My Great American Trip to the Southwest
Part One thru Six
Part Seven
Part Eight and Nine
Part Ten thru Fifteen
Part Sixteen thru Eighteen
Part Nineteen thru Twenty
Part Twenty-One: Yosemite National Park (August 10, 2010)
The next morning we were faced with grotesque sanitary facilities, so we quickly packed up and headed back down the Tioga Pass and into a very small town, Lee Vining, California, where we cleaned up and found a fantastic 50’s-style diner, Nicely’s Diner before heading back up the mountains towards Yosemite National Park.
The drive was breathtakingly spectacular, with snow tenaciously clinging to the east side of the mountains; crystal-clear blue waterfalls and streams carving their way through the black-rock into expansive and deep lakes surrounded by stunningly green meadows with ponds scattered through them. The “late spring” wild flowers bloomed in proliferation, a kaleidoscope of of blooms blanketed the meadows: red Indian paintbrush, yellow and white daisies, and blue-bonnet-like lupines. The mountains were jagged and rocky, black and gray monoliths, in some places densely covered in evergreen forests while higher up the trees petered out so just the bare ragged rock was exposed to the elements. The higher we ascended and we rose above the tree-line, the once jagged granite monoliths smoothed out into more rounded formations and one could distinctly see the layers of the rocks, one on top of another, almost like pancakes; however, some were vertical, others were horizontal, and every angle in between.
Throughout the next few days, we saw signs of old wildfires everywhere we went. Through Tioga Pass, we passed through groves of burnt out trees and back into copses mature forest and back again. What was left of the blackened trees were like matchsticks sticking out of the newly sprouted landscape. At one point a whole valley was nothing but stands of these scorched matchstick trees surrounded by new growth-trees sprouting profusion.
The intense heat down in the Mono Basic gave way too cooler climate, then turned much more chilly the higher and higher we rose into the granite mountains of the Sierra-Nevadas, and then warmed again as we descended into the valleys below the monstrous monolith formations which loomed over every crevice. Still, the air was so fresh and clean, a crisp and spicy scent filled our lungs. Inhaling deeply, I still couldn’t get enough!
Out of Tioga Pass (CA120) and onto Big Oak Flat Road (CA140) and down the final stretch towards the Yosemite Valley. I’ve said it once and in this case it was “case-in-point:” I’ve seen pictures of Half-Dome and El Capitane. I mean, who hasn’t? They’re what Yosemite National Park is known for, what people travel all over the world to come to see. Still, the pictures are nothing, I repeat NOTHING like seeing these formations first hand. We rounded down from the top of into the valley when I first saw Half-Dome and El Capitane and exclaimed “What the hell is that?!” Their size was enormous, colossal, gargantuan, their vastness absolutely looming over the entire valley. Utterly majestic! The valley, completely surrounded by giant granite monoliths of every conceivable shape and totally covered in a myriad of evergreen and fir tree, was so far below us that I just had to climb out of the moving-car window just to peer over the side of the cliff to see the intensity of the drop! And it was absolutely amazing! Just before we entered the valley-proper, off in the distance we could see water pouring down Bridalveil Falls, something normally unheard of at the end of summer, but what with intensely cold and wet winter, there was still plenty of snow-melt to keep all the waterfalls in the area flowing with enormous intensity.
We decided to snag a campsite before trekking off to see the wonders and headed towards the main area of Yosemite Valley… where we found, to our utter dismay, Six Flags Under Half-Dome(™). It was like Disneyland-National-Park. What a bloody zoo! It was a total fiasco! Traffic was insane, as bad if not worse than rush-hour. Foot traffic was like being in some big-city downtown. There were cop cars everywhere, their sirens blaring and screaming their way through the park. The Yosemite Village had totally sold out, with retail stores everywhere… and not even anything good! Even the ice cream was pre-packaged garbage! Worse yet, there was a chlorinated swimming pool in the midst of some of this country’s most clean, most clear water! We were both utterly horrified at the spectacle!
Six-Flags Over Half-Dome, Yosemite National Park, California by argoshots
Still we did stay long enough to attempt to get a campsite and while that lottery fiasco was just as insane as the rest of the circus, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. A family who had won the lottery sold us their campsite at Bridalveil Creek, and we couldn’t get out of there fast enough! We did stop very briefly at Bridalveil Falls, but it was so crowded and loud and horrible, we left after spending only a few seconds, not even taking the time to clamor over the rocks to the bottom of the falls to enjoy the cool water upon us. So, once again we were driven away from this majestic beauty by the circus like atmosphere, we headed out of the valley into the mountains towards Glacier Point and Bridalveil Creek Campground.
