Pedaling Around Ventura

Those of you who follow the Adventures of Eddie and George will know by now that they woke up (and we are staying) in Ventura, California, more formally (or originally) known as San Buenaventura, after the Spanish Mission located in the historic downtown area.

Our RV park is right on Main Street, just beyond the west side of town.  Most everything in Ventura is within a pleasant bicycle ride, and, in fact, there are a goodly number of bicycle paths.  We took the Ventura Beach Bicycle Path into town today.

Kathy had a chiropractor appointment, and we took the opportunity to see the town.  It's an attractive, somewhat historic, beach town.  The shops are not strictly upscale, but they are not schlocky at all.  The downtown was an unrushed, pleasant experience.  Many homes and condominiums were located with a block or two of the downtown core.  Here's a representative view:

As we bicycled into historic downtown, the first and most notable thing we saw was the Mission San Buenaventura itself:

Founded in 1782, the mission was the ninth Spanish mission in California, and was the last of the missions founded by Father Junipero Serra.  It was named in honor of Saint Bonaventure, and is the namesake of the town.  Photos and history of the mission can be found at its official website, above, or on the californiamissionsonline website.

Kathy's chiropractor has an office in a Victorian house that is historic and has been preserved.  Here's a photo of the building, perched next to more modern storefronts:

After the doctor visit, we tracked down a local brewpub for lunch.  In this case, we found Anacapa Brewing Company, right on Main Street:

The lunch was delicious, but we found the beers wanting in character.  That's okay, because we have two more brewpubs to check out in Ventura - Barrelhouse 101 and Surf Brewery.  So many brewpubs, so little time.

Never mind.  Our next stop was to visit the Channel Islands National Park Visitors Center, which is on the west end of Ventura, at Ventura Harbor.  We wanted to get more information on the Channel Islands before we go camping there next week.  We did also make a quick stop at the Ventura Visitors Bureau to get lots of other ideas and tourist information, but that reading and those adventures are for another day.

As we cycled to the Channel Islands Visitor Center, we passed the Ventura Harbor Marina, which was chock full of sailboats, fishing boats, yachts, houseboats and what-not:

It turns out that the volunteer ranger we chatted with lives on a houseboat in the marina.  She's done so for the last five years and she still seems very enthusiastic about houseboat living and Ventura in particular (not to mention the Channel Islands).  Here's a photo of the national park visitor center, from the harbor:

We bicycled home about 5 miles, enjoying the cooling, late afternoon air and the sun sinking slowly into the Pacific Ocean on our left as we pedalled north.  As we came over the bridge near the Ojai Freeway, we could see the evening sun lighting Mira Monte across green farmland:

What nice, relaxing way to spend our first day in Ventura - especially considering today was Friday and all the weekend tourists are due in town tonight and tomorrow.  We'll see how peaceful it seems this weekend.  :)

Eddie & George Wake Up On Ventura Beach!

Kings Canyon National Park

Hi Blog.  On Monday, November 4th, we drove up to Kings Canyon National Park.  If you like Yosemite, than you will LOVE Kings Canyon.  The Park Services manages Sequoia and Kings Canyon as a single park, but they are completely different.  Sequoia is all about the trees.

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!

Exploring the Giant Forest Meadows in Sequoia National Park

Well, folks, if you saw the last blog entry, you'll know that "THE END" of that blog was not a pretty sight.  We have good news, however.

Right at the beginning of today's trip back up to Sequoia National Park to hike deeper into the Sequoia grove, we spotted another black bear lounging roadside.  (S)he looked so adorable, Kathy wanted to invite her(him) into the car, but David vetoed that idea.  Here's a photo of the WHOLE bear, not just the bitter end:

We decided to hike around some of the meadows of Giant Forest Sequoia Grove, which is the centerpiece of Sequoia National Park.  Having driven through the park and sampled the highlights, we had the luxury today of being able to drive right to the trailheads at Crescent Meadow.  On the way, we passed the Tunnel Tree where, again today, some intelligent driver had decided to PARK their car smack in the middle of the tunnel and leave it there until they could (1) get out of the car, (2) walk (SLOWLY) across the road, (3) pose all the other occupants of the car outside it under the tree, (4) take at least 17 shots to assure a good photograph, and (5) clamber slowly back into the car before abandoning the spot to the next vehicle.  Thank goodness the NPS provides what it calls a "Bypass" around the road through the Tunnel Tree, because we would still be there this evening, waiting for our turn JUST TO GET THROUGH to get up to our hike.

