Kings Canyon advice appreciated

[Erik Larsen]

Hi Folks,
It's time for a little r+r and I was thinking about heading out to Kings Canyon in the next week or two. I will have about 10 days to spend in the area. I have not been to the area before and need some advice on camping spots (tent) and your particular favorite spots in the area. I won't be able to back country camp but I am willing to hike in the back country if the photo's are worth the hike. I will have an 8x10 and 11x14 with me as well as my fly rod so please steer me in the right direction. All the photos I have seen seem to be from the East slope which doesn't appear to be accessible except with back country camping - am I mistaken? My normal photo vacations usually involve catching the early light for some photography - fly fishing during the day and photographing at the end of the day. I will be coming from Colorado, should I attempt to get there from the north via Mono lake area or from the south via Vegas up to Visalia?

I know I will kick myself if I at least don't visit Yosemite, but I think I couldn't take a photograph there that I haven't seen a dozen times and I really am not fond of traffic and crowds while I'm trying to relax. Can I avoid Yosemite and still not regret it?:)

Any help from the frequent visitors to the area would be much appreciated and if you are up for it I could use a private tour guide:)

regards
erik

[Robert Oliver]

go to Yosemite... Just stay out of the valley. Spend some time up in the high country. North Dome at sunset is a great day hike, as long as you don't mind heading back in the dark. You can usually find camp sites (midweek) at Yosemite Creek Campground and have fairly decent access to the high country.

Kings Canyon is a tough one to me.... from the Road's End at Cedar Grove, it's about 8 miles before the canyons open up to the classic Sierra Nevada views that I like.

You can get (long) day hike access into the high country from Onion Valley/Kearsage Pass on the Eastern side.

[John Kasaian]

If you don't mind twisty roads, Mineral King is where I'd recommend camping. No crowds even in the middle of summer. Beautiful.
I'd avoid Yosemite until after Labor Day---the lines to use the restrooms are too long.

[Erik Larsen]

Thanks guys, It still looks like the tioga road first come campsites are still closed according to the website. Is everything still under snow in the area? Is the Kings Canyon/Sequoia Park more likely to be under snow than Yosemite? I'm kind of torn between the different areas.
regards
erik

[Robert Oliver]

Mineral King is awesome too... good suggestion John. Lot's of classic sierra images without having to overnight in the backcountry. The passes out of Mineral King have snow equipment advisories (ice axe/crampons) still. Not many people up there, and the restaurant at Silver City has amazing pies. (all pies are amazing after a few days of camping)

snow is still a problem anywhere around 10,000 feet and above. River crossings are a little dangerous right now too.

I've had bad luck on the first come first served campsites on tioga in Yosemite, which is why we usually just head to Yosemite Creek Campground. (not sure if it's open yet)

We are headed to Sequoia the first two weeks of August. CAN'T WAIT

Taking a tiny camera in comparison to you, only dragging lugging a 4x5 inside of my backpacking kit.

[Bill Burk]

If you love mountain driving, you might have the luxury to devote a couple days in the Southern Sierra, crossing part of the mountains that few people see. If you cross East to West at Tehachapi, you can go up the Kern River at Isabella and visit some of the redwood groves on 190. Stop all the way along for pictures. I'd drop down to California Hot Springs for a swim then head back up to 190. There's a campground at Quaking Aspen near Brewer's Ponderosa 7,000 ft. Easy hike to the Needles. Or you can camp at Belknap campground in Camp Nelson 5,000 ft. Some cabins along Nelson creek are stunningly picturesque on their own right. The McIntyre grove is a bit of a hump up from the creek but sometimes it's worth it to see groves of redwoods that haven't been overexposed. Stop to see the Alonzo Stagg tree (Cover of Balog's book, Tree), then make your way down to Springville, Porterville, Visalia and back up into the mountains on the rest of the trip. Now these are the western slopes. You won't see much but trees for a good part of the way.

No fish on the route I described. Maybe the Kern, or a side-trip to the Golden Trout Wilderness (catch and release).

