Kings Canyon National Park: The Kings River

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No:

Swimming

Wading

Boating

Rafting

or Fishing.

In essence, stay out of the water.  It is too rough.  Too fast.  Too violent.  It’s not this dangerous on the whole river, but in many parts of Kings Canyon National Park, it is.

I am convinced that if you fell into the Kings River in most areas of Kings Canyon National Park, you would be dead within minutes.  There are too many boulders that you would strike and the water is too fast that you could never stand up or drag yourself to safety.

Don’t get me wrong, it is a gorgeous flow of water to see in contrast with the mountains and valleys.  But in this case, Mother Nature is not to be tested.

The Kings River provides irrigation to over a million acres of farmland in California's central valley.  The river also provides fresh drinking water to central valley residents.  In some areas, white water rafting is permitted.  It is a level 3 river.

I made acrylic prints of this waterfall.  They are as breathtaking as the waterfall is itself.

Have you seen the Kings River in person?  What were your impressions?

For more information about Kings Canyon National Park, click the link below.

https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm

Kings Canyon National Park: The Dual Legacy of Water

I leisurely drove down Route 180 from my hotel in Fresno to the fork in the road where you can either choose to turn right to visit Sequoia National Park or bear left to enter Kings Canyon National Park.  I was extremely excited to visit Sequoia NP because it has a grove of trees which are some of the largest and longest living organisms in the world.  But Kings Canyon?  I had never heard of the place.  Sequoias would have to wait while my curiosity won out. 

As I entered the visitor center a park ranger exclaimed, “Welcome to Kings Canyon National Park!”. 

I responded, “Um, to be honest, I’ve never heard of this place”. 

She smiled and said, “Yeah, we like it like that.  The other parks get big crowds.  We are happy with being off the radar.”

The Kings River carves its way through the valley.

She explained that Kings Canyon is unique in that it has two valleys.  One is a V-shaped valley which was formed primarily by water erosion and a U-shaped valley which was formed when a glacier receded and pulled much of the rocks and sediment away.  So melted snow and ice turned into water and formed the V valley and frozen water formed the U valley.  Interesting.  I decided to investigate both valleys.

The roads curve around a dangerous landscape of rocks and boulders.

The V valley was amazing.  Sharp slopes had been carved into the mountains leaving them with jagged ravines for the water to flow.  Even from a couple thousand feet above, I could hear the roar of the Kings River below. 

The base of the mountains in the U valley were littered with massive granite boulders larger than cars and houses.  This left the U valley with wide gorges where grass and ferns grew waist-high and covered the valley floor. 

I'm 6 feet tall and about 275lbs in this picture.  This is a massive hunk of granite.  

Although I knew nothing about Kings Canyon National Park until I walked into the visitor center that day, I am forever grateful that I explored this national park.  I now believe that Kings Canyon NP is one of the most underrated places in the entire country.  I highly recommend this park for a day or week-long visit. 

Have you visited Kings Canyon NP?  Did you like it?  Would you agree that it is an underrated park?

For more information about Kings Canyon National Park, click the link below.

https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm

Yosemite National Park: Boulders, Olmsted Point, Snow, Safety and Camping

This is a broad-based article.  I wanted to point out some interesting topics that didn’t have enough content for a blog article on their own. 

Boulders can be found all over Yosemite: in river beds; at the side of a road; next to a campground; or at the base of a mountain.  Whether exposed by erosion, drawn to another area due to a receding glacier or is a protrusion of granite emerging from below the earth’s surface, boulders are a prominent feature in the park.  Some are bigger than your house or car.  Others can be bigger than an apartment building.  I always wonder if a boulder fell from a mountain, the incredible sound it must have made when it came crashing down (no comments about whether someone was there to hear it fall). 

Olmsted Point is a scenic overlook on the Tioga Road.  FYI, Tioga Road is only open during the summer and I recommend that you drive it when given the opportunity.  Frederick Law Olmsted was an architect and conservationist who designed several municipal parks around the country including Central Park and Prospect Park in New York City.  He was instrumental in preserving land for our national parks.  This location was dedicated in his honor. 

Snow can be found almost year-round in the park.  I have been to Yosemite in July and seen snow even at low elevations, especially in shady areas.  In years where there has been significant snowfall, the waterfalls will have a strong flow of water from May through mid-July as the snow melts.  During the years of the California drought, even large waterfalls like Yosemite Falls would run dry in the late summer.

