Leaving Yosemite National Park and Staying at Sequoia National Park

Leaving Crane Flat Campground

Goodbye Yosemite

I woke up about 6:00 AM on Thursday, September 8th for the last morning of my stay in Yosemite National Park. I didn't want to get up or leave but I had to. My stay was over.

I took care of a few personal hygiene tasks and then without making any breakfast of coffee I packed up my campsite. I rolled up my air mattress and sleeping bags, took down my kludge tent and packed it up, got everything out of the bear locker, and loaded up my trusty Explorer. By about 7:30 AM I rolled out of Crane Flat Campground and set my sights on Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park.

Yosemite Highway View

My plan was to drive the Wawona Road / Highway 41 through Yosemite National Park, exiting at the south entrance. Heading from Crane Flat Campground briefly back into Yosemite Valley to get to the Wawona Road was bittersweet. I didn't want to take the Wawona Road! Why couldn't I just somehow stay in Yosemite Valley? But, I had to turn right... Of all the turns I took on my entire trip it seems that this one was the hardest.

Wawona road took me past Tunnel View viewpoint where I had spent some hours. It took me through the Wawona Tunnel. It took me past the Glacier Point Road turn off. It took me away from Yosemite. In case you can't tell, I was having a hard time leaving Yosemite.

Wawona General Store

The road continues winding through forest interspersed with wonderful but too brief vistas. Eventually, heading south, you'll reach the Wawona General Store and U.S. Postal Office at Forest Drive. I pulled in to hopefully get a burrito and coffee. They didn't have any burritos but the woman at the checkout counter said that the coffee was the best in town!

I thanked the woman for selling some of the best coffee in town and then went back out to my Explorer where I pulled out a 2-pack of berry Pop Tarts and had somewhat of a breakfast. I noticed that this was also the only building in town.

Driving through Coarsegold, CA

I continued on, past the turn off to the Merced Sequoia Grove which was closed during my visit for renovations, and then I was driving through the south entrance about 4.7 miles from the coffee vendor, on the exit side. I had driven on most of the roads in Yosemite National Park. I hadn't driven on El Portal to the park gate, and I hadn't driven on all of the minor roads.

But I had driven the Tioga, Glacier Point, Big Oak Flat, Hetch Hetchy, and Wawona roads. I felt like I'd seen a lot of the park. I felt sad to leave it.

I started passing through small towns including Coarsegold before getting into more open scenery with rolling hills and fewer trees. Eventually I started seeing more cityscape as I neared Fresno.

Denny's in Fresno

I decided I'd get a proper breakfast in Fresno so as I was driving along Highway 41 I punched up restaurants on my GPS and chose a Denny's (at 32 E Herndon Ave Fresno, California). I hadn't had a sit down meal since Friday, about 6 days earlier, so I decided it was time.

Intersection of Highways 41 and 180

I sat at the bar and ordered a breakfast from the Senior menu and called my wife. I also hadn't had much cell phone or Internet connectivity in almost a week, which for me is fine.

On a side note, I called collect to my wife 3 times while I was gone, using the pay phones at the Crane Flat Store in Yosemite National Park and the Lodgepole Visitor Center at Sequoia National Park. The 3 calls totaled to about $113 in charges. Your mileage may vary.

But I did want to post a few iPhone pictures to Facebook - some of my friends and family like them. I got my breakfast and ate while I continued to post. The waitress took my plate and gave me more coffee while I continued to post. I felt hungry so I ordered lunch while I continued to post - a grilled cheese and french fries! The waitress laughed at me but kept bringing me coffee.

After my breakfast and lunch and posting, I got back on Highway 41 and headed south to the intersection with Highway 180 where I started heading east.

On to Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park

Closing in on Sequoia National Park
California Highway 180

Highway 180 from Fresno leads right to the northern Big Stump entrance to Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park. The park entrance is about 58 miles from the Fresno Denny's on Herndon Ave, just in case you were wondering.