[John Kasaian]

Regarding Yosemite in the summer, I'll generally head for the east slope outside the park. Virginia Lakes has a reliably good fishery (we like camping at Trumble(sp?) Lake, across the road) and Saddlebag Lake is really nice as well. Getting a campsite in Tuolumne Meadows anytime practically takes an act of Congress, but there are several camp grounds between the Tioga gate and Lee Vining, some OK, some not so OK. You're in easy striking distance of Bodie ghost town as well, and of course The Whoa Nellie Deli!

[Michael Wynd]

Come to Kings Canyon in Australia. Now there's an experience you won't forget.
Mike

[Drew Wiley]

Bah! Don't let folks scare you away from Kings Canyon. The road to Cedar Grove and
the loop road thru Sequoia are joined at the top, so there are plenty of things to see
and photograph. The highway down into Cedar Grove is indeed slightly winding, but no
big deal if you aren't in a rush. A much more laid back area than Yosemite Valley, without the annoying crowds. Some of the campgrounds can be busy on weekends,
so call and reserve in advance, but generally none of the problems like Yosemite where
car camping in general is problematic. Forget all that "must see" tourist mentality rushing from one part of the range to another. Take your time and enjoy it.

[Drew Wiley]

Oh - as per fly fishing ... the runoff in the Sierra everywhere is tremendous and cold right now, so it might be tricky finding quieter pools and riffles this early in the season. Sometimes the smaller streams in meadows can be good, but just be damn careful with the currents. The Kings River itself will be running high and turbulent.

[David Karp]

Lots of beautiful things to photograph in Kings Canyon and Sequoia. Many interesting details. We are heading back there this year. This is coming from someone who has not been in the back country there, but just photographing in the places readily accessible by day hikes and shorter.

These areas are not Yosemite, but they are beautiful. As for Yosemite, I have been there during the height of the tourist season many times. Even in the valley, walk five minutes or less in a direction away from the standard spots and you will be all alone. Its finding a nice place to park yourself that will be the bigger problem. Of course, you will take photos of things you have seen, but there are also lots of photos to be made there, for sure.

[Drew Wiley]

Driving route - fastest and most scenic way would be down 395 on east side of Sierra and around the horn over Isabella Pass to Visalia area. Otherwise, you can go over Sonora or Tioga Pass and downhill from there, but end up with a more boring and hot drive down Hwy 99 in the Central Valley. Might be a good idea to arrive before Aug due
to (horrors!) a hypothetical Fed shutdown of the Natl Parks over budget quarrels. If
this does happen, you could explore the N. Fork of the Kings above Pine Flat Lake. Nice
country too; but the rd directly up the river beyond Balch Camp is not for the faint of heart.

[Preston]

Drew: Isabella Pass? Are you referring to Walker Pass? If so, it's CA 178 East from 395. It ties in with 99 at Bakersfield. There's some nice country up there, including a Joshua Tree forest on the East side.

Erik: There's a nice hike along the South Fork of the Kings from Cedar Grove to Junction Meadow. Hang a left there and head up Bubbs Creek.

--P

[Drew Wiley]

Hi Preston. Apparently we're referring to the same road. It heads back toward the mtns
maybe fifteen or twenty miles south of Olancho, then crosses over to the Kern River and finally down to stinky Bakersfield. If one has time in cooler weather, the old hwy
on the opposite side of the river is the most interesting. Maybe our local terminology for this road was a little different from the maps. Or one can cut north at the lake and
take a tortuously winding set of roads to the Kaweah drainage and then down to Porterville (not recommended unless you're a back road junkie like me). I'm personally
headed for Mineral King later in the season, but plan to be in the backcountry the
whole time, mostly above 10,000.

[Erik Larsen]

Guys, Thanks a lot for the suggestions and advice, much appreciated! It looks like it will take me about 11 or 12 hours to reach the Mono Lake area from colorado with nary a stop sign between my home and the Sierras so driving should be easy and uneventful hopefully. Looks like the biggest town I'll go through is Tonopah:) Being that I will be arriving early evening to the Mono lake area, are there campgrounds likely in the area or national forest campgrounds that I could reliably find a spot for the evening? I don't like the thought of driving around for hours looking for a campsite after driving all day from Colorado.

