In 1993, I drove the scenic roads through Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks in the Sierra Nevada of California. The mountains were just gorgeous. I hugged a sequoia, the largest tree in the world, and enjoyed a beautiful night of camping. For a kid from Dallas, it was exciting stuff, and I left thinking I'd seen everything. Boy, was I wrong.
Only 10% of national park visitors venture more than a mile from their cars. In some parks, you can see a lot from the road. But other parks, like Sequoia and Kings Canyon, take more effort to fully experience. The High Sierra section of these two parks contains 3,100 square miles of roadless wilderness, the highest mountain in the lower 48, and some astonishing scenery. And you can only get there by walking on your two feet.
A few years ago, I came back to Sequoia and Kings Canyon. This time, I ditched the car and spent a week backpacking on the John Muir Trail through the parks. For some scenic highlights from the trip, take the leap.
The trail begins in Sequoia NP on top of Mt. Whitney. At 14,505 feet above sea level, this is the highest point in the lower 48. Despite being in great shape, the altitude got to me, and I was nauseous for 2 hours on the hike up. I've never suffered more on a hike.
But the views were stellar. Looking west, all you see is mountains extending to the horizon. It was early June, and the snow was only partly melted. The little lake in the center of the photo? Guitar Lake, of course.
The John Muir Trail is a series of high passes followed by deep valleys. The passes, like Forester Pass here, were forbidding.
But the valleys were beautiful.
That "U" shape means that the valley was carved by glaciers.
Each valley had a stream crossing. In spring, snowmelt turns these streams into raging rivers. Thankfully, some had bridges.
But some didn't! This is where the John Muir Trail crosses the South Fork of Kings River. Where's the #&^$*@! bridge?!
Thankfully, we didn't have to cross this river, the South Fork of the San Joaquin. There was so much water in the mountains that I found myself amazed that California has such water problems.
With all this beauty and wilderness, it's no coincidence that the Sierra Nevada produced the two greatest environmentalists of the 20th century, John Muir and David Brower (sorry, Al Gore).
There's no hunting in national parks, so the wildlife get a little tame. This yellow-bellied marmot was maybe 2 feet away from me. Marmot whistles are one of the characteristic sounds of the Sierra.
The John Muir Trail is actually just a small part of the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington.
I hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail that summer. The section in Sequoia and Kings Canyon was, without a doubt, the most beautiful section.
A few reminders on backcountry hiking in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks:
- Permits are required for overnight camping.
- The bears can get a little frisky, so backpackers have to bring bearproof canisters to store their food in some parts of the parks.
- Mountain weather is unpredictable. Be prepared for cold and wet conditions any time of year.
- Don't overdo it! Every year unprepared hikers have to be rescued from almost every national park. Don't take on a big hike at high elevations unless you have the right fitness level, experience, and gear.
And remember, you won't see any of the sights in this diary from your car. "You can't see anything from a car; you've got to get out of the goddamned contraption and walk" -- Edward Abbey
This has been the fifth in a series of user contributed features on the national parks. Previous features have included Jackson Hole National Monument, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Capitol Reef National Park and Petrified Forest National Park. Next week, craigkg will take a look into the history behind Dry Tortugas National Park followed a week later by birdbrain64's feature on Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument. If you are interested in writing a feature about a park, please volunteer at our sign up form and as your window approaches, you'll be contacted (about 3 weeks before) to finalize your date.