Amongst the Snow & the Sequoias

 

Above you will see the most "Hollywood" outdoor experience Georgette & I have had yet, int only lasted 20 minutes. We then managed to get a little deeper into the woods, among the snow & the unexpected surprises. 

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More of a 'spur of the moment' type trip we decided to tackle while looking out the windows on a rainy Wednesday; "We should go camping this weekend." Sound logic, right?  With a little more gumption than previous trips, we set out for Sequoia National Forest before dawn on Saturday morning.

 

  

Setting up camping before noon, with snow all around, after a 5 hr car ride, we were ready to stretch our legs on the trail. Beginning at the world's largest tree (seen in pic one, above) we took a nicely paved path out away from the crowds. Quietly wandering through the woods, we opted at a crossroads for the road less traveled. Traversing now on a dirt path through small snow patches, we were really enjoying our 8 mile walk amongst these huge giants & hidden meadows.

  

Close to mile 6 of the 8 we eventually hike, we encountered what would become this camping trips best surprise, a large black bear!  About a 100 yards in front of us, coming our direction. Slowly skirting a huge Sequoia, Georgette & I were able to catch glimpses of the bear as he/she passed our direction. Being a bit too curious maybe, I took a step out into the open to get a better look, the bear paused and looked up right at us, peaking out from behind the tree. Shuffling slowly off now, we moved away from the bear, while he/she picked up pace again in the opposite direction. We had connected, but all were safe in the end. 

 

Sleeping at 6,700ft was a nice experience. Well prepared & fed like a hungry camper should be we enjoyed a wonderful night amongst the snow, campers & the moon. The photo below is a 15 second exposure of us sitting around the campfire a bit after 10pm, in the low 40s.

Here is a 2 minute video from our trip!



DAY TWO

The next morning we made a light breakfast & warmed by a fire before a long scenic drive down into Kings Canyon. With more roads open than a previous visit a year ago, we opted for the the Ten Mile Road, which turned out to be a great idea. Taking travels on a smooth road deeper into a different part of the woods, emerging onto a beautiful lake, before taking drivers out to breath taking views of Kings Canyon National Park.

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After our lengthy drive & packing up camp, we tackled one more adventure on the drive out. A treacherous staircase up Moro Rock. In the two photos below you get an idea of the climb. In the second photo look for Georgette in the top left hanging off the edge!!

 

 Click any photo to enlarge.