Not that Kings Canyon doesn't have trees. It does. It actually has the biggest, baddest tree - General Grant. This gentle giant is as tall as a 27-story building. It is wider at its base than a three-lane freeway. It weighs more than 700 large cars. It's still pretty young - only 2,000 years old. Looks pretty good to me.
Other trees in the General Grant Grove, haven't fared so well. The Fallen Monarch was in this position when the first explores came to the canyon in the late 1800's. The tree hasn't changed much in over 100 years - a testament to how long it takes sequoia wood to decompose, due to the high levels of tannin. The Monarch was already hollow when it fell over, probably by lightning or fire. It was used over the years as a cabin, a hotel, saloon and stables for 32 horses. Now tourists can walk through it from one end to the other.
Since Sequoia trees don't release their seeds unless there is a fire, many of the young trees grow up in groups or pairs because they germinated at the same time in the same place. Here are the twin sisters. The two trees are now fused together at the base and share their soil nutrients, sunlight and water.
Now, to leave the trees of Kings Canyon and on to the canyons of Kings Canyon. As you leave the Kings Canyon Visitor Center in Grant Grove Village, you actually leave the National Park and enter into the Sequoia National Forest. As you travel further west into the Sierra Mountains you come to Junction View. From here you can see the road down to the right that will take us back into Kings Canyon. To say this area is immense is an understatement!
But first, we need to follow the South Fork of the Kings River through a narrow "V" canyon. The granite walls loom up on both sides.
The glaciers that sculpted Kings Canyon didn't make it down this far. The "V" was cut by the King River. However, when you look at it today in the late fall it hardly looks like the mountain eater that chewed away at these granite cliffs. However, in the spring when the snow melts, we are told that this little river really rocks.
Here is our first view of Kings Canyon for which the National Park was named. If you think these photos look a lot like our photos of Yosemite, you would be correct. The same forces that sculpted Yosemite, also did their work in Kings Canyon. However, Kings Canyon has not been over-developed like Yosemite. There are no expensive lodges or tourist shuttle buses. In fact, since we are so close to the closing of the Scenic Byway for the winter, we practically had the canyon all to ourselves.
The granite domes that loom over Zumwalt Meadow, which is near Road's End at the far eastern end of the canyon, are just as grand as those in Yosemite, only they don't have the same PR agency touting their greatness. Take a look at Palmer Mountain in all its pointy-ness, as reflected in the King River below.
The North Dome is just as formidable as Half Dome. In fact, it is probable more so because it is a whole dome, not just a half.
Have you ever seen anything as grand as the Grand Sentinel as it guards the gateway to Bubbs Creek and the vast wilderness beyond Roads End?
Our time in Kings Canyon was way too short. It took us four hours to get up here and we knew we had another three hours to get back. With one last look down the King River, we headed back to our RV campground in Visalia:
Our drive back was as spectacular as our drive in. Next time we come back this way, we will definitely plan to be here during camping season so that we can stay overnight in the canyon and get out and explore this area more thoroughly. For now, we have to content ourselves with the tourist version of Kings Canyon. As amazing as this trip has been, we know know there is more out there and we can't wait to explore it!
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