dare2go

Sequoia & Kings Canyon Natl.Parks


Still Saturday April 29, 2006 [Continued from < Part 1 < ]

We returned down the windy road to our campsite, just in time for the afternoon show. Two cars, and 4 young Indian couples stopped opposite us to set up camp. It took me right back to my days in India. I hope they didn't realise how much amusement and absolute pleasure I gained from the display, as tents were raised and beds made and all with the associated constant discussion in Hindi and English. Indians are truly just the same all over the world.
Today we decided to have a rest here at the campsite. We had thought that it would be relatively quiet, with all the weekend campers off to see the sites, and that walk in the snow yesterday had been a bit hard on my back - and Juergen's also, since he managed to fall over. (He didn't have the advantage of the walking sticks to keep him vertical!). Well, relaxing it has been (the weather is perfect, sunny and clear with just a faint breeze), but quiet, definitely not. It seems to be that the weekend brings large groups of Mexicans here to spend time with their extended family. Spread over at least 3 campsites, with tents everywhere and music blaring from car radios. Interesting to observe, but definitely not quiet - even after the radios were turned off or down at Juergen's subtle request!

Sunday April 30, 2006
Today we saw a bear! I was most excited. We were driving along and came around a corner just as it was jumping onto the road. It lumbered across right in front of us and kept going down the hillside. I am always excited at seeing animals in the wild. There was no opportunity to record it photographically, but the picture will remain clearly in my memory. In the Sequoia there are only black bears - no grizzlies - and even though this one looked dark brown, I am assured that it was a black bear.
We also saw the world's largest living thing - a giant sequoia tree with the name "General Sherman"! Every year this 2200 year old giant grows enough wood to make a 60 foot tree of normal proportions!
We have left our campsite in the foothills at about 2000 feet and driven up into Kings Canyon National Park to the "Azalea Campground" which is at an elevation of around 6500 feet. The ground still has quite a layer of snow, which makes it very pretty, but a bit wet underfoot as the daytime temperature seems to be about 15° and the snow is melting here as fast as it can, filling every meadow and creek with bubbling water rushing downhill.
We also drove further into Kings Canyon this afternoon, as far as the "Road Closed" sign, since rock falls make a lot of this road impassable during winter and they are working hard to repair it to open it for the summer visitors. The landscape changed dramatically again as we descended some 2500 feet along the canyon. Very stunning scenery, but unfortunately very hazy again and so the photos don't do it justice at all.

Monday May 1, 2006
Last night our Australian buddies, Jan and Dee, arrived in their Big Foot camper and parked right next to us. We spent a very pleasant evening chatting about where we'd been and where we were planning to go. It's good to talk to other travellers who have been here longer but doing the same sort of things we are interested in.
Once again we have found a few glitches in our camper and truck - it seems we still have a lot to learn about how all the bits function! Our new battery went flat at Potwisha and we are not sure why. Talking to Jan, it seems that just driving doesn't totally charge it and we need to spend some time at a powered site in an RV park to completely charge it. We also don't really know how long it should last when it is our only source of power. Then we discovered on our way out of the Sequoia/Kings Canyon area that the air conditioning in the car is not functioning - again. In Juergen's words 'I'm sick of all these things going wrong and holding us up'. And I agree - I know that we are not limited by time, but we would just much rather be spending it differently.
We had a look at another grove of sequoia trees before we left the Park, including the "General Grant" which is the 3rd largest living tree. The drive down to the plains again was really stunning. It was slow and very windy, but passed through a postcard like setting with rustic farmhouses amidst very lush vegetation and some magnificent vistas.
We drove back to Porterville and came to an RV Park just up the road from the one we stayed in on the way up to the mountains last week. Could be a nice place if it had a little more TLC! The temperature change during the day was a bit difficult to get used to - from 5° in the morning to close to 30° when we arrived here. And tomorrow we will return to Bakersfield to sort out our little glitches, and see Doc Dennis again.