4/ 26 & 27/ 18 Sequoia National Park and King's Canyon

Just when we thought we had experienced the worst of the high banked, carve out, twisted roads we went to Sequoia National Park.  We were camping about 20 minutes away from the gate to the park.  After entering the south end we found ourselves on the most twisted hairpin turns and switch back roads we have EVER experienced. 

Beautiful over look from half way to the top.

We traveled about 2 hours into the canyon to see the giant sequoia trees.  The larges living tree in the world is "The General Sherman". The height is 275 feet, the circumference is 103 feet, the base diameter is 36.5 feet and it’s age is 2,200 years old.  The volume of water this tree trunk could hold if filled with water is 52,500 cubic feet, the equivalent would provide enough water for 9,844 baths. That is one bath everyday for 27 years. 

These huge tree sprout from seeds as small and light as an oat flake. 

The germination process is very surprising, the male pinecones are at the top of the tree and females are in the middle of the tree, when pollination is to begin the male pinecone opens up and spreads a yellow powder down on the female cones, she receives the germination to make the seed.  The pinecones can hang on the trees green and closed for up to 20 years.
 
Fire is key to seed dispersal and this is why you often hear fire is necessary and good for a healthy forest.   

Kings Canyon 

The twin sisters trees:

This is a fallen Giant Sequoia Tree that is hollow on the inside. We were inside this tree with many other people at the same time. 

This is the "General Grant Tree" showing an example of how the Sequoia Tree can heal it self even after fire.  The bark is approximately 34 inches thick.  This is the third largest tree in the world do to the base of the tree.

40.3 feet this is 3.5 more than the General Sherman but is not as tall. 

 To emphasize this trees massiveness the article states it is as tall as 27 story building, it is wider at the base that a 3 lane freeway and weighs more than 700 large cars. If the wood were strong enough it could construct more than 40 - 5 room houses.  It is a relatively young tree for such a huge sequoia, it has lived more than twenty centuries.   

This is the fog rolling in as we were leaving the canyon at 1:30in the afternoon.  

4/ 24, 25 & 26 /18 Yosemite Park

We camped at Bass Lake, Ca which was about 2 hours drive from the center of Yosemite Park over a very scary, windy and hilly road.  I guess the state of California has much confidence in the driving skills of people... no guardrails !  We tested John and Bert and they both passed the test, they drove us in to the village of Yosemite the last three days with out incident, Thank God.



This is a picture of the Valley, Half DomeRock is in the back almost middle with just a little snow left on the top.  LOL!!  I think a couple these visitors thought I wanted their picture.... But I didn't

Several of falls are still flowing but from all reports this will only continue for another couple weeks or so.  Once the snow melt is finish the only falls that will continue throughout the summer is the Bridal Falls.  The snow fall is about 4 inches on the floor of the canyon and 60-80 feet on the mountains.  


This is Yosemite Fall this is actually 7 fall that roll in to one.  It is one of the fall that only last until the middle of May. On our way out the village we talked with a man that was looking through his Binoculars  watching at his wife and some other hikers on the top left of the fall, where the pine trees are.  After he pointed them out to us we too were able to pick them out with binoculars and even got them on our camera.  It was 1:30 pm and he said the Range would be advising then to start back down very soon unless they had flash lights with them.  He was approximately 46 years old and had lost one leg, he had hiked to the ridge where the cluster of trees are on the left earlier (where the fall are the wides in this picture) but said that was enough of a view for him.  

 This is Bridal Falls (below)produce water all year, at some point during the year it produces so much spray that people can't get this close to take pictures.  We could feel the COLD mist from where this picture was taken and we were not as close as we could have gotten.  

 We took a tour and the guide told us that the Park expects 7 thousand visitors this year.  He said the winters are a real busy time, I can't imagine going there in the winter.

This is a measurement of the Flood waters in 1997.

 

 This Rock is 3600 feet high and we are standing at 4,000 feet above sea level.  The Empire State building wouldn't come up quite half way to the top.

This is one of the favorite rock to climb, according to the guide and would take a couple of days to do.

The white spot toward the top of this picture is an unpredictable rock slide that took place last summer. Our guide said his friend was climbing and was just above this spot when the rock slide happened.  He has a brand new appreciation for life now! The trees make it look close to the ground but it is my angle, this is the same mountain you see in the picture above.  

                

This tunnel is solid rock and was made by dynamite blasts, the inside wall are jagged granite all the way through.

4/ 21, 22, & 23 /18 Pacific Coast

We spent the last two days parsing the Coast, it is very beautiful. We dropped the Rv’s along the road way and took the car to allow us to go as far as we could.  

We head north, the next stop we can to was the Hearst Castle, we took a two hour guided tour there which only allowed us the outside and and first floor.  Upon our return to the reservation complex we watch a movie on the Hearst Family and the developing of the castle.  I was interested to learn the architect was Julia Morgan and that was impressive as far back as 1919 -1947 the years that she and William Randolph Hearst designed it.  

 The view of the Ocean was what Mr. Hearst fell in love with.

WoW...The inside pool!

After the the castle we continued up the coast, to Cambria and to the end of the open road at Ragged Point, where the bridge was compromised by the mud slides.  

Northern Elephant Seals sunning them selves on the beach along the road side.

The end of the road in this direction... 

We returned to the RV's and went back to the main roads to head to Monterey and Pebble Beach area to spend the next two nights, this allowed us to see the other end of the coast from that couldn't get to with the most direct route due to the mud slides.  

This was on the way around the inland route towards Monterey. 

4/20/18 Ventura California

We are continuing our trip up the coast stopping by the Ventura County at the first beach we could see along the way.

 Then we traveled on to San Luis Obispo were we will spend the night before go on up the coast as far as the road will allow.
 There is a bridge that has been closed and the mud slides are still a problem.  We will go as far up as we can to see the coast then turn around and take the inside 101 route to the Monetary area.      

 Man is this water COLD!!!

 A Birthday Party on the beach.

 New for our eyes Driving on the beach.

As the sun goes down we are heading back to camp to rest up for tomorrows travels.

4/19/18 Los Angeles

On our way through Los Angeles we stopped off to see the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign.  We found a spot to park the RV's and we drove the car up to see the sign and visited the Griffith Park and Observation museum.

Then we continues on to our camp sight approximately 2 hours farther up the Pacific Coast.