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Portfolio of Mark Hougardy

Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Parks

Some Practical Observations About Visiting Kings Canyon National Park

blog_20100925_img1Most guidebooks and some online resources have great information about visiting Kings Canyon, but these sources often overlook some basic questions that families ask. Here are some practical ‘from the ground’ observations:

Can I buy basic food, supplies, and ice at the park?
Yes. Small grocery stores are located at the Grant Grove Village (at the park’s entrance) and the Cedar Grove Village (in the heart of Kings Canyon). Both stores have basic camping supplies, toiletries, canned food and a small selection of fresh fruits and vegetables and bags of ice. The store at Cedar Grove has fishing lures and tackle. The prices on most items were fairly reasonable. Obviously come to the park prepared, but if you forget something the stores should be able to help.

Are the restrooms flush or pit toilets? Are they maintained?
The restrooms at the Grant Grove Village and the Cedar Grove Village have flush toilets. Many of the camping and primary sightseeing areas have flush facilities. Note, the visitor center in Grant Grove has a very small restroom and a line can form quickly. If you are not fond of lines, turn around and walk about a minute – past the post office and just past the small grocery store – to a lesser-known restroom with flushers. All of the facilities we found, including a few of the more remotely located pit toilets, were all well maintained.

Where Can I Buy Gas?
Gas is not available in the National Park to expect only for emergency situations. Driving to the park on Hwy 180 the ‘last gas’ is supposedly at Clingan’s Junction in a little town called Squaw Valley. However, the adjacent National Forest lands do have several locations to purchase gas. We found gas at the Stony Creek Village located on the Generals Highway which connects Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks; a second location at Hume Lake about a third of the way to Cedar Grove; and at the Kings Canyon Lodge about half-way to Cedar Grove. This lodge did have a six-gallon minimum purchase but the prices were reasonable considering the distance out. What is interesting are the pumps themselves, these pumps are apparently from the 1920s and are supposedly the oldest gravity feed pumps in the country. Try to keep a full tank before you enter the park, but if you need gas to try these above-mentioned locations. We always fill up our tank in Fresno and have always made the return trip back to Fresno before needing to fill up again.

How far of a drive is it from Grant Grove to Cedar Grove?
We like to stop and smell the flowers so it takes us a little longer. Expect a drive of about an hour and twenty minutes one-way.

Where can I find out if any campsites are available?
Kings Canyon does not accept camping reservations, it is a first-come-first-served system. At the Visitors Center in Grant Grove is a whiteboard with a count of the camping areas and daily availability. We found that campgrounds in the Grant Grove area were very popular and almost always full throughout the summer. The sites around Cedar Grove (in the Kings Canyon Valley) generally had lots of availability during the weekdays. We found that arriving in the Cedar Grove area on Sunday provided the best opportunity for finding a choice camping space. The weekends were busy and the campsites around us filled up quickly late on Friday.

Note the location of your campsite’s food locker.
One item to be aware of when selecting your campsite is the location of the food locker. A food locker that appears to be in a shade location at 3 pm may not be at 10 am or noon. These lockers are made of solidly constructed metal and painted brown. If they are in the sun too long they can become an oven-like food locker – with your ice chest inside! When setting up camp take note of the shade and whether your food will be shaded in the morning and afternoon.

Are black bears a problem?
The problem is more with people not storing their food properly. Visitors should use the sturdy food lockers that are provided to store ALL food and non-food items that have a scent.

Will the altitude affect me?
It might, everybody is different. Some folks get a headache, some even a little nauseous. My experience is that the quick change in elevation, by itself, is not a big issue. But when a change of altitude is combined with a long day of driving, not drinking enough water and being tired a quick change in altitude can make even the nicest folks a little cranky.

Where can I get a map and learn more about the park before I visit?
Visit the Kings Canyon National Park website. You can learn more about the park, read the park’s newspaper and download a map at this address:
http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/brochures.htm

Sequoia’s Tokopah Falls

Everything in Sequoia National Park is on an immense scale and Tokopah Falls is no different.