Sequoias tend to congregate around and upgradient from mountain meadows.  They need to be high enough in elevation to get moisture, but low enough to have enough soil and warmth to thrive.  This section of the Sierra Nevada is actually the only place in the world where the Giant Sequoias actually exist.

So the meadows are key.  The hike we took today toured several meadows and the sequoia trees surrounding them.  Here is a photo of Crescent Meadow, the first and largest on our route:

John Muir, the famous naturalist, called Crescent Meadows the "Gem of the Sierras," probably most notably for its beautiful colors when the wildflowers are in bloom, and its large contingent of Giant Sequoias standing in attendance.

There were so many striking sequoias along our hike that we could only photograph the most striking.  One of the giant trees along our path sported a burl that looked eerily like a Dementor from the Harry Potter movies:

Halfway up Crescent Meadow, we encountered a fallen giant.  To get an idea how large these trees are at their base, look at how this fallen tree dwarfs Kathy:

Snow decorated the trail in the shadier sections.  We saw deer, fox and bear tracks, and some (although not as many as you would think) human shoe prints.  Beyond doubt, the most unusual print was this one:

We thought that, perhaps, we had encountered evidence of the great Yeti in the High Sierras.  But we were soon disabused of that notion when a young couple hiked up past where we were eating our lunch.  The young lady was wearing some brand of skeletoes.  We compared notes about the relative comfort and lightness she felt, with the relative warmth and support our hiking boots provided us.  Needless to say, the jury is out.  But the mystery of the Yeti print was solved.

After leaving Crescent Meadow, we climbed over a shoulder to Log Meadow, so named because of the large sequoia logs that fell in toward the center of the meadow from its fringes, where the sequoias grew.  While sequoias want damp soil, they will not survive in chronically wet soil such as may be found in meadows, because their roots cannot hold their heavy weight in such soft soil.

Around the north side of Log Meadow, we came to Tharpe's Log, which was a fallen sequoia log that was occupied as a summer cabin by Hale Tharp, a miner in the California Gold Rush who is said to have been the first white man to enter the area of Sequoia National Park.

The cabin was built around the hollow log, and he actually lived inside the log.  Here's a photo of David, looking in over an NPS barrier from the front section of the "cabin" into the living area of the hollow log.  Kathy took the photo from an ingenious window Tharp cut into the log.  His dining table is at the right.  He constructed a stone fireplace to David's right in the photo:

This meadow walk featured a number of unique Giant Sequoia trees.  Here are two that bore unusual scars from some fire(s).  The huge size of the trees (and their scars) is vividly shown by the scale they bear to Kathy in this photo:

Another unusual sequoia is Chimney Tree, whose core is hollow.  Looking up from inside the tree, you can see its top:

Many sequoias bear black scars from periodic fires.  Many regrow their bark around the scars.  Others do not.  But often even the deepest scars do not kill the trees.  Here's a shot of one large tree that still towers up beyond the very large fire scar it sports at the base:

We hiked on to Circle Meadow, so called because it looks like a long, curving arc of a circle.  At the center of the arc, along one side of the meadow, is a very large sequoia known as Black Arch.  It bears this name because its fire scar burned through its trunk, leaving an arch through which the trail winds.  Here Kathy stands under the arch:

From one side, the Black Arch shows a very tall, black scar:

From inside, the Black Arch displays a nearly abstract pattern viewed skyward:

Further beyond Black Arch, but still in Circle Meadow, we encountered the Pillars of Hercules, which are two very stout sequoias that straddle the trail:

David, thinking he is Hercules, is determined to bring down the two pillars.  We are not sure he succeeded:

As we wound our way back to the road and our place of beginning, we encountered the Squatter's Cabin, alongside Huckleberry Meadow.  It as built and occupied by a fellow who wanted to settle a claim to the land on which he built the cabin and the ground comprising Huckleberry Meadow, where he hoped to graze his livestock.  However, he learned, after building the cabin, that our inimitable Hale Tharpe (he of the hollow log cabin described above), actually had acquired ownership to all of the land in this area, and the squatter eventually abandoned the cabin:

Our hike today wasn't long - almost 5 miles - but we felt we had really gotten to know Giant Forest and the big trees inhabiting it.  We encountered very few tourists, even though we were only a mile or so off the road at any given time.

Because we fell back to Standard Time last night, the sun was already falling to the horizon as we finished our hike around 4:30.  We headed home, trying to spy more bear along the road as we descended back to the San Joaquin Valley.  We actually encountered another bear, but the poor thing was so scared by all the cars passing by in both directions, that it bolted across the road and down the mountainside before we could snap a photo.

Well, one good bear photo in a day isn't a bad percentage.

Scooting Around Sequoia

Hi Blog! Today is Saturday, November 2nd.  It is our first day in Sequoia National Park.  Today, we planned to do just the typical tourist stuff.  Tomorrow, we want to get out and hike and really get to know the park.  Our first stop was the Visitor's Center where we picked up lots of hiking maps and great advice.  Our next stop was Tunnel Rock.  I think this picture needs no explaining.

The entrance into the park is up a very steep grade with lots of switchbacks.  The road is not recommended for vehicles over 22 feet.  Turns out, Great White is 22 feet 6 inches, so he didn't make the cut.  We ended up renting this nice nimble Toyota Corolla.

Here is our first look at Moro Rock.  We didn't know it at the time, but there is a hiking trail up to the top of that rock.  We are so going there!

But first, we had to make a stop at the Giant Forest Museum where we were introduced to Sequoiadendron Giganteum, otherwise known as the Giant Sequoia.  Giant Sequoias are the world's largest single trees by volume. Giant Sequoias grow to an average height of 160–279 ft and 20–26 ft in diameter. Record trees have been measured to be 311 ft in height and over 56 ft in diameter.  The oldest known giant sequoia based on ring count is 3,500 years old. Sequoia bark is fibrous, furrowed, and may be 3 ft thick at the base of the columnar trunk.  Kathy can attest from personal experience that the bark is rather soft and very huggable.  David, on the other hand, prefers to keep the trees at arms length.

Giant Sequoias don't die from old age or disease, but they can fall.  When this happens, it's lights out.  Here is Dave standing next to an upturned tree.

Sequoias live through their roots and their bark.  Many of the trees are hollow inside.  We got a chance to travel through a section of tree.  Here is Dave standing at the entrance.

These trees don't let anything stand in their way.  Here is one that decided to just grow up and around a giant boulder.

The only way we could really take a picture of one of these giants was to lay on the ground and shoot straight up.

The other option was to take a short video, so you could see from bottom to top: Tree Video.

Many of the biggest and baddest trees in the park are named.  The General Sherman Tree is the world's largest living tree.  It may not be the tallest, but it is definitely the heaviest.  The base of the tree is 103 feet around.  If you look really closely at this photo, you can see Dave standing to the left.

After getting up close and personal with a few trees, we decided it was time to head up to Moro Rock and get the big picture. A stairway, designed by the National Park Service and built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, is cut into and poured onto the rock, so that visitors can hike to the top. The view from the rock encompasses much of the Park, including the Great Western Divide.  Here we get a glimpse of the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  More than 100 million years ago, granite formed deep underground. The range started to uplift 4 million years ago as a SINGLE block of granite, and erosion by glaciers exposed the granite and formed the light-colored mountains and cliffs that make up the range.

