The Humbling Beauty of Nature

"The mountains are calling and I must go..."

John Muir

When plans change and you have an opportunity, we have learned to take it as it might not come again.  Since we had not unloaded our RV from a previous short trip, we repacked a few essentials and left for the mountains.  This is a trip we used to do on a Friday after work.  We would pack an overnight back, load them on our motorcycles and head to Visalia for the night.  We would get up early and ride into Sequoia National Park before the majority of visitors were even up.  That afforded us clear roads, time enough to ride through Giants and into Kings Canyon and home by late afternoon.

This time, no motorcycle and staying in 3 Rivers for a few days so we could drive in and out at our leisure.  We still went in early, cooler temps, as it stayed warmer than expected and again fewer people.

Our first stop was along side the road as we climbed up the mountain side on the road which was constructed in 1926 to accommodate vehicles.  The original road was made in 1903.

As we came around a corner, I noticed something black in an Oak tree.  As we got closer, I noticed it was a small Black Bear.  Eating acorns, high in the tree.  So we stopped, I changed lenses so I could hopefully get a picture from a distance.  Since the bear was small, I was sure there was a mama bear close by.

The air was still very smoky so the skies were very hazy.

The next stop was through the Giants and the General Sherman Tree.  It is the largest tree on our planet right now and to stand at its base is very humbling.

After walking around the Giants for a bit, we drove back to Moro Rock.  Which is not to be confused with Morro Rock, here on the central coast in Morro Bay.

To get to the top of a 797' stairway, you must climb 400 steps at 6725' elevation.  Thankfully there were many spots to stop and catch your breath.  But the climb was worth it.

End of Day 1