Day 2 I guess I could satisfy my curiosity and drive through Yosemite playing tourist and cussing at the rv's as it looks unlikely that I would be able to find a campsite in the park anyway unless some of the northern ones open up for the season which are closed at the moment still. Then I would make my way down to the sequoia/kings canyon area and set up base camp and quit spending my days on the road. It looks like a shorter route to go on the west side down from Yosemite to Kings Canyon rather than go on the east side. Would I regret not taking the longer eastern route? Is the west route bumper to bumper traffic or is it casual highway driving? I would assume the eastern route would be relatively traffic free as it doesn't look like much population is in the area.

I think I am falling into the trap of wanting to see it all, rather than pick a spot and enjoy it. It will all be new to me so I'm sure I'll enjoy the scenery wherever I end up at. I'm only looking for 4 or 5 once in a lifetime photographs to happen in between finding my own private little high mountain lake with a little stream coming out of it to chase the elusive golden trout around and never see a mosquito - is that too much to ask?:)

Again folks, thanks for the advice and feel free to offer more!
regards
Erik

[Bill Burk]

Looks like you might make it to Virginia Lakes. You might also try provisioning some bread at Schats in Mammoth.

[Preston]

For camping in the Mono Lake area, I suggest Lundy Canyon. There is a campground (I forget it's name) just a bit east of Lundy Lake. The campgrounds in Virginia Lakes will be very crowded, the same will be true with Lee Vining Canyon.

The shortest route to Sequoia/Kings Canyon will be through Yosemite (140) or 41 to 99, then South to Visalia. The downside to this route is the traffic through the park and on 99, not to mention August heat. If it was me, I'd go down 395 and then over Walker Pass. You'll certainly spend time going this way, but the rewards are greater, in my estimation.

It sounds like a great trip! Have fun!

--P

[Curt Palm]

if you you go to Yosemite Valley for just a day trip in the summer, I'd suggest getting to the valley floor as early as possible. The traffic and crowds start picking up mid-morning

[Drew Wiley]

Driving clear thru Yosemite from Mono Lk, into Yos Valley, then out thru the south entrance is a very slow slog. Tour buses and motorhomes don't pull over for anyone.
But the Tulomne Mdw area and Olmstead Point are worth a gander. The Valley itself can be a hot hazy smoke-filled zoo in summer - hardly the stereotypical AA postcard.
An alternative would be Sonora Pass to the north. Equally scenic to Tioga Pass and
often faster, but you'd miss Yos Valley. Going down Hwy 395 instead would be a shame
if you didn't allow yourself some time to drive up some of the side canyons. Mono Lake
is also worth some extra attention if you arrive early or late in the day (it can be pretty hot otherwise). 395 is pretty fast because there are quite a few passing lanes.
The views around Bridgeport are interesting, and at Mammoth you can drive up to the
summit above the ski resort for a closer look at the Minarets and Ritter range. Not too
far out of the way, and a good place to restock supplies, though Bishop has stuff too.
Above Bishop there's a wonderful drive to Lake Sabrina, above Big Pine to Glacier Lodge
and the views there, and above Lone Pine to Alabama Hills, Whitney Portal, and a high
road overlooking Owens Lakebed. After that, 395 will take you into a bit of desert country. You'll see a lot more of the Sierra than driving thru Yosemite.

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

I think you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Go first to relax and truly enjoy what you see. The photographs will happen if they are there, and they won't if they are not there.

I agree about the area near Bishop California, but if you have never been to Yosemite just drive in there for a day, stop at the Ansel Adams Gallerie, get yourself an ice cream cone at the store, and leave. Then, if you never get there again, you can still say you were there, and regardless of the crowds, it is a pretty neat place to visit.