Tokopah Falls is the tallest waterfall in Sequoia National Park. Visitors can see it descend along a series of whitewater cascades, falling 1,200 feet (365 meters) in just about one mile of distance (1.6 km)!

Imagine standing in a glacial-formed valley surrounded by tall walls of granite. Before you is the beginning of the valley – a steep headwall that rises a quarter-mile to the skyline. At the skyline, a white ribbon of water plummets from a large notch in the mountain. The water rushes down the steep cliff wall, darting and jumping, twisting and turning around jumbles of boulders. Such rocks might look petite from a distance, but they are the size of houses and cars. Quickly the ribbon appears larger and has a defined movement, the cascades grow larger and closer. At the base of the waterfall, a torrent of water tumbles over a cliff – it crashes into a deep pool of rolling and exploding white. This is Tokopah Falls.

Late spring offers the most dramatic views as snowmelt swells the river; though in the summer, as the snow disappears from the mountains, it is possible for the falls to appear almost dry. Regardless of the water level, this is a beautiful area.

Getting to Tokopah Falls is an enjoyable walk through forests and meadows next to the picturesque Marble Fork of the Kaweah River. The trail is 1.7 miles (2.7 km) one-way with just 500 feet (152 meters) of elevation gain – making it a good trip for families. The trailhead is located within the Lodgepole Campground on the north side of the easy-to-see stone bridge. The bridge area has easy access to the river and on hot days visitors take full advantage of the cool water. The park’s shuttle bus makes a stop at the campground just a few steps from the trailhead.

As you walk up the trail look for an impressive stone feature called the Watchtower on the south side of the valley. It dominates the skyline, rising 1,200 feet over the valley, so it is not hard to miss. The Watchtower is so big that it is a constant companion on the way to the waterfall.

On this trail, my family has seen a variety of animals including mule deer and a black bear with two cubs. During summer the trail is used by a lot of visitors; if you want to avoid crowds travel in the early morning or late afternoon.

The Largest Tree in the World

The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is the largest tree in the world!

How big is it? An interpretive display near the tree gives some perspective about the size of this giant, “Looking up at the General Sherman Tree for a six-foot-tall human is about the equivalent of a mouse looking up at the six-foot-tall human.”

In our video, we provide a ‘sense of scale’ with a visit to a stone inlay ‘footprint’ found along the trail. This footprint represents the size of the tree at its base. Stand in the middle of this footprint and turn slowly around to better appreciate the size. The tree at its base is 103 feet in circumference (31 meters), and 36.5 feet (11 meters) in diameter.

The General Sherman Tree is approximately 2,200 years old. It is not the oldest or the tallest – it is the biggest in terms of volume. How big? Back to the interpretive display, “If the Sherman Tree’s trunk could be filled with water it would provide enough water for 9,844 baths. That’s one bath every day for 27 years.”

If you want to see the tree even closer continue down the trail. The trail has lots of opportunities to see more, learn about and better appreciate this magnificent wonder of nature.

Visitors to the park can easily travel to the tree via the park’s shuttle. The shuttle is a free service offered to park visitors in the summer. An added benefit is that after walking half a mile downhill from the main shuttle stop you can easily jump on another shuttle and continue to see the sights of the park. Walking half a mile is not that far for some, but if you have an elderly relative who is not used to the altitude they will thank you for not having to climb back uphill.

Car parking is available at the main parking lot, but finding space can be a pain in the summer. Take the shuttle to avoid these headaches.

A Great Family Hike at Zumwalt Meadow

Zumwalt MeadowA visit to Zumwalt Meadow is a great hike for families in Kings Canyon National Park. Everyone will enjoy an easy walk next to a river, through open forest and along the perimeter of a beautiful mountain meadow.

The trail leads downstream a short distance to a rugged looking suspension bridge. It is a great place to snap some pictures. On the other side of the bridge, several kids were splashing in a shallow pool. Dad was nearby about knee deep in the water keeping an eye on them. An older man about fifty feet away (possibly their Grandfather) was fishing.