When we arrived at Bridalveil Creek Campgrounds, the peace once again settled over us. The quiet was re-found. The tranquility was reborn. The craziness of Six Flags Under Half-Dome behind us. Unfortunately, we found that we’d been had by that so-called nice family who sold us their campsite. After chatting with the camp-hosts, we were ready to just suck it up and pay for another site altogether. That’s when we met William Phelps. After learning what happened, he stopped by our campsite and offered the use of one of his extra-sites. He was leading a week-long trip for the Peninsula Astronomical Society (and had been doing so for the past 20-some odd years) and happened to have a campsite open for us to use! Not only were we not forced to stay at the Yosemite Zoo, we weren’t out any money and we met someone who was really super cool! We chatted with him for a bit, with him inviting us for drinks around his campfire later on, grabbed a quick bite to eat and tore out to Glacier Point for sunset overlooking Half-Dome and the upper and lower Vernal Falls. We were there well after sunset and it became bitterly cold, what with the dropping temperatures and the wind buffeting and gusting more forcefully as the gloaming departed and everything became darker and darker... and much colder!
Half Dome and the Vernal Falls, Yosemite National Park, California USA by argoshots
Sunset on Half Dome from Glacier Point. Yosemite National Park, California USA by argoshots
We headed back and set up camp and, while Jason did some work, I headed over to William’s site, specifically to warm up by his now roaring fire. I so needed it too because it was just so bitterly cold, even with the sweater and half-mitten gloves that Jason had loaned me! Anyway, while sitting around the fire and having a few drinks, I learned that William is much more than just an amateur astronomer, he’s also a film director, cinematographer and an inventor! To boot, he directed one of my all time favorite surfer movies, North Shore (the movie that set the standard and was the benchmark for all other surfing movies since)!! I couldn’t believe my luck! I was so excited I felt like a giddy-school-girl at a rock concert getting to meet one of her all-time heroes! So our misfortune in the valley ended up being a blessing in disguise! Yay!! Anyway, we stayed up late before finally turning in. Unfortunately, Argo was bitterly cold and it took me forever to get warmed up enough to where I could actually fall asleep.
Part Twenty-two: Kings National Park, Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park (August 11-13, 2010)
Our intent to wake up with Half-Dome at dawn failed, so we slept in a bit before packing up camp and heading out. We probably would have stayed another night at William’s request; however, the radiator/transmission fubar plus the extra 4 or so plus days in Zion meant that the extra-built in time our itinerary had was long gone, so we departed, albeit reluctantly.
The road out of Yosemite National Forest was jam-packed coming up the mountain and just a little less insane going down. Only thing was that there were massive amounts of construction along the route out (something we encountered at almost every National Park or National Forest we visited), slowing traffic to a stand-still as the two-lane road was forced down to one-lane. Then there was contending with California drivers. I never believed that there were drivers who were move clueless than Texans, but Californians take the cake!
Finally, we made it out to the foothills of the Sierra-Nevada and into Central Valley and into Oakhurst, California (just north of Fresno) where we found this fantastic little Cajun/BBQ joint called Todd’s Cookhouse right off of CA41. After a quick bite to eat we hit the road again and headed towards Gundaiguai, NSW… I mean Fresno… Jason and I both agreed the terrain looked mighty similar! Out of Fresno and back up into the Sierra-Nevadas towards Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park, both located in the Sequoia National Forest. Even though they’re separate National Parks, they’re right next to one another.
Our first stop was Kings Canyon National Park and General Grant’s Grove where we found our next campsite… and we both saw our very first sequoia trees. Just like Half-Dome, pictures just are unable to illustrate the sheer immensity of what we were seeing. They were just gigantic! Not only were the enormously tall, in some cases towering over all of the other evergreen trees surrounding them, but the width at the base of the trees were impossibly immense. What’s so amazing about these trees is they have no tap-root and their root structure only goes three to five feet down! So they can be over 300 feet tall with a root structure with a very tiny, but broad, root structure (only about 3-5 feet deep!); which is why it’s not uncommon for them to just randomly fall over for no reason. However, since their bark is so porous and burns poorly, they are resistant to the multitude of forest fires that they’ve had to face in their long years on this planet, and the oldest one known is over 3000 years old!