[Erik Larsen]

Again everyone, thanks a lot for the help!

I think I will leave tuesday the 19th next week and end up on the east slope somewhere and spend a few days playing tourist with a trip into Yosemite to see what it's all about. Then I figure I will make my way down the east slope and head back up the west side to Sequoia/Kings canyon area and stop along the way wherever I fancy in a more relaxed pace. I have decided that I don't have to be back home until the 8th of august so I imagine I will have enough time to spend a few days in each campsite so I don't have to be on the move all the time.

Do any of you folks know if the Mineral King area has a bunch of secluded mountain lakes that I could call my own within a couple miles of the campground that would have fish in them? Next to the accomplishment of taking a beautiful photograph with a large format camera, I really enjoy getting away from everyone in the backcountry with my fly rod. I have looked at google earth and there looks to be some lakes all over the place but it is nice to get first hand experience from someone who's been around the area. I'm assuming (hopefully correctly) that they are free of ice by now? I would think that the larger rivers that drain a lot of the area are probably too muddy from runoff still, but I am hoping that if get high enough up with some of the small streams and lakes that I could fulfill my fly fishing fetish.

If any of you local folks are gonna be in the area I would be happy to cook you a chile dog and give you a beer or two in response to the help that I have received.

One last question please, Is there any film to be had in the area? I assume no 11x14 will be available, but maybe 8x10 or even 4x5?

Thanks for your thoughts,
regards
erik

[Drew Wiley]

I checked on Mineral King conditions yesterday. The road is open and part of the
campgrounds. Most of the lakes are up behind high passes (over 11,500 feet each).
But there are four lakes accessible on the front side which a few hikers have been reaching. But expect a good workout with quite a bit of snow still, and the distinct
possibility you might have to turn around due to excess runoff if you need to cross
a stream (the snow bridges are starting to cave in). Things will probably improve in
a couple of weeks. But get acclimated first, which you can start doing by wandering
around up around Tioga Pass and trying to camp high. And bring a good set of walking poles, good boots, and above all, a rain parka and sweater. The weather can
change quickly in the Sierras just as in other mtn ranges, and afternoon thunderstorms are common (and highly photogenic). The road into Mineral King is
quite slow. Don't know about the mosquitos - they're certain to be bad somewhere,
mainly in the meadows. The closer you are to snowline, the better in that respect.
Remember a headnet and repellant just in case! And gas up at the bottom of the hill
hill - there are no services up there.

[Drew Wiley]

Well, I wasn't thinking ... you're probably already acclimated if you go uphill from
Grand Junction frequently. The Sierras are a very different kind of mtns, however,
mainly due to the unbroken linear nature of the range and the very deep canyons.
On the way down to Cedar Grove, there is a little knoll above Yucca Point where you
can see both the river and crest of the range at the same time, the highest canyon
drop on the continent, with quite a diverse range of geology, including some interesting caves if they are open to the public yet.

[Erik Larsen]

I checked on Mineral King conditions yesterday. The road is open and part of the
campgrounds. Most of the lakes are up behind high passes (over 11,500 feet each).
But there are four lakes accessible on the front side which a few hikers have been reaching. But expect a good workout with quite a bit of snow still, and the distinct
possibility you might have to turn around due to excess runoff if you need to cross
a stream (the snow bridges are starting to cave in). Things will probably improve in
a couple of weeks. But get acclimated first, which you can start doing by wandering
around up around Tioga Pass and trying to camp high. And bring a good set of walking poles, good boots, and above all, a rain parka and sweater. The weather can
change quickly in the Sierras just as in other mtn ranges, and afternoon thunderstorms are common (and highly photogenic). The road into Mineral King is
quite slow. Don't know about the mosquitos - they're certain to be bad somewhere,
mainly in the meadows. The closer you are to snowline, the better in that respect.
Remember a headnet and repellant just in case! And gas up at the bottom of the hill
hill - there are no services up there.

Thanks Drew,
If I might ask, where are you finding the current conditions?

