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: Water

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Whenever someone asks me where they should stay when visiting Yosemite National Park, I never hesitate.  There’s a small town down Route 140 about 40 miles from Yosemite Valley called Mariposa.  It has about 2000 residents who make their livelihoods from park visitors with several lodging choices and a couple of taverns.  The drive up Route 140 sets the tone for what you are about to experience in the park.  The road hugs the Merced River and provides a relaxing view of mountains, water and vegetation.  In one section, you must take a one-lane bridge across the river because part of the eastern road was destroyed after a rock slide (see pictures below). 

The rockslide destroyed the road on the right side of the river.

As you get closer to the park, the rapids get more treacherous.  In many areas, swimming, boating, wading and fishing are prohibited.  The water is so rough, fast and unforgiving that you would suffer serious injury or death if you fell. 

The upper Merced River in many parts of Yosemite National Park is much calmer and slow moving.  The water is so clean and clear from the snow melt that you can see the color of the stones at the bottom. 

The first major waterfall you encounter when entering the park is Bridalveil Falls.  It is on your right as you drive into Yosemite Valley and is a short walk from the parking area.  You can walk right up to the falls and be sprayed with its mist which can be refreshing on a hot summer day. 

Tenaya Lake is a very popular locale to rest and relax.  The surrounding mountains feed the lake and provide a peaceful space for humans and wildlife. 

Yosemite Falls is the crown jewel of waterfalls in the park.  At 2,425 feet, it drops in three sections, the bottom of which can be accessed by foot.  The roar of the falls can be heard in the surrounding meadows when the flow is strong.  The flow can dwindle in the late summer and into the fall season. 

Water can appear out of anywhere in the park, especially in the later spring and early summer.  As the snow rapidly melts, waterfalls form and may run for months before drying up just before winter visits again.  Such is the case with Ribbon Falls, which is a couple of miles down the road from Yosemite Falls.  It is longer than the upper Yosemite Falls drop but has a much narrower flow of water. 

The beauty of the larger waterfalls cannot be matched but the simplicity of some of the smaller roadside waterfalls and lake tributaries beautify all areas of the park.  Keeping your eyes peeled is a necessity to capture the full scope of how water cleanses and breathes life into Yosemite National Park. 

Do you have a favorite waterfall, lake, body of water?  Where is it located?  Why is it your favorite?

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

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

Grand Canyon National Park: The Grandest of Them All

January 1996

"You might want to take a sweatshirt or some long pants.  It will be cooler out there."  

"No, I will be fine."  

We waited about 30 minutes while the pilot of our small plane completed his pre-flight checklist.  It was late January in Vegas and overcast.  The temperature was a very comfortable 70 degrees whereas at my apartment in the suburbs of Philadelphia it was around freezing.  Little did these people know that I was born and raised in the frozen tundra of Bradford, PA.  70 degrees was a nice summer day and 53 degrees, as it was on the rim of the canyon that day, was shorts and t-shirt weather.  

Although relatively fit at 210lbs, the pilot took one look at me, then at the other passengers and said, "You're going to have to sit next to me in the front or we aren't getting off the ground."  I had only flown a couple of times in my life up to that point and I had a significant fear of heights (still do).  Being in a small plane at 5000 or so feet was going to challenge my fear and force me to confront it.  The pilot, although only in his mid-twenties like myself, executed the flight plan perfectly and my fears were minimized.  We landed next to the rim of the canyon unscathed and proceeded to a school bus that took us on a two mile tour.  Native Americans explained to us the history and lore of this magnificent site.  

"Be careful standing at the edge and looking down.  I haven't lost anyone yet."  Yes, you could stand at the edge and look down over 1000 feet to the jagged rocks below.  You just can't fathom how powerful the water must have been to carve such a deep crater into these rocks.

This contraption was erected in the 1800's.  It was a cable system designed to extract bat droppings from caves across the gorge.  Workmen would travel along the cables (like an old style zip line) to the caves, use suction tools to accumulate the guano, then transport it via the cable to workmen at this station.  The droppings would then be used for fertilizer on farms in the west.  

This was a very enjoyable tour.  I was picked up at my hotel and driven to Boulder City where we boarded the plane and were flown to the canyon.  Once there, we were taken on the bus tour and fed lunch.  The entire process took about 7 hours and (in 1996) only cost $110--some of the best money I've ever spent.  The GC is worth so much more.  

Have you been to the Grand Canyon?  What was the favorite part of your experience there and why?

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

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