Day 31 - Into the cool mountain air

 Thanks to the air conditioner, we all slept well and were ready for another day.  We had a breakfast of oatmeal and leftover bagels/eggs.  Then Amy went to the grocery store while the boys jumped into the pool to stay cool.  After swimming, we sent the boys for a shower and pulled out of camp just at check-out time.



The drive to Kings Canyon was largely a pleasant drive through the valley and past all the farms.  After passing a number of them, we stopped at a fruit stand to pick up some fresh produce.  We met the grower who, as it turns out, works in the Ag-Chem industry so we talked shop for a bit.  


Leaving the valley meant a long, winding, uphill road into the park.  It was a steady uphill, but it was uphill nearly the entire way.  The good news was that when we left the valley it was 96 degrees.  When we arrived in camp, it was 76.  That’s one way to escape the heat of summer in the valley!


After finding our campsite, we set up while the boys climbed around the fallen logs of the area and explored the nearby creek.  Then we had some lunch together before exploring the park.  After lunch, we walked to the visitor center and enjoyed a terrific presentation by the ranger about the bears of the park.  It was an excellent learning opportunity and fully explained the importance of the bear boxes and what the park is doing to enable humans and bears to enjoy the same areas.








After the stop, we walked over to Grants Grove.  General Grant (the second largest tree in the world by volume) was incredible, but really all the sequoias are massive.  It is impossible to put into perspective how big a 25+ foot diameter tree is.






Also around Grants Grove were other large trees, but because sequoias are resistant to rot, there was actually a fallen tree that can be walked through and it looks nearly identical to a picture from 100+ years ago!


After exploring Grants Grove we returned back to camp for a pasta dinner.  Then while Robinson and I cleaned up camp, Amy and Sebastian headed to Panoramic point and got a great view of the High Sierras.  





Robinson and I walked back to the visitor center and bought some firewood and then came back to camp to start the fire and relax by fireside to finish the day.  The air temperature was actually cool which was quite the change from yesterday!

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