I'm praying for anything but clear blue skies:) I'm hoping it'll be a little cold for the skeeters up that high, we'll see. I think I can dive right in and not have to worry about the altitude as I frequent quite a bit 10,000 + areas close to home.

Good thought about gas. Are gas stations far and few between especially on the east slope?

regards
erik

[tgtaylor]

If I might ask, where are you finding the current conditions?
erik

http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/trailcond.htm

Thomas

[Erik Larsen]

Many thanks Thomas! That's good info.
Regards
Erik

[Bill Burk]

Drew,

What do you know of the old Sherman pass road? Is it going to be passable?

Erik, I'm thinking as you come west from around Olancha you might go to Kennedy Meadows for a day or two of fishing for brown trout. From Kennedy Meadows you can take the Sherman pass road (if it is open). Sherman pass is the first road through the mountains south of Tioga pass. But it doesn't save you any time. If the locals tell you you can't go through, find your way back east and south to Walker pass and go to Isabella Reservoir.

From there, I'd leave it up to you. If you just go down to Bakersfield and then up 99 to Visalia you miss out on a lot of redwoods.

If you go north at Isabella through Kernville (gas up before you go further) up the Kern river. There are redwoods the whole way so watch for pull-outs and short trails. Head towards Johnsondale (don't think there are any services). And on to Quaking Aspen, Before heading down, call Pierpoint Springs Resort to see if Cedar Slopes has fish fry Friday. Otherwise you probably are best to eat at Brewers Ponderosa and camp at Quaking Aspen. (Don't ask Brewer's for any information, the joke is they always tell you whatever it takes to get you to go there. "Sure there's lots of snow.") Camp Nelson is 45 minutes from Porterville.

After that loop you still pretty much end up back down on 99 at Porterville. North 30 minutes to Visalia and 198 up to Sequoia/Mineral King.

The back roads can take you through Lindsey olives and Exeter if you want to miss the crowded road, and it is faster. When you hit the intersection of Exeter and 198 look for the red barn for Tri-Tip BBQ sandwiches.

[Erik Larsen]

Bill, thanks for the details! I am really looking forward to this trip!
Regards
Erik

[dsphotog]

Yosemite is still a magnificent place to photograph.
Even the standard scenes like tunnel view are filmworthy.
Especially if you are travelling some distance.
Happy shooting & great skies!

[Jon Shiu]

It is worth spending a day just to be in Yosemite Valley. Take the short walks to Bridalveil Fall, and Yosemite Falls, and (longer walk) to Mist Trail.

Jon

[John Kasaian]

Have a safe trip!

[Bill Burk]

One more attractive feature about the Southern Sierra that I always appreciated over Yosemite. There are no major flight patterns so you won't have contrails. Sorry Yosemite, but you seem to attract a lot of fly-overs.

There are two reservoirs worth mentioning between Kings Canyon and Yosemite worth driving to if possible. Florence Lake and Thomas Edison. Both have ferry service. The same road that takes you to both is a drive that simulates the experience of backpacking! Once you get there you can make a day trip by catching an early ferry and catching an afternoon ferry back. Inlet to Edison may have fish. The trail follows the inlet a mile or so then cuts uphill to avoid the cataracts. Guess where the best fishing is, where the trail leaves the water.

[Erik Larsen]

One more attractive feature about the Southern Sierra that I always appreciated over Yosemite. There are no major flight patterns so you won't have contrails. Sorry Yosemite, but you seem to attract a lot of fly-overs.

There are two reservoirs worth mentioning between Kings Canyon and Yosemite worth driving to if possible. Florence Lake and Thomas Edison. Both have ferry service. The same road that takes you to both is a drive that simulates the experience of backpacking! Once you get there you can make a day trip by catching an early ferry and catching an afternoon ferry back. Inlet to Edison may have fish. The trail follows the inlet a mile or so then cuts uphill to avoid the cataracts. Guess where the best fishing is, where the trail leaves the water.

