Kings Canyon National Park (Kings Canyon National Park, California)

Not really know what to expect of this national park we decided to simply drive into it and stop at whatever caught our attention. We were ware of some of the mighty sequoias growing within the boundaries of the park, but beyond that we were fairly unaware of what sites we might see. What we found was heaven. This canyon, much like Yosemite Valley, was formed by glacial movements polishing the granite valley walls. In fact, it reminded me of a much more untouched Yosemite. The visitors here were sparse, unlike the famous valley to our north.

Stopping for one picture after the next, we tired, but couldn’t hope to capture this divine place with a camera. After reaching the bottom of the canyon, we stopped for lunch at he Cedar Grove lodge, which sits alongside a quite piece of the Kings River, responsible for cutting the original canyon long before the glaciers took their artistic brushes to it. Continuing on, we were amazed at the power of the river as we drove beside raging rapids littered with giant granite boulders. The sound of the water crashing over small falls and rapids like this can’t be explained; it must be experienced. It speaks directly to the soul and renews it. Muir said that all people need to get out into the wilderness to recharge themselves. He was right.

Continuing on, we stop at a couple of magnificent waterfalls, including Grizzly Falls, which is a broken fall of a couple of hundred feet. We meet several picnickers at the base of the fall and share in raw beauty of this place.

Unlike many national parks, this one seems to be a celebration of the land. This untamed place is a favorite destination of backpackers and explorers, as it is largely untouched by the “improvements” of the modern age. Only this single road enters the park, but beyond that are hundreds of square miles of wilderness. I hope to return someday to see more of this untouched and untamed land.

As we leave the valley and return to the entrance, we stop for a couple of other noteworthy places. Before heading into Grant’s Grove, we take the jeep up a couple of rugged back roads to visit Stump Meadow and the Chicago Stump. These are painful reminders of what tragedies were affected by our recent ancestors in the quest for greed, with no thought to words preservation for their children or children’s children. These stumps are the remnants of more might sequoias ripped from the ground by the “progress” of man’s civilization. The Chicago Stump in particular tells a sad story. As explorers brought tales of the mighty trees back east, many people refused to believe that any tree so large could exist. As proof, the loggers cut down the General Noble Tree (what remains is known as the Chicago Stump), broke it into pieces, shipped it east, and reassembled it for spectators. Even after seeing the reconstructed tree with their own eyes, many onlookers still thought it was a hoax. The mighty tree had been killed for nothing, but the vanity and ignorance of mankind. It breaks my heart to see a place like this.

 

Stopping again at Grant’s Grove to see more of the giant sequoia, including the General Grant tree, we realize the hour is getting late and decide to head back to camp. After a visit from our friend the mule deer again, we turn in with thoughts of wild past of this land in our heads.