General Grant tree in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park by argoshots
We spent sunset out with General Grant and the grove of other sequoias surrounding him before heading back to camp for yet another very cold evening. We watched as the last of the sun’s rays dipped below the horizon, lighting up the sky with vibrantly colors of gold, yellow, orange, pink, purple, magenta; the colors strained against an odd black haze (we found out later that what we thought was smoke from nearby prescribed burns was actually smog coming up from the San Joaquin Valley). The moon was perfectly suspended in the sky, floating on this lake of black-tainted-color, with the bright star of Venus setting and the Perseid Meteor Shower picking up steam as the light disappeared from the cold night’s sky. All of which we enjoyed the show over Sangria, Port and a nice warm fire.
Sunset with Moon suspended in the “Inversion Layer” by argoshots
The next morning we left Kings Canyon and headed towards the Cedar Grove located within Kings Canyon proper, about 30 minute away from the Kings Canyon National Park visitor’s center. Along the way it was like watching an Mother Nature, the artist, in action amid the granite hills. They had a distinct Art Deco kind of feel to them, what with scraggy edges with black, vertical striations of granite, with brown-rust-like markings, as well as green rocks sporadically dotting the grey-black rock all next to curved hills filled with green-trees and an immense amount of steams all below giant granite monoliths towering above everything. Sadly we didn’t get to stay and do any hiking in the Canyon what with our desire to get down into the Giant Forest located in the Sequoia National Park. We’d even considered camping over night; however, we found out that the smoke from the prescribed fires that were burning would descend into the canyon every evening and stay put until well after sunrise, and jeopardizing my heath was not something we wanted to mess with… so we only stayed long enough to watch two bear cubs play next to their momma before moving on to our next campsite.
Once again, we lucked out! Lodgepole campsite in the heart of the Sequoia National Park is by reservation only, and generally fills up months in advance. Like the Grand Canyon, this campsite is by reservation rather than first-come-first-serve; however, we snagged the last campsite available. I was definitely was becoming our trip's good-luck-campsite-charm!
Like the night before we tore over to visit one of the "generals" before sunset. This time it was General Sherman and, like before, we were awed by the spectacular spread of the tree's trunk! Also, like the night before, we experienced another absolutely breathtaking sunset.
General Sherman tree in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park, California USA. by argoshots
Another sunset with Inversion Layer. This one from Sequoia National Park, California USA. by argoshots
Next morning dawned cold and chilly, so we busted-a-move and hit the road before the crowds could follow. Mostly because we wanted to get shots of Argo driving through Tunnel Log. Tunnel Log is a very famous fallen giant sequoia tree that has a tunnel cut through it. After a few quick snaps, we headed over to hike up Moro Rock. It wasn't a tough climb, but it was steep... and the view was just spectacular! We lucked out and reached the top just as a Park Ranger was giving a spiel on the history of the Sequoias and the surrounding areas. It was here that we learned that it wasn't the prescribed burns that was causing the spectacular colors at sunset, but smog from the San Joaquin Valley makes Sequoia have some of the worst air-quality of any National Park! No wonder I was using my inhalers so often!
Argo driving thru Tunnel Log, Sequoia National Park, California by argoshots
From the top of Moro Rock, one could not only see the inversion layer from the San Joaquin Valley, but also the extent of the un-prescribed burns that regularly scorched these national parks. We hung out way, way, waaay out on the rim of Moro Rock for longer than planned; but it was such a beautiful view and it was mostly lovely and quiet, we just couldn't tear ourselves away; but soon we had to, and climb down we did.
Our next stop was Crescent Meadow and Tharp's Cabin. Along the way we encountered a black bear having lunch. First a bite of salad in Crescent Meadow, then he'd meander back up into the trees for a quick bite of grub-protein, then back down into the meadow for another bite of salad.
Black Bear, Crescent Meadow, Sequoia National Park, California by argoshots
For the rest of the afternoon, we hiked around the Sequoias, taking as many pictures of this beautiful local as we could!