As you head east out of Fresno, past the airport, the countryside is mainly flat, eventually starting to get a bit hilly. I stopped before getting into the park at the Clingan's Junction Grocery and Valero Gas Station and store because someone thoughtfully put up signs (or used their marketing genius) to inform drivers that there is no gas available in the park.

Climbing into Sequoia National Park

Note: I want to point out that I am NOT affiliated with any of the links that I provide - I don't get paid by them, etc. I'm just including them when/if I get the urge and when I find a related link that I think you might be interested in.

As I approached the park it just didn't seem like it was very mountainous or woodsy. You end up driving up hills that look like they could be from eastern Oregon or Washington, or even northern California along Interstate 5. Those looks are deceiving. Once you get in the park, even a bit before, you get into the forest.

Big Stump Grove

A sequoia!

About .8 miles after you pass through the park Big Stump Entrance booth, you come to the Big Stump Picnic area on the left (west) side of the road. I'd read about the "Big Stump" in my "Photographing California - Vol. 2: South" book and had to stop there.

I pulled in to the parking lot and got out of my Exploder, setting foot for the first time in King's Canyon National Park. Woo hoo! There is a trail head that leads into the woods. I didn't take my DSLR with me as I headed down the trail, believing I'd return and get it if necessary. That was a mistake.

I headed down the trail. And I mean down. It wasn't terribly steep but it did descend. I passed by sequoias and was instantly struck by their size, majesty, and how welcoming they seem with their fuzzy bark which can get up to about 3 feet thick! I was smiling again! I still missed Yosemite but this was getting good - it's trees and not granite that are the impressive features of this park.

Getting friendly with a sequoia

Continuing along the trail I stopped to look at some more sequoias and to feel them. I'm no botanist but I still try to actually touch things instead of only looking at them through a camera viewfinder. Plus, I only had me iPhone with me so there was no viewfinder available.

When  I turned to start heading down the trail again, approaching a clearing, I saw 2 deer grazing on the trail! How cool is that?! I stopped and watched them. The one in the trail was watching me back but the other one, off to the side a bit, was eating some good national park grass.

Deer grazing along the Big Stump Trail

I took an iPhone picture and then tried to get closer for a better shot which scared them off and they jumped into the brush to the right side of the trail. As I got to where they'd been and was looking at what they were eating, there was a crash to my right.

I turned and saw one of them jump and run off away from me. It had only been about 10 feet to my right, apparently motionless, and I hadn't seen it as I approached.

I tried to see them again but it was no use. I felt lucky to have seen them at all this close and in a natural setting.

Mark Twain Tree - Big Stump Grove

Entering the clearing I came to the Big Stump, or Mark Twain Tree. I wonder how he'd feel (or felt) about having a tree named after him that had been cut down.

This near perfect tree was cut down in 1891 in order to have sections of it put on display in museums in New York and London where they still exist. The National Park Service has more information about it on this web page (https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/science/hartesveldt/chap1.htm).

This is where I got lost. I looked around the clearing a bit more and got turned around, taking a different trail than I'd come to the clearing on, and ended up on the park road right near the park entrance.

Me and my stubble on the Mark Twain Tree

I had no idea which way to go to get back on the correct trail so I decided to walk along the road. It was up hill and there wasn't really much shoulder to walk on so when I hear cars coming I had to get in the brush and wait until they passed. It was only a little under a mile but it was uphill, warm, and I hadn't taken any water with me. And, I'm not the svelte athlete I used to be. In fact, I never was a svelte athlete.

I was bushed by the time I got back to the Big Stump Picnic area and my Explorer and a drink of water! I wasn't wanting to go down the trail again with my DSLR. I was glad, however, that I hadn't had to carry my 10 pounds or so of DSLR gear up that road on my walk!

