Protecting Nesting Shorebirds
Roadtrip 2010: Hope You Enjoyed the Ride
This Place Rocks
Today we hiked 2 miles to Moro Rock, a massive granite boulder that can be seen for miles. Once you climb the 400 or so chiseled steps to the top, you get one mind-blowing 360-degree view. This photo shows Val and me at the top of Moro Rock. From the top, we could see the Continental Divide and all the way to Kings Canyon National Park, just north of this park.
There'Snow Bears Here
Everywhere you go around the Sierra Mountains, there are warnings about the bears. Don't feed the bears. Watch out for the bears. Well, today, we finally saw those sneaky bears! Freaked us out as we were driving along the main road in Sequoia National Park, rounding a curve and there they were ... a mother and 2 cubs. Took this photo from the car window.
Today, we drove south from Yosemite to a really beautiful area where both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are located. It's a region of lush green forested mountains and rushing mountain rivers filled with boulders and white water rapids.
Although warm at lower elevations, as we drove up the winding park road the temps dropped 25 degrees as we got to around 4,500 feet and there was snow everywhere! Many trails and roads in the park are closed due to snow. This area is known for the famous towering Sequoia trees, so we had to make a stop to see the General Sherman Tree, the oldest living tree in the world. Here's Val in front of the tree at ground level.
Hikes and Waterfalls
I'm Falling for Yosemite Waterfalls
Here is one of the most famous of them all ... Upper Yosemite Falls. As you can see, the rain has stopped (although it's still pretty chilly, in the 40s-50s), so we are happy to see the blue skies topping our waterfalls.
We are amazed with not only the number of tourists here for mid-May (hate to be here in summer), but the deer which are everywhere and seem relatively tame. This shot was taken not far from where we were eating a picnic lunch. Four deer calmly grazing in a small patch of grass right next to the road!
While there is only a smattering of wildflowers here and there in the lower elevations, Val and I have grown fond of the elegant white dogwood trees that are blooming everywhere. We don't have any in Arizona or Florida. Here's Val showing a dogwood blossom. Pretty, huh?
Rain, Rain Go Away
Our plans for hiking today dissolved in the gray mist that soon enveloped the valley. So we decided to take a 2-hour guided bus tour through Yosemite Valley. It was our only option ... and not a bad one, really.
We learned a lot about the history, ecology and geology of the national park, but the rain and cold (in the 40s) was not condusive to photography. By mid-afternoon, the rain had turned to snow in the upper elevations and we had to take an alternate route back to our RV park since we did not have chains for our tires! Yes, it's snowing here .... life is an adventure.
Note: If you can't see the video, just go to my blog page at www.getawaygirltravels.com