The trail continued through an open forest for several minutes to an area strewn with massive boulders, this is the result of an avalanche. We walked along the trail between and over the debris left by the avalanche. The trail rose about 50 feet over the meadow and offered some fantastic views of the valley below. After about 15 minutes the trail leveled out and we found ourselves once again surrounded by trees. A large flat boulder sat next to the meadow and provided us with an excellent table for enjoying our lunch.

We walked down the trail and came to a junction. A sign pointed to the Roads End area and to Muir Rock, but we continued with our Zumwalt Meadow walk. The trail meandered through the upper section of the meadow. The shade from nearby trees kept us cool in the afternoon sun.

The river was just ahead. The cold blue and turquoise waters rolled past, in some areas the trail had been eaten away by the river and we had to step to one side to avoid falling in. Around us, the walls of Kings Canyon jutted far into the sky. Some of the peaks loomed almost a mile overhead! In some areas, the afternoon sun was blocked by their presence. The views were just amazing!

A wooden walkway now replaced the trail; it provided a transition between the meadow and the water without getting our feet wet. The views from the walkway were some of the most spectacular of the entire visit. Eventually, the walkway ended and we found ourselves in the open forest and on the trail near where we started. We had completed a loop. The suspension bridge was just a short distance away.

The trail is about 1.5 miles and can take up to an hour to complete, though our trip around the meadow took about 3 hours because of our numerous stops to enjoy this place and just to play. Bears have been known to enjoy this meadow just as much as humans – keep the camera handy.

The Magnificence of Sequoia’s Moro Rock

Moro Rock is an impressive granite dome in Sequoia National Park. If you stand in the valley below it commands the skyline at almost 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) overhead! Visitors who drive from the south entrance of the park (from the Three Rivers area) along the Generals Highway will see this massive dome with increasing detail as they head further into the park.

From the Giant Forest Museum visitors can either drive to the Moro Rock trailhead or take a free shuttle. If you have the time hike the Moro Rock Trail through the Giant Forest. The hike is less than 1.5 miles (2.4 km) one-way to Moro Rock and offers hikers a ‘Wow’ factor not available by seeing these giants from behind the glass windows of a vehicle.

The trail to the top of Moro Rock, at first, appears to be a gently sloping path, but it quickly ascends 300 vertical feet in just over a quarter of a mile. If you are not used to the altitude take your time and enjoy the views. For those who reach the top the scenery is ‘jaw-dropping.’

If you are visiting in mid or late summer be prepared for a grey looking fog to obstruct your view. Sadly, this grayness is smog; although it might be smoggy do not let that diminish you having a great experience. A visit to Moro Rock is worth the trip.

A park brochure and map of the Giant Forest (sold at the various Visitors Centers) best describes what is being seen from this vantage point, “the often smoggy view includes the foothills of Sequoia National Park, the community of Three Rivers, the San Joaquin Valley, and sometimes even the Coastal Ranges, located over a hundred miles to the west. To the east the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River are visible. Trailside exhibits identify the peaks of the Great Western Divide.”

A Great View from Panoramic Point

Panoramic Point is an aptly named location in Kings Canyon National Park. It is a short side trip by car from Grant Grove Village. The drive is about 15 to 20 minutes up a winding road that is narrow in some areas. At the end of the drive is a small parking lot surrounded by trees. Several picnic tables and a pit toilet are nearby. A paved walking trail guides visitors roughly 300 yards (275 meters) up a moderate incline to the Panoramic Point. What a great view! In the distance we saw peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains 30 miles away, several even further. Before us – seen with a full 180 degrees – was the Kings Canyon valley. The valley appeared as though a giant furrow had been tilled out of the earth. To our easterly direction was a small structure on top of a granite dome. This was the iconic Buck Rock fire lookout about 5 miles away. We enjoyed this vista undisturbed for about 10 minutes before another family arrived. Like us, they were quiet, amazed by the view of this aptly named Panoramic Point. If you make it to the Grant Grove Village a side trip to Panoramic Point is worth the view.

Becoming a Junior Ranger Is Not Just for Kids

Grandma recently became a Junior Ranger. Yes, Grandma at 67 years of age became an official Junior Ranger at Kings Canyon National Park.

During a Ranger-led campfire program, Grandma and her 9-year-old grand-daughter proudly walked up to receive their Junior Ranger badges.