Lodgepole Campground

Lodgepole Visitor Center

I had reservations for 2 nights at the Lodgepole Campground and since it was about 2:20 PM I decided to head there to see what I needed to do to set up my site for the night. I bypassed the General Grant Grove thinking I'd make it back, which as it is now clear, was a mistake because I never did.

It's about 25 miles from the Big Stump Picnic area to the campground but because of how twisty the road is it took a good hour to make the drive to the Lodgepole Visitor Center and campground.

I checked in to the campground and drove around the entire campground. It is located along the Marble Fork Kaweah River and is very pretty and relaxing, situated among the pines and within walking distance to the visitor center, well stocked store, restaurants, and SHOWERS!

Site #16, Lodgepole Campground
Sequoia National Park

I found that my site, #16, had a very level parking area which was blacktopped. I was going to be able to simply sleep inside of my Explorer and wouldn't have to set up a tent! After my experience at Joshua Tree (where I lost my site), I did take the time to get out a folding chair and set it up. In fact, I decided that since I had the full following day, I'd just chill out at the site.

I went to the visitor center and took the first shower I'd had since Saturday, 5 days earlier. I went back to my site after the shower and dropped off my shower stuff. Then I went back to the visitor center to get souvenirs and eat at the restaurant however the restaurant had closed by that time. I bought myself some souvenirs and a jar of peanut butter. I'd taken bread with me from Phoenix but hadn't opened it and I was hoping it was still good, which it was. I just didn't want ramen noodles again. The bees swarmed my peanut butter and bread - I found out that one of the sites next to me was closed due to bees! Nice to have company!

When the sun went down I was already in bed, reading me some "Bill Bryson - The Lost Continent" and laughing out loud.

Sherman Tree 

Me at the General Sherman Tree Trail entrance

I woke up around sunup or 6:00 AM or so. I made myself some instant Starbucks Italian Road coffee with a Pop Tart, rearranged the inside of my Explorer a bit, then headed down the road. My first stop was at the General Sherman Tree.

This time I did take my DSLR with me, along with one of my trekking poles (the left one). The trail from the non-handicap parking lot is steep. The Big Stump trail was wimpy compared to this one. They have warning signs about the trail - it's easy going down but be aware that coming back up is strenuous!

I got to the tree at about 7:30 AM without meeting anyone, nor was there when I got there. I had the place to myself on that Friday morning. I took some photographs with my Nikon D610 that I was pretty happy with to an extent (I'll post them later - I still haven't processed them).

From a photography perspective, you really need a wide lens in order to capture the sequoias, or you need to be at the base to shoot up the tree. But that ends up creating distortion in the trees. You can get rid of that distortion in Lightroom but when you do you might find out that you needed more room around the tree to prevent chopping some of it off. I really wish I had some way to edit shots on location so you could see if you needed to recompose when shooting this type of subject. Maybe someday I'll just learn how to compensate.

Bombs Away!

Size 11 Pinecone

When I got back to the parking lot I had to use the bathroom. There was a loud bang on the roof while I was in there. Outside I found a large pine cone had fallen on the roof. I was glad it hadn't hit me on the head! I wonder if that has happened. I'd guess that it has, and then I wonder what the damage is!?

Auto Log and Tunnel Log

The Auto Log is a fallen sequoia that has had a lot of photographs taken of it with autos on it. I thought it was the log you could drive your car under but I was fooled. I took some iPhone pics of Auto Log but then went to find Tunnel Log.

Jucy camper van

I met a young couple at Tunnel Log who were driving a "Jucy" rental camping van. I'd never seen these before but there were quite a few of them at Yosemite and Sequoia. I wish I'd asked them how they like it. 

They were concerned that the van wouldn't fit under the Tunnel Log due to it's clearance. I watched and helped them get through the log - there was probably a good 3 or 4 inches of clearance.

Me and my Explorer at the Tunnel Log

I took some cell phone pics of them on their phone and they reciprocated and took some of me. I drove through the tunnel twice just to make sure I did it properly.

