
Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP
From the west side we arrive - via all kinds of winding roads through the mountains - at Azalea Campground in Kings Canyon National park. We stay six nights at three different campgrounds in Kings Canyon and Sequoia NP.
Azalea campground
We have such a beautiful spot here! We have the back spot (58) and right next to us there is a beautiful view over a valley. There are restrooms here, but no showers. We had a great time here. From the campground you walk to the General Grant tree, this is the second largest tree in the park after the General Sherman tree. Lorenzo is very good at making a campfire and roasting marshmallows and in the evening it is so dark that you can see the stars glistening in the sky very well.
At the beginning of the trip, Lorenzo's grandfather passed away. He makes a very nice video at this special place for his grandfather's farewell.
Big Meadows campgroud
We booked Eshom campground, but it is cancelled at the last minute by Recreation.gov. As a last minute alternative, we find Big Meadows. Before you get to this campground, you have the option of spending the night for free in lots of places in the park. The campground has only pit toilets (no flushing) and no showers, which doesn't matter to us, we have it in our camper. The nature there is beautiful, but it felt a bit remote for us here.
Wolverton picknick area
We decide to spend not two, but one night at Big Meadows. We want to visit the General Sherman tree first and then go to the Lodgepole visitor center to go to the laundromat. Lodgepole, due to a previous flood in the park, has closed all the washers/dryers and showers. This means that no shower facilities are available in these huge parks. We fail to book an RV spot at the Lodgepole campground.
So we drive to the adjacent Wolverton picnic area and stay overnight. This is the quietest and darkest place we have spent the night - so far - really beautiful in the woods. In the morning we grab the table/chairs and Starlink and watch a Formula One race. Suddenly a chicken comes walking out from under the camper, really funny! A little later we realize, through a conversation with a Park ranger, that a chicken doesn't belong here at all. There are coyotes and wolves and the chicken has no chance of survival.
The rangers find it pathetic and call colleagues. Moments later there are 3 cars and an ambulance to catch a chicken. Really so funny!
Potwisha campgroud
The descent to Potwisha is a tough one this time. There are continuous turns, the road is narrow, it is hot and there is almost no opportunity to cool the brakes. Therefore, it is not surprising, that upon arrival, the camper does not stay on the handbrake. So far during our entire trip, we have found that everywhere it cools down quite a bit in the evening, so with the handbrake it will be fine. The campground has only flush toilets and is right next to the road. By the way, you can't hear the latter in the evening.
We stay here for one night and in the morning, as we get ready to leave, we have a special guest. Lorenzo is sitting on the bench in the camper brushing his teeth and staring ahead. Suddenly, with the toothbrush in his mouth, he says, "there is a bear walking." The black bear was heading for our door, which was open with only the screen door closed. We close the door and the bear runs to the bear safe and to our neighbor's car. The bear is still young, not aggressive, but looking for food from people. If the bear finds food at the campsite, it will start harassing people rather than searching for food in nature on its own. For this reason, tent campers should store all food/drug items in a bear safe.
Sequoia trees
We believe the following factors have contributed to the fact that these beautiful trees can still be found on this planet:
- No furniture can be made from this type of wood
- Forest fires are frequent, but the thick (up to about 46cm) and extremely fibrous Sequoia bark resists burning and also insulates the tree from the heat of fire
The trees need fire
As crazy as it may sound, trees need fire to germinate their seeds and reproduce. The interesting story below on the Sequoia NP website explains the reason:
Fire prepares the bare, mineral soil that Sequoia seeds need for germination. It burns the low-growing crops and that way sunlight can shine on the young redwoods. The reproductive success of giant sequoias requires only that each tree produce one adult offspring during its lifespan of several thousand years.
The sequoia's cone-and-seed strategy evolved with fire. Sequoia cones store their seeds ? unlike other trees in their forest environment ? for perhaps up to twenty years in closed cones. When fire burns through the forest, the hot air dries out older cones. They open and within one to two weeks they begin to rain their seed loads onto the fire-swept, bare ground.
The giant sequoia's life story begins with a very small seed, the size of an oatmeal grain: 91,000 Sequoia seeds weigh only 1 pound! To germinate and survive, Sequoia seeds must fall onto mineral soil left exposed by the fire. Without this, the seeds will not successfully grow into new Sequoia seedlings. Both Douglas squirrels and cone-breasted beetles can also release seeds, but if they do not fall on bare ground cleared by fire, they cannot germinate.
General Sherman boom
The General Sherman Tree is the world's largest tree measured by volume. The tree is 83 meters tall and has a diameter of more than 11 meters at its base. It takes 30-40 people to embrace the tree! We are there early in the morning and there is hardly anyone. The hiking trail to this famous Sequoia is also beautiful.
Big trees trailhead
We park at the Giant Forest Museum and soon discover that this is the most beautiful trail to hike. These giant trees stand in a circle around a large swamp/grassland. The light on the trees is so beautiful. In the shade they are dark brown, but as soon as the sun shines on them they turn a beautiful reddish brown, as if they themselves are giving off light. During this hike we also see many fallen trees. If you climb on such a tree and walk over it, you realize even more how tall these giants are.
Next stop: Las Vegas
After two nature parks, we like to go to Las Vegas. We have been here several times as well, but the city never bores us.
Traveling through North America with your own motorhome
Want to know what you need to arrange to travel around North America with your own motorhome? Then read this blog.