Fallen Giant in Crescent Meadow, Sequoia National Park, California USA by argoshots
Flowers and Sequoias at Sequoia National Park, California by me
Sequoia Tree with Yellow Flowers at Sequoia National Park, California by me
Purple Flower at Sequoia National Park, California by me
Part Seven
Part Eight and Nine
Part Ten thru Fifteen
Part Sixteen thru Eighteen
Part Nineteen thru Twenty
Part Twenty-One: Yosemite National Park (August 10, 2010)
The next morning we were faced with grotesque sanitary facilities, so we quickly packed up and headed back down the Tioga Pass and into a very small town, Lee Vining, California, where we cleaned up and found a fantastic 50’s-style diner, Nicely’s Diner before heading back up the mountains towards Yosemite National Park.
The drive was breathtakingly spectacular, with snow tenaciously clinging to the east side of the mountains; crystal-clear blue waterfalls and streams carving their way through the black-rock into expansive and deep lakes surrounded by stunningly green meadows with ponds scattered through them. The “late spring” wild flowers bloomed in proliferation, a kaleidoscope of of blooms blanketed the meadows: red Indian paintbrush, yellow and white daisies, and blue-bonnet-like lupines. The mountains were jagged and rocky, black and gray monoliths, in some places densely covered in evergreen forests while higher up the trees petered out so just the bare ragged rock was exposed to the elements. The higher we ascended and we rose above the tree-line, the once jagged granite monoliths smoothed out into more rounded formations and one could distinctly see the layers of the rocks, one on top of another, almost like pancakes; however, some were vertical, others were horizontal, and every angle in between.
Throughout the next few days, we saw signs of old wildfires everywhere we went. Through Tioga Pass, we passed through groves of burnt out trees and back into copses mature forest and back again. What was left of the blackened trees were like matchsticks sticking out of the newly sprouted landscape. At one point a whole valley was nothing but stands of these scorched matchstick trees surrounded by new growth-trees sprouting profusion.
The intense heat down in the Mono Basic gave way too cooler climate, then turned much more chilly the higher and higher we rose into the granite mountains of the Sierra-Nevadas, and then warmed again as we descended into the valleys below the monstrous monolith formations which loomed over every crevice. Still, the air was so fresh and clean, a crisp and spicy scent filled our lungs. Inhaling deeply, I still couldn’t get enough!
Out of Tioga Pass (CA120) and onto Big Oak Flat Road (CA140) and down the final stretch towards the Yosemite Valley. I’ve said it once and in this case it was “case-in-point:” I’ve seen pictures of Half-Dome and El Capitane. I mean, who hasn’t? They’re what Yosemite National Park is known for, what people travel all over the world to come to see. Still, the pictures are nothing, I repeat NOTHING like seeing these formations first hand. We rounded down from the top of into the valley when I first saw Half-Dome and El Capitane and exclaimed “What the hell is that?!” Their size was enormous, colossal, gargantuan, their vastness absolutely looming over the entire valley. Utterly majestic! The valley, completely surrounded by giant granite monoliths of every conceivable shape and totally covered in a myriad of evergreen and fir tree, was so far below us that I just had to climb out of the moving-car window just to peer over the side of the cliff to see the intensity of the drop! And it was absolutely amazing! Just before we entered the valley-proper, off in the distance we could see water pouring down Bridalveil Falls, something normally unheard of at the end of summer, but what with intensely cold and wet winter, there was still plenty of snow-melt to keep all the waterfalls in the area flowing with enormous intensity.
We decided to snag a campsite before trekking off to see the wonders and headed towards the main area of Yosemite Valley… where we found, to our utter dismay, Six Flags Under Half-Dome(™). It was like Disneyland-National-Park. What a bloody zoo! It was a total fiasco! Traffic was insane, as bad if not worse than rush-hour. Foot traffic was like being in some big-city downtown. There were cop cars everywhere, their sirens blaring and screaming their way through the park. The Yosemite Village had totally sold out, with retail stores everywhere… and not even anything good! Even the ice cream was pre-packaged garbage! Worse yet, there was a chlorinated swimming pool in the midst of some of this country’s most clean, most clear water! We were both utterly horrified at the spectacle!
Six-Flags Over Half-Dome, Yosemite National Park, California by argoshots
Still we did stay long enough to attempt to get a campsite and while that lottery fiasco was just as insane as the rest of the circus, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. A family who had won the lottery sold us their campsite at Bridalveil Creek, and we couldn’t get out of there fast enough! We did stop very briefly at Bridalveil Falls, but it was so crowded and loud and horrible, we left after spending only a few seconds, not even taking the time to clamor over the rocks to the bottom of the falls to enjoy the cool water upon us. So, once again we were driven away from this majestic beauty by the circus like atmosphere, we headed out of the valley into the mountains towards Glacier Point and Bridalveil Creek Campground.