Crescent Meadow

My photography book suggested Round Meadow as a photogenic location, a nice meadow surrounded by sequoias. The directions to the meadow in the book were not up to date, however, and I couldn't find the way to the meadow.

The book also mentioned Crescent Meadow and I saw the signs, etc., to make it there so I decided to give it a try.

Me at the trail for Crescent Meadow

I took my DSLR gear with me on the trail but when I got there it wasn't nearly the same as what the pictures of Round Meadow were and I didn't end up taking any photos of it at all. It is a small meadow with some trees around it but there was growth throughout the small meadow that just didn't make it terribly photogenic. 

I'm sure it would be cool if there was fog or golden hour light but for mid day it didn't move me enough to take some photos. I headed back to my Explorer still enjoying the wonderful immersion in nature regardless of the photograph productivity.

Moro Rock

The start of the path up Moro Rock

Moro Rock was listed in the photography book rather nonchalantly as a climb up a rock that offered view point worth seeing. Little did I know what was in store for me.

The summit of Moro Rock is at about 6,725 feet elevation. It looks out to the south and has a great view. Or so I'm told. I saw a part of it.

When I pulled in to the parking lot at Moro Rock a park ranger had just arrived. I watched him hop out of his vehicle and bound, hop, run up the stairs leading to the trail. I hated him instantly.

I grabbed my DSLR, tripod, and trekking pole and headed up the stairs. The picture at right is what you see shortly after getting up the stairs from the parking lot. I was nervous even at this point, hoping I could put aside my fear of heights.

I kept going and was trying to be manly. 

The view, even shortly up the trail, was expansive. I just hated it when I looked down at all so I tried not to do that.

I made it basically to the end of the path visible in the picture at left where the path turns to the right and climbs up. 

At that point I suddenly felt like I no longer had control of my balance or feet and at any moment I was going to fly off of the edge and there was nothing I could do about it. 

My eyes seemed to close in and get tunnel vision. I started trembling. I have to fight back the panic I feel, and how I want to scream and yell for help and just want to close my eyes and wake up back in the parking lot.

Some other tourists asked me if I was okay and needed help. I told them I was just afraid of heights and would be okay. I tried to turn around but couldn't. I backed down the stairs, forcing others to go around me. It was embarrassing but I had no choice.

Eventually I made it back to an area with railings that made me feel safe again where I did turn around and basically clung to the rock until I calmed down. Man I hate that I can't combat and overcome that fear. Once again I missed out on a sight from a high vantage point because of my fear. Heights and spiders - I hate them!

No Bears

I made it back down to the parking lot and the safety of my Explorer. I was disappointed but still happy that I'd at least seen as much as I was able to.

I decided at that point to head back to camp. Along the way I drove slowly, hoping to see any sign of bears - even footprints or scat. The only signs I saw were signs.

After spending a number of days and nights fussing with the bear lockers at the campsites in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks I really wanted to see a live bear. 

For some reason I thought that would be less scary than walking up Moro Rock! From the videos I've seen the bears don't really want to have anything to do with humans other than to get to their food.

I'd actually been worried about it enough that I had vacuumed the Explorer very thoroughly before I left home and I packed every scented thing in the bear lockers at my campsites. But I felt that if I saw one wander around that unless I smelled like beef jerky, it probably would saunter off, like the deer I'd seen the day before.

Fin

On my way back to the campsite I made up my mind to cut my visit short and head home. I could make it home that Friday night, giving me Saturday and Sunday to regroup before heading back to my J O B on Monday and with it, settling back into my old life.

I would not be the same, though. Because I have now experienced John Muir country in the Sierra Nevada "Range of Light": Mono Lake, Yosemite, Hetch Hetchy, King's Canyon (briefly), and Sequoia. I can't unsee those sights nor unlove them. Nor can I (three weeks later) stop wanting to return. I felt reborn while there. I felt alive as a human animal while there. I felt as though there is meaning to life while there. I smiled while there.