Hot hot hot!
8 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C
Not sure the kids have ever felt heat like this - 102!
Pit stop at 4000' - still HOT
8 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C
Arrival in Dinuba, CA
8 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 39 °C
Kids missed a lot of olive trees and corn - which is to say they didn't miss much! The Best Western has a pool with our names on it though.
P.S. Who's the old guy who photo-bombed my shot here?
Breakfast at Grant's Grove
9 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Snagged a sweet camping spot at Azalea campground. Nice ranger helped us out. Now cooking a quick breakfast in the Grant Grove parking lot.
Grant Grove
9 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Walked among the giants. We loved climbing through the old, fallen trunks. We named the branches dragon-eating tree (left) and person raising tree hands high (right). Fun fact - General Grant tree isEn savoir plus
Setting up Camp
9 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Kids and I are setting up a bit. I taught Franklin how to wave me back into a spot. Samantha is just relaxing.
VoyageurSo glad you are having the chance to see those amazing trees. And check out the contributions of the first African-American National Park Superintendent: "In the summer of 1903, Captain Charles Young would become the first African-American national park Superintendent when he and his troops were tasked to manage and maintain Sequoia National Park in northern California. Because the U.S. Army was tasked with protecting the national parks in these early years, the Army would send troops to manage, maintain and patrol them. Young and his troopers arrived in Sequoia National Park in the summer of 1903 and proceeded to construct roads and trails that other troops were unable to do in the years before them. As the leader of his troops, Young would inherit the title of Acting Superintendent of Sequoia National Park that year. He incorporated the local townsfolk to assist his troop's efforts and he and his troops' accomplishments from their summer of hard work were lauded by many throughout the area."
Big Stump Loop Trail
9 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
We went for a four mile hike through an area that had been logged a long time ago before the national park had been set up.
More stumps and bugs
9 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
We stood on the Mark Twain stump. People in New York didn't believe the slice of tree brought out in pieces and reassembled was real. They called it a hoax. We also saw a dying tree shedding its barkEn savoir plus
Quick dip at Hume Lake
9 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
A beautiful drive over to Hume Lake for a quick dip. Saw the remains of a forest fire from 1955! And - in the distance - snow!!
Dinner and relax
9 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Sloppy Joes!
Hot night in van!
10 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
We did NOT do very well last night - van was much hotter than air outside! We've talked about strategies and will try some new techniques tonight. Also we all started with our heads at one end with meEn savoir plus
Drive down to King's Canyon
10 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Amazing drive down 22 miles - took about an hour. So many great vistas. We could hear the river roaring from way up high.
Zumwalt meadows P1
10 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We stopped at the end of the road and checked in with the rangers. They advised us to take the river loop as the hike up to the misty falls was muddy. Then, as we were getting our packs ready, a groupEn savoir plus
Lunch by Roaring River waterfall
10 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
We drove just a few miles and made some freeze dried pasta - not bad. The waterfall was awesome - and loud!
Zumwalt Meadows - getting wet!
10 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
We took a turn on the loop that got closer to the river - thinking there would be more shade - but we ended up bush whacking across a very wet meadow and got our shoes soaked. The skies were darkeningEn savoir plus
Relaxing back at camp
10 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
First an almost nap in hammock - now we're going to play Boss Monster.
Dinner and entertainments
10 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Nice dinner of mac 'n' cheese 'n' hot dogs. Then a little pyro training.
Up and at 'em!
11 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Well - not exactly..we slept very well - much better than the night before. I think we got about 11 hours of sleep!
One thing I mention only for posterity- Kha seemed to have packed for home ourEn savoir plus
Climbing Moro Rock
11 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
What a fun climb! The kids were a bit nervous - but they soldiered on. Right away the views were amazing and only got better as we went up.
We even found a little friend at the very top of theEn savoir plus
Atop Moro Rock
11 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Amazing! The ranger told us it was the best viewing day in many months! So beautiful! I kept switching from the long view of the snow covered mountains to the slope just below - where I was hoping toEn savoir plus
Tree Fun & Housekeeping
11 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
While mom may have had the kids shower every day in San Diego, let's just say that Daddy Camp plays by slightly different rules. We went and did laundry at a little general store - but we didn'tEn savoir plus
A change of plans
11 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We stopped at LodgePole and saw a very nice little documentary about bears. WE LOVE THE BEARSIES!! We just want to hug them and squeeze them and kiss their little black nosies!
Sorry - anyway - weEn savoir plus
A quick hike to a waterfall
11 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
1.7 miles. That's what the guy told us - and every other sucker we met on the trail who all said (in one way or another) "1.7 miles my ass!" Still - the start of the hike was very pretty andEn savoir plus
Bearsies!!!
11 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
And then it happened! We'd seen several bears from the car last summer in Shenandoah - including a baby bear eating a deer by the side of the road. And we saw fresh scat on the trail when we wereEn savoir plus
The rest of the walk up
11 juillet 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
The rest of the walk was great - so many nice views and the roaring river often near by.
That's the Central Valley for you. Had been a huge lake there 100 years agp. On to the Sequoias!