When we arrived at Bridalveil Creek Campgrounds, the peace once again settled over us. The quiet was re-found. The tranquility was reborn. The craziness of Six Flags Under Half-Dome behind us. Unfortunately, we found that we’d been had by that so-called nice family who sold us their campsite. After chatting with the camp-hosts, we were ready to just suck it up and pay for another site altogether. That’s when we met William Phelps. After learning what happened, he stopped by our campsite and offered the use of one of his extra-sites. He was leading a week-long trip for the Peninsula Astronomical Society (and had been doing so for the past 20-some odd years) and happened to have a campsite open for us to use! Not only were we not forced to stay at the Yosemite Zoo, we weren’t out any money and we met someone who was really super cool! We chatted with him for a bit, with him inviting us for drinks around his campfire later on, grabbed a quick bite to eat and tore out to Glacier Point for sunset overlooking Half-Dome and the upper and lower Vernal Falls. We were there well after sunset and it became bitterly cold, what with the dropping temperatures and the wind buffeting and gusting more forcefully as the gloaming departed and everything became darker and darker... and much colder!
Half Dome and the Vernal Falls, Yosemite National Park, California USA by argoshots
Sunset on Half Dome from Glacier Point. Yosemite National Park, California USA by argoshots
We headed back and set up camp and, while Jason did some work, I headed over to William’s site, specifically to warm up by his now roaring fire. I so needed it too because it was just so bitterly cold, even with the sweater and half-mitten gloves that Jason had loaned me! Anyway, while sitting around the fire and having a few drinks, I learned that William is much more than just an amateur astronomer, he’s also a film director, cinematographer and an inventor! To boot, he directed one of my all time favorite surfer movies, North Shore (the movie that set the standard and was the benchmark for all other surfing movies since)!! I couldn’t believe my luck! I was so excited I felt like a giddy-school-girl at a rock concert getting to meet one of her all-time heroes! So our misfortune in the valley ended up being a blessing in disguise! Yay!! Anyway, we stayed up late before finally turning in. Unfortunately, Argo was bitterly cold and it took me forever to get warmed up enough to where I could actually fall asleep.
Part Twenty-two: Kings National Park, Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park (August 11-13, 2010)
Our intent to wake up with Half-Dome at dawn failed, so we slept in a bit before packing up camp and heading out. We probably would have stayed another night at William’s request; however, the radiator/transmission fubar plus the extra 4 or so plus days in Zion meant that the extra-built in time our itinerary had was long gone, so we departed, albeit reluctantly.
The road out of Yosemite National Forest was jam-packed coming up the mountain and just a little less insane going down. Only thing was that there were massive amounts of construction along the route out (something we encountered at almost every National Park or National Forest we visited), slowing traffic to a stand-still as the two-lane road was forced down to one-lane. Then there was contending with California drivers. I never believed that there were drivers who were move clueless than Texans, but Californians take the cake!
Finally, we made it out to the foothills of the Sierra-Nevada and into Central Valley and into Oakhurst, California (just north of Fresno) where we found this fantastic little Cajun/BBQ joint called Todd’s Cookhouse right off of CA41. After a quick bite to eat we hit the road again and headed towards Gundaiguai, NSW… I mean Fresno… Jason and I both agreed the terrain looked mighty similar! Out of Fresno and back up into the Sierra-Nevadas towards Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park, both located in the Sequoia National Forest. Even though they’re separate National Parks, they’re right next to one another.
Our first stop was Kings Canyon National Park and General Grant’s Grove where we found our next campsite… and we both saw our very first sequoia trees. Just like Half-Dome, pictures just are unable to illustrate the sheer immensity of what we were seeing. They were just gigantic! Not only were the enormously tall, in some cases towering over all of the other evergreen trees surrounding them, but the width at the base of the trees were impossibly immense. What’s so amazing about these trees is they have no tap-root and their root structure only goes three to five feet down! So they can be over 300 feet tall with a root structure with a very tiny, but broad, root structure (only about 3-5 feet deep!); which is why it’s not uncommon for them to just randomly fall over for no reason. However, since their bark is so porous and burns poorly, they are resistant to the multitude of forest fires that they’ve had to face in their long years on this planet, and the oldest one known is over 3000 years old!
