October 20, 2012

Tule Campground

Porterville, CA

(Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks)

Yesterday at the Sequoia National Forest Supervisor’s Office, the ranger had warned us to leave before 8am if we wanted to avoid all the traffic in the town of Springville due to the annual Apple Festival.  Our route to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks took us through Springville.  We went through just as vendors were setting up booths and could already smell the wonderful aroma of BBQ rigs slow cooking. 

 

 We also saw there were booths advertising apple pie and all sorts of things apple related.  Or course there were also the usual arts and crafts and gizmo booths represented.  We discussed the possibility of attending the festival tomorrow.

A couple of miles after passing through Springville we noticed the sign for the road we needed to take with another sign nearby announcing there would be no services for the next 30 miles.  OH NO-we needed gas and after entering “fuel” into the GPS discovered that the next gas station was 13 miles further up the road beyond our turn.  We had to make a u-turn and return to Springville.




 It was a little difficult pulling into the small station as there were festival vendors set up very close to the entrance.  But Monte maneuvered through the maze of booths expertly.  While the car was fueling, he walked over to a nearby booth and purchased a piece of apple cake that we set aside for later in the day.

Finally gassed we were on our way again.  The next leg of our route took up Yokohl Valley Road, 24 miles of winding road taking us up and down a mountain passing horses, cattle, and even a coyote.  

The next leg the terrain changed dramatically as we entered the forest.  We opened the windows to allow in the fresh air. 

We finally arrived at the gate to Kings Canyon where Monte showed his America the Beautiful Senior Pass enabling us to save the $20 entrance fee.  

 

 

I really wish that I had been keeping a list of places we have used the pass to see how much we have saved.  Oh well. 

After stopping at the Grant Grove Village Visitor Center, where I was able to stamp my passport and use the facilities, we ate the sandwiches we had packed at the picnic area just outside the center.  I was wearing shorts as it had been very hot when left the campground but the temperature had dropped by at least 25 decrees so I pulled on the long pants I had brought along.  We also put on heavy jackets and slipped woolen gloves and a hat in our pockets just in case they would be needed on our hike.  

Back in the car, we took Generals Highway crossing from Kings Canyon National Park into Sequoia National Park.  They are two separate parks but both managed by the National Park Service as one.  We had bypassed the attractions at Kings Canyon as we only had one day in the park and most of the things we wanted to see and do were located in Sequoia NP. 

Our next stop was at the Lodgepole Visitor Center where I stamped my passport and we watched a short film about the deconstruction of the cabins in Giant Forest. 

  People have been coming to visit Sequoia, America’s second oldest National Park, since the late 1800’s.  Cabins were erected to house those people and more and more services were added.  Conservationists towards the end of the last century pushed to have the cabins removed and today there is no trace of them. 

After a short drive, we arrived at the General Sherman Tree trail parking lot. 

 We opted not to take our hydration back packs with us because I had read that the trail to the General Sherman Tree (the largest tree on the planet) was only a half mile.  The first thing I noticed as we started on the trail was that the trail was downhill and there were signs warning that the return walk was strenuous.  At first I thought how bad can it be?  It is only a half mile and the trail is paved.  But I should have paid closer attention to the people passing us going up as most of them were panting and stopping every few feet to rest. 

Arriving at the General Sherman, we oohed and aahed at the star of the Giant Forest, took some pictures and began the Congress Trail because that is the trail the ranger told us we should take if we were only going to have time to do one trail.  The Congress Trail is a 2 mile loop through the heart of the grove taking us past The President, The Senate and several other famous Sequoias. 

Towards the end of the trail we came upon a group of firefighters conducting a prescribed fire. 

Years ago, fire was believed to be destructive in the forest.  But as time passed unanticipated consequences from the lack of fires became evident as fire suppression blocked important natural processes.  The sequoia ceased to reproduce because the conditions they needed to regenerate were not present.  Fires leave behind a seedbed with ash that opens the forest canopy, allowing sunlight to reach the seedlings.  Now it is customary to ignite prescribed fires and strong evidence shows that this practice is succeeding.

 

The trail brought us back to where we had started at the Sherman Tree.  We began the half mile upward trail back to the parking lot which took a hell of a longer time and significantly more energy than it had taken us going down the trail.  We were both exhausted by the time we arrived back at our car.  We changed out of our hiking boots, me into sandals and Monte into sneakers, thinking that we were finished hiking for the day.   BUT, we weren’t-more about that later.

Continuing on the road, we reached our next destination, “Tunnel Log,” a sequoia that fell back in the 1930’s and was tunneled through.  It is the only tree you can drive through.  The road to the tunnel forms a loop so we went around and drove through a few times. 

 

We planned on leaving the park at this point as we were both exhausted but saw a sign that intrigued us and we decided to check it out. 

 Moro Rock is a granite dome with a steep ¼ mile staircase, with a 300-foot elevation gain, to the top that provides a spectacular view of the Great Western Divide. 

 As we were climbing the 350 steps to the top (wearing my sandals) we passed several people on their way down who, upon seeing me having difficulty breathing, tried cheering me on by assuring me that the exertion would be worth the effort and that I was almost there.

The view at the top was spectacular! 

There were quite a few people at the summit including a group of young men repelling down the mountain.  In my opinion you have to be young and just a little crazy to do something like that!

Going down was a lot easier than going up and was accomplished in a quarter of the time it had taken to get to the top.

 

At this point we were definitely ready to go home.  I entered the camp’s location in the GPS and it showed that it was going to take three hours.  It didn’t make sense to me to take the route it was showing as it had us going north, west, and then south.  I changed the setting to “detour” and liked that route better as it took us south and showed us arriving at our destination in two and a half hours.  BUT, we hit road construction in the park that delayed us over 4o minutes and took us down a really curvy road at 40 miles an hour.  At the exit to the park, the GPS had us go down unlit, rural roads and we both thought that there must be something wrong with the unit.  But eventually we were routed to a highway and made good time from that point.  We stopped at a Carl’s Jr. for a quick bite to eat and were home way before the 10pm closing of the campground gate.  It had been another awesome day!