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William Ennis
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William Ennis
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William Ennis
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William Ennis
By William Ennis
There is a saying "that nothing stands still." We can be thankful that this phrase holds true for our planet, otherwise, the dramatic landscape we see in California's Sierra Nevada would be non-existent.
The surface of our Earth is made up of plates that drift around. Along the west coast, the seafloor plate is slipping down under the North American continent. As it slips, all the islands and mud that were sitting out there in the ocean get scraped off and plastered to the continent as new land. A small coastal range may show up due to the crumbling that occurs.
As the seafloor plate slips under the other plate it generates heat that melts some rock. The melted rock, magma, rises to create volcanoes several miles inland, perhaps about 160 kilometres (100 mi), from the coast.
In the case of California, much of the magma solidified in huge blocks, which created the Sierra Nevada Range. Later on, some great movement broke the Sierra Nevada Range, and moved it apart about 100 kilometres (60 mi). The northern section is now called the Klamath Range.
Increasing the complexity are the faults, which are created in the rock by cracking, uplifting and settling of the great masses of rock on the plate. To more or less complete the story, we must consider the mountain glaciers that sculpted and formed the great u-shaped valleys and carved the mountain peaks.
It's both the geological marvels and the beauty of the area that have drawn us across the continent several times. We've been into Sequoia NP in the winter and in the summer. Winter is fantastic, with the snow hanging heavily on the evergreens, or highlighting the rims of the cliffs. In the winter there are likely to be areas where tire chains are required. You may not need them on the tires, but they have to be in the car. Also, since the weather may change several times in a day, bare pavement can turn into icy roads before you return down the highway. Summer is wonderful but a bit too crowded. One compensation is that it will be warmer in the higher elevations and these trees are up high.
To see the giant trees in any season will be the highlight of the trip. You can see high magnificent mountains in many places, but here is where the grandiose, giant sequoias reign supreme. Their kingdom exists only higher up on the westward side of the mountains where they thrive on the moisture-laden breezes from the Pacific Ocean.
They must like it here as they can live a long, long time — the oldest is over 3,500 years old. There is a patch in Sequoia NP where staff have been monitoring each tree for 30 or more years. They are trying to detect what affect the continuing climate change will have on them. These trees have existed for millions of years and will have seen the climate change a lot. Glacial ice ages have come and gone but the trees are still here.
Stretching into the sky an unbelievable 76 m (250 ft) makes them monsters of the forest, or so you might think if you come upon a row of these giants. If they are in a location where you can stand away from them, they look really impressive. Of course, they look magnificent even standing at the bottom, looking at the thick irregular pieces of bark. Just don't be under one of the huge cones when they fall.
Bad times for the sequoia began in the 1800's when people with axes and saws arrived to cut down trees that towered to 90 m (300 ft) and were wider than your driveway. These were trees that were a couple thousand years old, and they were there for the taking. Protection came in 1890 with the creation of the Sequoia National Park. An impressively large giant, named General Sherman, is easily reached and is a fair representation of what the trees in the sequoia forests were like.
The two parks, Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP, are now linked together, providing over 1013.89 sq km (630 sq mi) of protected land. To access the park you can take the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway which is Hwy-180 coming into the park from the northwest reaching the Kings Canyon Visitor Centre. The other access route from the southwest on Hwy-198 is wonderfully crooked and is the only route to follow if you have a vehicle longer than 7 m (22 ft). The two entrance routes area joined by the Generals Highway.
There are several groves of the giant trees, and you will find walking and hiking trails in each. At the General Grant Grove, you can take a short walk that goes past the huge General Sherman Tree, and see up close a giant sequoia on the ground, at the Fallen Giant.
This grove is in Kings Canyon NP and there is also another grove here, the Cedar Grove. Cedar Grove is found by continuing on Hwy-180 past the Kings Canyon Visitor Centre and following the crooked Kings Canyon Scenic Byway into Kings Canyon. Kings Canyon's depth rivals the Grand Canyon, and the entire park consists of canyons, plateaus, and wilderness.
A visit to the Mineral King Valley, a very rugged area on the south-east side, requires you to select the Mineral King road, prior to entering Sequoia NP on Hwy-198. It's a steeply climbing crooked road, 40 km long (25 mi), that takes you to the highest point you can reach by road, in the Mineral King Valley. This scenic valley is cloaked in pine forests along with sequoia and fir trees. Trailers and RVs are not permitted and the two campgrounds are for tents only. Hiking trails here take you into the backcountry and permits are needed for overnight stays.
Campgrounds are abundant but there are no RV hookups. Your enjoyment of the solitude of the wilderness will be somewhat diminished by the excess use of generators, from 9 to 9, with some exceptions in Lodgepole and Dorst Creek campgrounds where times are 8-11 am, and 5-8 pm.
A pleasant ghost idea from the past! Forget reservations! There are several first-come, first-served campgrounds, but not Lodgepole, Dorst Creek, Buckeye Flat, Sunset, and Sentinel campgrounds which do have some reserved sites.
Remember:
- RVs must come in from the north on Hwy-180. Those vehicles coming in using Hwy-198 are restricted to 22 ft. and construction may be still going on, which will slow your access.
- Keep in mind, when planning, that nothing is close. The roads are crooked and may be hilly, so allow plenty of time.
- Tire chains required in the vehicle, and sometimes on the wheels, in certain areas in the winter.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park is are located near Los Angeles and San Francisco and as such are heavily used parks. They do have beautiful scenery that includes thick forests, tall mountains and open valleys. Their great attraction is really a chance to walk and sleep among some of the largest trees still alive on Earth. If you are patient, you can enjoy them and disregard the crowds for a little while.
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