General Grant tree in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park by argoshots
We spent sunset out with General Grant and the grove of other sequoias surrounding him before heading back to camp for yet another very cold evening. We watched as the last of the sun’s rays dipped below the horizon, lighting up the sky with vibrantly colors of gold, yellow, orange, pink, purple, magenta; the colors strained against an odd black haze (we found out later that what we thought was smoke from nearby prescribed burns was actually smog coming up from the San Joaquin Valley). The moon was perfectly suspended in the sky, floating on this lake of black-tainted-color, with the bright star of Venus setting and the Perseid Meteor Shower picking up steam as the light disappeared from the cold night’s sky. All of which we enjoyed the show over Sangria, Port and a nice warm fire.
Sunset with Moon suspended in the “Inversion Layer” by argoshots
The next morning we left Kings Canyon and headed towards the Cedar Grove located within Kings Canyon proper, about 30 minute away from the Kings Canyon National Park visitor’s center. Along the way it was like watching an Mother Nature, the artist, in action amid the granite hills. They had a distinct Art Deco kind of feel to them, what with scraggy edges with black, vertical striations of granite, with brown-rust-like markings, as well as green rocks sporadically dotting the grey-black rock all next to curved hills filled with green-trees and an immense amount of steams all below giant granite monoliths towering above everything. Sadly we didn’t get to stay and do any hiking in the Canyon what with our desire to get down into the Giant Forest located in the Sequoia National Park. We’d even considered camping over night; however, we found out that the smoke from the prescribed fires that were burning would descend into the canyon every evening and stay put until well after sunrise, and jeopardizing my heath was not something we wanted to mess with… so we only stayed long enough to watch two bear cubs play next to their momma before moving on to our next campsite.
Once again, we lucked out! Lodgepole campsite in the heart of the Sequoia National Park is by reservation only, and generally fills up months in advance. Like the Grand Canyon, this campsite is by reservation rather than first-come-first-serve; however, we snagged the last campsite available. I was definitely was becoming our trip's good-luck-campsite-charm!
Like the night before we tore over to visit one of the "generals" before sunset. This time it was General Sherman and, like before, we were awed by the spectacular spread of the tree's trunk! Also, like the night before, we experienced another absolutely breathtaking sunset.
General Sherman tree in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park, California USA. by argoshots
Another sunset with Inversion Layer. This one from Sequoia National Park, California USA. by argoshots
Next morning dawned cold and chilly, so we busted-a-move and hit the road before the crowds could follow. Mostly because we wanted to get shots of Argo driving through Tunnel Log. Tunnel Log is a very famous fallen giant sequoia tree that has a tunnel cut through it. After a few quick snaps, we headed over to hike up Moro Rock. It wasn't a tough climb, but it was steep... and the view was just spectacular! We lucked out and reached the top just as a Park Ranger was giving a spiel on the history of the Sequoias and the surrounding areas. It was here that we learned that it wasn't the prescribed burns that was causing the spectacular colors at sunset, but smog from the San Joaquin Valley makes Sequoia have some of the worst air-quality of any National Park! No wonder I was using my inhalers so often!
Argo driving thru Tunnel Log, Sequoia National Park, California by argoshots
From the top of Moro Rock, one could not only see the inversion layer from the San Joaquin Valley, but also the extent of the un-prescribed burns that regularly scorched these national parks. We hung out way, way, waaay out on the rim of Moro Rock for longer than planned; but it was such a beautiful view and it was mostly lovely and quiet, we just couldn't tear ourselves away; but soon we had to, and climb down we did.
Our next stop was Crescent Meadow and Tharp's Cabin. Along the way we encountered a black bear having lunch. First a bite of salad in Crescent Meadow, then he'd meander back up into the trees for a quick bite of grub-protein, then back down into the meadow for another bite of salad.
Black Bear, Crescent Meadow, Sequoia National Park, California by argoshots
For the rest of the afternoon, we hiked around the Sequoias, taking as many pictures of this beautiful local as we could!
Fallen Giant in Crescent Meadow, Sequoia National Park, California USA by argoshots
Flowers and Sequoias at Sequoia National Park, California by me
Sequoia Tree with Yellow Flowers at Sequoia National Park, California by me
Purple Flower at Sequoia National Park, California by me