving to nearby Stony
Creek Lodge to see if it offered better facilities. The rooms are
all in the main building instead of being scattered around the grounds
hundreds of feet from the parking lot like Montecito. I am hoping to
visit the area in October with my great grandsons. The woman on duty
said they might be closing soon, because they had heard the forest
might be closed. In fact, the next day all California National Forests
were closed, and people were ordered to leave by midnight, August 31.
This no doubt inconvenienced thousands of people in Sequoia and Sierra
National Forest resorts and campgrounds. Fortunately, national parks
are not affected, so a planned Ramblers hike to Buena Vista Peak
should still be OK.
Last
year around this time vacationers were driven from the mountains by
the massive Creek
Fire. We are cursed to live in "interesting times."
--Dick
Estel, September 2021
More
Photos
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