Safety is of immense importance when spending time in our national parks.  Keeping a safe distance from wild animals, making sure you have enough food and water while camping and hiking and keeping your eyes on the road while driving is extremely important.  For example, the picture below shows a road where there is no guardrail and a drop of several hundred feet.  Distracted driving could lead you over the edge and once you’re falling there is nothing but the bottom to stop you.

Camping is a very popular activity in the parks.  Campers come with all different strategies to try to conquer the wilderness.  Some will “camp” at one of the lodges/hotels, others will drive their big RV’s, some will tow popup campers and the true modern pioneers will pitch a tent and rough it.  The tents in the picture can be rented and include a stove. 

Have you camped in the parks?  Have you been to Olmsted Point or taken a picture next to a massive boulder?  Tell us about your experiences in the park.

For more information about Yosemite National Park, click on the link below.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Joshua Tree National Park: Converging Environments

“Be very careful if you are hiking.  Take plenty of water with you because you can become dehydrated quickly.”--Park Ranger

June in Joshua Tree National Park will not be confused with February in Buffalo.  It’s hot and dry and the sun is extremely strong.  You might not notice it if you are driving in an air-conditioned car or just spend a few minutes standing in the heat.  Walking a trail in this environment can be fatal if not taking the proper precautions. 

Keys View offers an incredible view of the Coachella Valley.  The peaks of the mountains on the opposite side of the valley are the tallest peaks in southern California. 

Joshua Tree is a unique place.  Some of the rocks have been dated to 1.7 billion years old.  These precarious rock formations owe their architecture to erosion. 

Check out the rock balancing on the top left portion of the pile.

This rock was teetering on edge. It was also in the shape of a pork chop--it's always about food

From the National Park Service Joshua Tree Website:

Joshua Tree’s nearly 800,000 acres were set aside to protect the unique assembly of natural resources brought together by the junction of three of California’s ecosystems:

•The Colorado Desert, a western extension of the vast Sonoran Desert, occupies the southern and eastern parts of the park. It is characterized by stands of spike-like ocotillo plants and “jumping” cholla cactus.

•The southern boundary of the Mojave Desert reaches across the northern part of the park. It is the habitat of the park’s namesake: the Joshua tree. Extensive stands of this peculiar looking plant are found in the western half of the park.

•Joshua Tree’s third ecosystem is located in the westernmost part of the park above 4,000 feet (1,219 m). The Little San Bernardino Mountains provide habitat for a community of California juniper and pinyon pine.

Have you been to Joshua Tree National Park?  What is your favorite part of the park and why?

For more information about Joshua Tree National Park, click the link below.

https://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm

Death Valley National Park: Minimalist Beauty

The further south you drive the less vegetation, animal life and human life you see.  It’s certainly not a moonscape but a certain "Wild West" feeling emerges as you descend into the valley.  I sped faster to arrive just short of sundown.  The sun was running to the west side of the Sierra Nevada mountains and I was still dozens of miles from Panamint.

Rather than check in to the “resort”, I kept driving to reach the center of the first valley you reach when driving in from the north.  It was mere minutes before the sun would escape till tomorrow so I stopped to preserve it with my camera.  As I opened the car door, a young coyote approached as if he had waited all day for me to play with him.  I attempted to shoo him away but, looking forlorn, he circled the car and stared at me again.  I chose to drive down the road another fifty yards to take my pictures.  It was obvious to me that past visitors had fed him which now made him oblivious to the dangers of humans.  This is a huge no no for park visitors.  Never feed the animals because they become dependent on food from humans.  Also, you could feed them something that is harmful to them.

As I exited the car, the sun’s orange blaze shined bright above the mountains as thunder rumbled in the distance.  Although Death Valley only receives 2-3 inches of rain per year, rain was a factor in my visit.  Rain did not materialize that evening but I was unable to reach certain areas of the park which were damaged by heavy floods just seven months earlier.

The sand dunes of Mesquite Flats kick up tons of dust on a windy day.  Sand dances across the roads just like snow on a winter’s day. The picture above was taken near Badwater Basin which is North America’s lowest point at 282 feet below sea level.  Death Valley is a desolate place yet still holds its beauty.  A land of high highs and low lows. In a matter of minutes you can descend from 5000 feet in the mountains to below sea level.  Simply unlike anywhere else in North America. 

Have you been to death Valley National Park?  What was your experience like?  What is your favorite part of the park and why?

For more information about Death Valley National Park, click the link below.

https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm