Sequoia National Park

Perhaps it was that we had just left Yosemite which was larger than life in every aspect. It could have been because we hadn’t slept through the night in 37 days straight as our two youngest are both usually up at least once per night and we were oh so tired. Maybe it was because the drive into the park was so long and winding with nothing really to see and the kids were feeling carsick and there was roadwork and sheer cliff drop-offs so it took forever. Might have been because the visitor brochure was literally filled with warnings, cautioning us to stay away from bears, ticks, cliffsides, rivers, poison oak, and be wary of heat exhaustion. (It was quite pessimistic compared to every other park we had been to!) It could have been that we were in a time crunch, trying to make the visit work between Occupational Therapy in the morning and Speech at night. I’m not sure if there was any one reason, but Sequoia ended up being our least favorite National Park so far – which was surprising because in general, we are big fans of big trees.

We had forgone visiting the famous Mariposa Grove in Yosemite as we knew we would have two days set aside to visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon or to spend both in Sequoia National Park hiking among the old-growth sequoia trees. That was the plan, but after it took us almost 2 hours just to get to the first (and closest) destination inside the park we knew we would have to alter our expectations.

First, we visited Tunnel Rock for a quick leg stretch and picture.

Next we stopped at Hospital Rock – an impressive overhang with Petroglyphs etched along a protected face of a giant boulder. The rock is massive – 60 feet long and about 20 feet wide, and was named Pah-din (Hospital Rock) because of medical attention given to an early pioneer by the Western Mono people who resided there. It was a short walk from the parking lot with some easy-to-climb stone steps to get up to the ancestral etchings. Nearby, at the upper bank of the river was evidence of a community kitchen area with many indentations in a large flat stone where women would gather to cook and prepare meals together. All over the surrounding area breathed reminders of a village that once was a busy, beautiful, and welcoming place.

Ever since we were impressed by the towering Redwoods the kids have been interested in big trees. So we couldn’t miss the biggest tree in the world General Sherman! Even though it wasn’t as tall as some of the Redwood trees, it is the largest tree by mass. It is a whopping 36 feet (11 meters) in diameter and 275 feet (83 meters) tall, estimated to be between 2,200 to 2,700 years old. It’s about 1.2 miles (2km) to hike downhill to General Sherman from the main parking lot, with placards along the way that inform you of your relative height in relationship to the tree (2/3 of the way up the trunk! 1/4 of the way up the trunk!) After milling around with the other hundred people or so all visiting the tree, we found a relatively quiet spot to make a Happy Birthday video for our beloved Uncle/brother/brother-in-law Gabe before heading back up the trail. At an elevation of roughly 5500 feet, walking straight back up to the parking lot (a 300-foot ascent) wasn’t particularly a favorite activity among the kids but they managed it with only a little persuasion.

Spending time in the forests amongst these giants reminds us how important old-growth trees are for the environment. They provide unique habitats for species that rely on their presence. They help fight climate change, absorbing harmful gasses and cleaning out air as well as cleansing our water systems. They are living reminders of history, and the forests are a significant part of Indigenous culture. It takes anywhere from 120-200 years for a forest to be considered Old Growth (depending on species) with most Old Growth trees being over 400 years old – which means it takes lifetimes to regenerate.

We got back to the campsite just in time for kiddo’s class to begin, hungry for dinner and totally worn out. We didn’t end up going back to Sequoia or Kings Canyon the next day. While we had hoped to visit Kings Canyon, it would have been almost a 3-hour drive each way from where we were staying. Although we were right beside Sequoia, circumstances meant it had been 2-3 hour drive to explore the park as well and we just weren’t up for it. Instead, we spent the next day at camp. Ironically, our camp also greeted us with a ton of warnings – to stay out of the creek because of toxic algae, don’t go out at night because of an aggressive bear that comes to the garbage, and beware of rattlesnakes. So, we hung out around the trailer, doing a much-needed school and work catch-up day instead. We are still trying to find the balance between being busy and on the go and on the road and being able to slow down, get work and school done and have some rest time.

Staying at camp helped us find a solution for Julian who had not adjusted well to only showers on the road. We ended up filling a black tote full of water and leaving it in the sun for a couple of hours. The water actually got so warm, he requested ice cubes as bath toys and happily splashed around for almost an hour.

Our original plan after Sequoia was to visit Death Valley. Unfortunately, because of the recent flooding the whole park was closed, which meant the highway through the park was also inaccessible and our only choice was to drop down and drive all the way around on our way to Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah. It was too long to do in one shot so we briefly stopped in Las Vegas on the way. One thing about being on the road is constantly practicing skills in flexibility!