Adventures in The World of Giants (Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPs - Aug 2011) (45 images)

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August 2011. Camping in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks with two friends, Joe & Nic. It was peak season for the Park people were everywhere, construction with pace car-lead one-lane roads and 20min traffic stops, too! Somehow I forgot my shoes by the door at home so I wore flip flops for a while. Our ideal campgrounds, Buckeye Flats and Lodgepole, were full so we ended up at Dorst Campground at 6800ft the first night.

Setting up my tent at Dorst CG I quickly saw my support poles were busted - one had splintered and another totally cracked. An old inexpensive tent used far beyond its means! I managed to do a makeshift repair with random twine we found on the road on drive We had messy neighbors and they ended up with a brown bear tearing through their camp, eating s'mores stuff at 2am. After 15 or 20 minutes he made his way to our (clean) table beside my tent. I heard the the bear earlier and had woken Joe up, he grabbed his keys to click his car horn and scared the bear from our site. After that I did a self-assigned "Bear Patrol" with our other neighbor, who originally scared the bear off, till 3am. The next morning I had a fun chat with a young park ranger named Glen who was all to familiar with the two-year-old "problem bear," that has been discouragingly resistant to hazing from rangers.

After packing up at Dorst we drove throughout the Park, stopping at interesting sights such as Lost Grove or the odd roadside meadow, eventually ending near Lodgepole where I snagged a tent repair kit and hiking boots at the general store. That afternoon we moved up to Big Meadows Campground at 7600ft, hiked the surrounding hills and had the chance to capture great astrolapses & light paint in the evening. The following day we swam in a tiny, secluded, natural pool with a waterfall and then hiked to the General Grant & Sherman trees, explored the beautiful surrounding areas, and then headed home!

Here are the results of our humbling adventures :)

SAVE OUR PARKS!!!
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