Thanks Bill, I'll look for those lakes. Forgive my ignorance, what is a cataract that needs avoiding?

regards
Erik

[John Kasaian]

Thanks Bill, I'll look for those lakes. Forgive my ignorance, what is a cataract that needs avoiding?

regards
Erik

Cataracts are what will make your photos look like they were taken with the petzval lens;)
Either that, or rapids:D

[Erik Larsen]

Cataracts are what will make your photos look like they were taken with the petzval lens;)
Either that, or rapids:D

Yeah, I try to avoid cataracts myself - I just never heard them referred to as rapids. I learn something new everyday:)
erik

[Robert Oliver]

You won't have them to yourself, but Mosquito Lakes and Eagle Lake in Mineral King aren't too bad of a slog and might be what you are asking for

[Bill Suderman]

I expect my reply is too late for the initial question, but, if going to Kings Canyon, consider a side trip through Hume Lake and continue to Buck Rock Fire Lookout (google it), then on to Big Meadows. It's been decades since I've visited that area, but you work around the edges of Kings Canyon while looking into it. Grand vistas, as mentioned, the Canyon is the highest verticle depth in the US, greater than the Grand Canyon. I grew up (some would question that) just outside this area in a little town called Dinuba, so, being farmers with little "extra" cash, we spent weeks in this area, it was only a couple hours drive to the "end of the trail". Then we'd pack in as far as we liked. If we saw another party in a week, we figured it was starting to get a little crowded up there. This area of play for us included Mineral King, too. Yes, we'd park at Crabtree's and head up. I can't show you any photos cause all I carried was my Dad's "brand-new" Leica M2 while leading the pack mule. Josephine lakes were not stocked in those days, but fishing was super. Have you enjoyed a summer thunder storm above timerline in the dead of night? Marvelous.

Best in your trekking,
Bill

[Drew Wiley]

Florence and Edison are quite a drive from Sequoia/Kings. I spent one summer in a packer's stock truck over those steep one-lane grades at about 2mph infuriating the traffic stuck behind. Last year the Edison ferry was under repair so they were operating smaller speedboats instead. It was snowing too, so unless you were wearing
good rainwear, you'd get pretty soaked crossing the lake. Some old neighborhood classmates of mine run the operation at Florence. If one has garden-variety 4wd there
is the Bear Creek diversion dam road in between, which allows one to access that lovely watershed and potentially dayhike past what might well be the largest quaking
aspens on earth (I've measured them up to 37 inches in diameter). Beyond that you
can backpack into even grander scenery. The paved road into Florence and Edison gives panoramas of the Clark and Ritter ranges, Kaiser ridge, and much of the Silver and Mono divides, and at one point, of the summit of Mt Darwin. A short dirt road right at the top Kaiser Pass leads a mile to the best viewpoint, unless you choose to dayhike
clear to the summit of Mt Givens along the same ridge (not recommended if afternoon
thunderstorms are a risk!).

[Erik Larsen]

Hey guys, wanted to thank all who contributed to this thread with their respective experiences and advice. Just returned home and developed and proof printed a bunch of negatives.

Had a great time and the advice given was mostly just what I needed to keep me happy. Yosemite, despite the crowds was breathtaking - one view better than the next and unbelievably beautiful. You folks are lucky who live near and can visit in less crowded times. I couldn't believe the scene from Glacier point! I stayed a couple days in the area and them headed down the west side of the sierras to find a little calmer scene and better fishing. Thanks for advising that drive, it was thoroughly enjoyable and got me into some good fly fishing along the Kern (I think) somewhere north of Isabella lake and got rid of the crowds as well.

Headed up to Mineral King next for a few days - loved it! My first experience seeing a giant tree:) The lakes a couple miles from the ranger station are lovely - No bugs either! I had to share "MY" fishing hole with other hikers though:(

From Mineral King I headed into Sequoia/Kings Canyon proper for a look and ended up at the crystal campground near Grant Grove. I could have spent days wandering around in the groves of the giants. They had prescribed burns going on which was pretty cool as it added a nice foggy atmosphere to certain areas and I was surprised that they didn't post keep out signs. I was literally walking among flames on still hot ground with coals etc. A nice experience and hopefully some interesting photos will result from the effort.