Some adults attending the campfire program thought that an older person becoming a Junior Ranger was unusual. One woman thought that an adult receiving a Junior Ranger badge “was just wrong.” Her gruff statement gnawed at me for several days. It demonstrated a common perception that Junior Ranger activities are just for kids and that an adult becoming a Junior Ranger is somehow ‘strange’.

So why did Grandma become a Junior Ranger?
Reason one: she wanted to learn more about the park.
Reason two: it was a great way to help the youngest family member learn about the outdoors and share in cross-generation experiences. What can be better than that?

Grandma did have to complete an ‘older’ section of the Junior Ranger activities to earn her badge while her younger counterpart completed another. Both worked together, learned something new, and had fun. In fact, the entire family was involved with the activities, visiting places, and learning about the park.

The park service has done a fantastic job of expanding the definition of Junior Rangers to ‘kids of all ages’ so it can more easily include parents and grand-parents – a move that is welcome and will help many other families to become involved.

Hopefully, in the coming seasons, more parents and grandparents will be joining their children and grand-children at other campfire programs to receive their own Junior Ranger badges.

To my understanding, the oldest Junior Ranger is age 82.

What’s the Giant Forest Museum?

Giant Forest MuseumThe Giant Forest Museum is the best place to learn about giant sequoias.

The museum is located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park. The Giant Forest is a plateau of just several square miles that is home to the largest trees on the planet.

Inside the museum, visitors will discover interpretive exhibits all about these magnificent trees. Rangers are on hand to answer questions, provide maps and help point folks in the right direction.

The Museum is also the central transit point for the park’s shuttle system. Across the street check out the Beetle Rock Education Center, a hands-on place to learn more about nature for all ages.

Walking the Magnificent Crescent and Log Meadow Loop

blog_20100826_img1Crescent Meadow was apparently one of John Muir’s favorite places – and upon seeing it we quickly understood his appreciation for this splendid location in Sequoia National Park. The abundantly green meadow is about half a mile in length; its perimeter is guarded by the reddish-brown colored trunks of the immensely sized giant sequoias. This combination of colors and nature is set like a gemstone against a deep blue sky of the High Sierra.

We walked a short distance and rounded the southern section of the meadow. As we walked up the eastern edge a friendly passer-by informed us a bear was near the trail. A few minutes later we saw the bear; it was almost camouflaged by the tall meadow grass. blog_20100826_img2He was not aggressive and just seemed to be enjoying his day. We watched quietly with just hushed whispers to express our wonder, a heightened sense of awareness and respect. We kept our distance not wanting to disturb the bear or call any additional attention to ourselves.

At the second right in the trail, we continued over a short rise and saw another brightly green-carpeted meadow before us. This was Log Meadow and after seeing several large logs crisscrossing the meadow it was easy to see possibly how the meadow arrived at its name. Here we found a bench along the trail and enjoyed some lunch.

Tharp's LogToward the north end of the meadow was a very curious sight, a burned out redwood tree that was literally a log home. This is “Tharp’s Log” a fallen giant sequoia that is about eight feet tall at the open end. The open end is covered by a shingled cabin-like outside. An open door allows visitors to step just inside, another sign asks visitors not to disturb the cabin’s interior. Inside the belly of this Sequoia are a fireplace, table, hinged window, shelf, and a bed frame. The log appears to go back about 50 feet. An interpretive sign tells that Mr. Hale D. Tharp was one of the first residents to the area. He used the meadow as Tharp's Logthe range for his livestock. The log was his home every summer from 1861 to 1890!

Continuing westward the trail ascends over a small ridge. Here we walked through more giant redwoods and made note of the some of trees marked on the map. The trail re-connected with Crescent Meadow and took us back to the parking area.

After a short wait at the shuttle stop, a shuttle arrived to take us back to the Giant Forest Museum. We had been out for several hours. It had been a great visit.

Visiting Sequoia? Take the Shuttle

When visiting Sequoia National Park consider parking the car and taking the free shuttle to see the sights.

The shuttles are clean and the drivers are courteous. One driver, in particular, was a real hoot and kept us well entertained as she drove us through the Giant Forest.

