After a lovely night at the Bakersfield California LaQuinta Inn we set out for our next destination, Sequoia National Park. Readers may recall from my Yosemite Post that I am skeptical of the “John Muir” hype. After all he was sold us a bill of goods on Yosemite Falls, which was bone dry. However, Yosemite was in the end very beautiful so I assumed that Muir’s other big sales pitches to the US Park Service, Sequoia and Kings Canyon just may have some of those “Big Trees” and Sierra vistas he talked about. We were not disappointed.
The ride from Bakersfield took about 2 hours and we got a late start (and had a sit down brunch), adding to the delay was road work on General’s Road (through Sequoia) which had us sitting in traffic for a mandatory once per hour escort vehicle. I did manage to snap a shot or two and the Vista was quite nice.
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| Stuck in construction so take a picture! |
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| and the view was not to bad either! |
Once through the road work we headed up a side ride to the “Tunnel Tree” the only actual tunnel through a tree that still exists. It is a dead Sequoia but pretty neat anyway. Here is my Faithful and Obedient Companion navigating through the tree.....of course I walked!
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| Easier than Smuggs Notch Honey1 |
We then did one of two “hikes (more like hard walks actually) the first was up to the top of Moro Rock (not to be confused with Morro Rock on the central coast). It was only ¼ mile but up 300 plus feet, with a few harrowing spots where the drop of was straight down a few thousand feet! Faithful and Obedient Companion was an absolute champ going up, but needed help from some stranger on the way down. Hey dear I would have liked to help you but somebody had to carry the camera and water bottle. Today’s geography lessen, the valley below Moro Rock is 4,000 feet down, almost as deep as the Grand Canyon (at least per the John Muir crowd)!
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| Damn you, I thought you said it was just a little way up Murray!!! |
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| Hey have you ever seen a happier couple! |
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| and the view wasn't bad either. |
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| You know Jim a "real man" would help a damsel in distress! |
Our final walk was another 300 foot elevation gain over a short span (down then up) to the General Sherman Tree. (Oops here comes another educational paragraph.) This is the “largest” tree in the world, by total weight and volume. There are taller trees (over 300 feet, Sherman is 275) and older ones (Sherman is 2,500 years old some are over 3,000!). One last fact, The Giant Sequoia’s grow in only 70 or so places in the Sierra’s. Always eastern facing slopes, always between 5,000 and 7,500 feet. It is here the climate is perfect. Note; this particular climate niche has existed for the last ….2.5 million years. No there will be no discussion of global climate warming I mean change oh I now mean disruption again.
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| General Sherman Tree |
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This is blurred but gives best perspective of Sherman Versus Murray
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That guy down way down there (arms raised) is Murray, that is the height of Gen. Sherman!
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After this excursion it was getting late. My Faithful and Obedient companion bagged a beautiful suite right here in the park at the Wuksachi Lodge. Her we will spend the night explore a little more of the area (hint Kings Canyon) then drive back towards San Diego, Blair tells us that Eric has FINALLY left Afghanistan and should be home by say LATE (12 AM or later 12 AM or later Eastern Time) Thursday night. We have been fooled before but this may be the day! Until tomorrow
Adieu
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