We stopped at one of the markers along the trail to the top of Moro Rock, when we heard strange sounds coming up from below.  We looked over the railing and saw a woman climbing up the side of the cliff.

Because of the air pollution coming from San Francisco, you really can't see down into the valley, but if you look closely, you can see the Kaweah River winding its way down.

Next, we made a quick trip up to the trailhead for Crescent Meadow.  We hope to be able to do a longer hike tomorrow through the Giant Forest Sequoia Grove.

As we left the park and headed back down to Visalia, we encountered a bear jam.  Mr. Black Bear decided he wanted to use the same road as the tourists.  It took almost a mile before he headed off the road.

Sometime, no matter how close you are to the wildlife, if the camera doesn't respond, no one will believe you.

THE END!

Eddie & George Wake Up in Sequoia National Park!

Exploring Visalia, California

Today was our first full day in Visalia, California, which is the gateway to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.  It is also the county seat of Tulare County and a hub for farming operations nearby in the great San Joaquin Valley.  We decided to use this day to get oriented, to plan our trips to the national parks, and so on.

After some thought and investigation, we determined to rent a car to travel into the parks because of the steep, winding roads and the threat of snow.  We also decided we'd like to take a bicycle ride today.  So we combined the two into one big bicycle trip into downtown Visalia, where we located the rental car office and made final arrangements for our car rental.  We also walked around Main Street.

Near our campground, the ambience is decidedly rural with an industrial flair.  Here's an example of one of the homes near our park.  Note the donkey munching the non-grass.  He was being protected by two search-and-destroy chihuahuas, who, as soon as they saw us passing, came tearing out into the road, nipping at our heels as we pedaled our bikes as fast as we could past this small estate:

The center of town, itself, seems to be thriving.  Most of the buildings appear to date from the 1950's and 1960's, but almost all the storefronts are occupied by interesting small retail businesses.  A number of the businesses were creative.  For some reason (perhaps because there is no other city in the area other than Fresno), Visalia boasts a number of good restaurants.  We found a nice little brewpub - Brewbaker's - on Main Steet.  They serve really good pub food (NOTABLY THE GARLIC FRIES), with lots of avocado, and, of course, their own beers.  We weren't overly impressed with the beer, but found it quaffable and refreshing after the 75F daytime sun we cycled through.  Here's David posing with his garlic fries and large sandwich:

Walking further down Main Street, David couldn't help but snap a photo of this Philly Cheesesteak restaurant - genuine right down to the details of the little shack and the stools and bar inside.  The sign out front reads, "The Best Food West of the East," and we believed it must be so.  If we can find time after sampling what looks like some great Mexican cuisine over the next few days, we might test out Philly's to see if it's the real deal.

The most notable building in town is the old Fox theater.  The various organizations in town have saved two theaters.  One is used by the local opera company for real opera, as well as children's programming.  This one, the Fox, stages country-western singers, as well as art films.  We didn't learn much about its history, but it certainly is the most remarkable building in town.

You can find more facts about Visalia at this Wikipedia page, but here is a paraphrase of a pertinent part of the Wikipedia article:

"When California achieved statehood in 1850, Tulare County, the present county in which Visalia is located, did not exist. The land that is now Tulare County was part of the huge County of Mariposa. In 1852, some pioneers settled in the area, then called Four Creeks. The area got its name from the many watershed creeks and rivers flowing from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. All the water resulted in a widespread swampy area with a magnificent oak forest. The industrious group of settlers petitioned the state legislature for county status and on July 10, 1852, Tulare County became a reality.  One of the first inhabitants of a fort built by the settlers was Nathaniel Vise, an entrepreneur with his fingers in many different activities, including fur trading as far away as San Francisco.  He was involved in the surveying of the town, and he named it after Visalia, Kentucky, which had been settled by his ancestors."

So, there you have it.  Tomorrow will be our first full day in the park.  Stay tuned.