My favorite days were spent along boulder creek with the fly rod and cameras and solitude. It was in the national forest or monument area of the parks and you had to drive 15 or so miles through some private property down a fairly decent road for the most part to get there. I never saw another soul in the area, not even along the road to get there. The photo below is from my little fishing hole that occupied much of my time in the area. I'll always remember this place, just what I needed.

Left Kings canyon and headed up north through tioga pass road and went up the Lundy lakes area on the west side. Went down to the bristle cone forest for the last night before heading back home. You could barely see the sierras through the smoke from the fires even at 11,000 up in the bristle cone area. I really never was bothered by the smoke and never noticed it unless you look over a grand vista on the horizon and it was certainly hazy. I know in Mineral King, many backpackers had to change their plans because the nps had closed some trails and backcountry sites due to the fire.

So again folks, I really appreciate the advice given and I was guided by most of it quite well imo. My only nitpick was the crowds, can't blame them at all it's a beautiful place. Oh yeah, I do not believe I have ever gone 10 days without ever seeing a cloud in the sky! I guess it's called Sunny California for a reason:) I guess I should have researched weather patterns a little better!

Had a great time folks!, thanks for the help
regards
erik

Not my best print, but it probably has the most emotional meaning for myself and this trip.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6145/5990695903_f4834d6a03_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jiggerpress/5990695903/)
boulder creek (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jiggerpress/5990695903/)

[Robert Oliver]

Glad you had fun... our trip to Sequoia next week is getting some new thought due to the fires and smoke issues. Trying to plan alternative

[Erik Larsen]

Glad you had fun... our trip to Sequoia next week is getting some new thought due to the fires and smoke issues. Trying to plan alternative

Hi Robert, the smoke was nearly unnoticed as far as air quality was concerned. I couldn't smell it or wasn't coughing because of it. You did notice it when viewing the horizon from a vista however but it was not uncomfortable in anyway. If you have a backpacking trip planned you might check to make sure your chosen sites are still open but if you are going in the parks "front country" you might not even notice the smoke. Have a good time!
erik

[Bill Burk]

Erik,

Your picture is beautiful, makes me feel like I can walk over and see why that tree on the opposite bank fell down. Except how to get across...

[ROL]

I quite like the image (is it really a scanned print?), and can easily experience the emotional draw, as you.

Thanks for the trip report. FWIW, Ansel Adams objected strongly to the grammatically incorrect and rampantly sloppy use of the term "sierras", plural for the singularly unparalled Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, something my wife delights in correcting me on when I occasionally reduce my own speech to the lowest common denominator :rolleyes: .

[Drew Wiley]

Well, almost everyone who lives in the Sierras calls them the "Sierras". There are various "Sierras" in Mexico, too, of course. Although the greater part of the range is
technically an unbroken linear granitic fault block running south to north (unlike the more island-like Rockies), there are various distinct subranges composed of metamorphic roof pendant geology, as well as a fair number of volcanic elements, plus the dramatic canyons separating different sections, so the plural use of the name seems perfectly appropriate to me.

[Erik Larsen]

ROL, no one has ever accused me of being grammatically correct:) The scan is of a proof print I do of all my negs that I intend to print for real at a future date. It's a pretty little spot on bolder creek. If you enjoy solitude and fly fishing I recommend it if you are in the area. Fish were taking any fly I put on the tippet - lots of fun!

regards from "the west slope of the Rocky Mountain Range,state of Colorado, county of Mesa, township of Grand Junction" I hope Ansel would approve of that description:)
erik

Thanks Bill, your advice given was much appreciated regarding the trip!

[David Karp]

I just got home from a family visit to Kings Canyon. We camped for a week in Grant Grove. Stayed at Sunrise campground. We had a wonderful time. Even had a chance to make some photos. I can't wait to develop the negatives.