It was really great not having to search for a parking space or having to drive back to our camping spot after a long day.

My family took advantage of the morning shuttles. At this time the shuttles had just a couple of riders and the destinations had fewer crowds. Shuttles run every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the summer. The shuttle service makes stops in several areas including:

Dorst Campground, Wuksachi Village, Lodgepole Campground, Lodgepole Visitors Center, the General Sherman Tree Main Trail, the Sherman Tree Wheelchair Accessible Trial, the Giant Forest Museum, Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow.

For complete dates of operation and any route, changes check the park’s newspaper. You are given a newspaper when you enter the park.

Time at Muir Rock

Muir Rock is a large stone monolith bordering the South Fork of the Kings River in Kings Canyon National Park. It is a short walk from the Roads End trailhead and is a popular destination for families.

Some of the first people I saw included a family with two children. The kids enthusiastically walked around the edge of the rock before plunking down at the opposite end of the great stone. They sat side by side and hung their feet off the edge. Their pant legs were rolled up and they wore shirts that were already splotched with dirt. Their appearance briefly reminded of the literary characters Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. The kids skipped some rocks then something in the emerald colored water captured their attention. One kid shouted, “I see one!” He pointed to a moving shape beneath the ripples. The second kid’s head bobbed to the side to get a good view of the fish. The second one slyly said, “I wish we could eat it.” Then an invisible light bulb seemed to spark over their heads. They talked quietly for a few minutes about fishing equipment then bounded down the riverbank apparently toward their Dad.

Around lunchtime, a couple came with a large bag. They removed a picnic cloth and spread it over a section of the flat rock. Then removed some plump sandwiches. The rock was warming up from the sunlight and made for a comfortable and magnificent setting for any lunch.

More families had arrived at the rock and some of the older kids were starting to swim in the river. They yelped loudly as they jumped into the cold mountain water – not realizing just how cold it was until they plunged into it.

Later in the afternoon, a good number of people had made their way to this large rock. I found the most interesting person at this time was an elderly woman sitting in the shade near the rock. She was knitting a small jacket that was sized for a baby. She worked quietly for a long time on her hand-made gift. Even after I returned from a short hike she was still diligently working on her gift. She must have eventually finished but I did not see her leave.

As the afternoon continued the rock became very crowded with people. Even though it was noisy and the surrounding area was also becoming too crowded for my own comfort it was good to see people enjoy the outdoors and appreciating these great natural gifts.

Returning to the area in the evening I found the rock was void of people. Morning also provides a similar opportunity to enjoy the majesty of this place.

The nearby interpretive display mentioned that conservationist John Muir often used this rock to address people who had traveled to the area to urge the inclusion of this watershed in a national park. The rock is named in his honor.

What Is That Cute, Brazen and Silly Animal in My Campsite; Is It a Chipmunk or a Ground Squirrel?

blog_20100813_img1While camping at the Lodgepole Campground in Sequoia National Park several cute ‘chipmunk-like’ critters would quickly scurry across the ground, over rocks and under picnic tables in our area.

These critters were not just cute, but brazen. Sometimes one would jump up on the table to see what you were eating, or if the opportunity permitted, to inspect an open backpack sitting on the ground.

They were also silly. One or two would spring with the ease of a gymnast onto a sunny bolder, then stretch their out body on the warm stone and ‘enjoy some rays.’ If they felt unsafe they would quickly dart away.

What exactly was this cute, brazen and silly little creature? Most of the other campers in our area called them Chipmunks; a few called them Ground Squirrels.

A quick look in a California field guide solved the mystery. Chipmunks did exist in the area but these small mammals had a white-strip down either side bordered by a heavy black stripe. Plus they did not have any stripes on their face. These were Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels.

Shown is a picture of a Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel that visited our campsite.

Here are some characteristics to identify these cute, brazen and silly little critters when they visit your campsite at Sequoia National Park-
1) They are very cute.
2) A white strip on each side bordered by a heavy black stripe.
3) Their head and shoulders are plain – no stripes on their face.

Reference: National Audubon Society Field Guide to California.