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We left Lone Pine on Wednesday, April 11 heading south on US 395. There were high wind warnings and the winds were blowing so hard that two tractor trailer rigs turned over in the northbound lanes right before our very eyes! We had sweaty-palms and clenched fists for the whole 65 miles. It was scary, scary, SCARY! As we turned west on CA 178, the winds subsided some and the driving was a little easier. We crested Walker Pass at 5,245 feet without a hitch. We stopped in Onyx and bought gas for $3.50 a gallon – ouch! Further down the road, it was only $3.21 . . . don’t you hate it when that happens?

We spent Wednesday night at Paradise Cove, a lovely Corps of Engineers campground on Lake Isabella in Kern County. There were around 50 campsites without hookups. There was no drop box for fees and directions on the message board noted that an attendant would come by and collect the nightly charge. However, no attendant ever showed up so we got off scot-free!

Thursday morning, we awoke to a temperature of 42 degrees and rain, sleet and intermittent snow flurries. We attempted to follow highway 155 to Delano with an 11% grade but just before we reached the top, it began to snow heavily and road signage indicated that chains were required. We flagged down a passerby who told us that there was a snowplow on top and 2-3 inches of snow for a three-mile stretch. With that, we chickened out, unhooked the truck, turned around, rehooked and headed back down the mountain to take the long way through Bakersfield on highway 178.

We spent the next three nights at Horsehead Creek, a Corps of Engineers campground on Lake Kaweah near Lemon Cove (highway 198). It was a beautiful setting and about seven miles from the entrance to Sequoia National Park, America’s second oldest national park, with Yellowstone being the first. Although there are campgrounds within the park, vehicles of over 22 feet are not advised on the Generals Highway through the park so that left out Bubba!

Friday, we drove into the park to see the beautiful groves of giant sequoias. We learned that, in volume of total wood, the sequoia stands alone as the largest living thing on earth. At least one tree species lives longer, one has a greater diameter, three grow taller, but none is larger. Sequoias are distinguished from the giant redwoods on the Pacific coast in that the sequoia grows bigger around but not as tall as the Redwoods. Upon maturity, the sequoias continue to grow in girth but do not grow taller – hmmmmmmm, sounds like me!

The giant sequoias once grew across North America, Europe and Asia but are now limited to a few dozen groves on the west slopes of the Sierra Nevada. One of our first stops was in the Giant Forest to see the General Sherman tree at 275 feet tall and 36½ feet in diameter. No other living thing on earth exceeds the volume of this giant sequoia. Somewhere between 2,300 and 2,700 years old, its trunk weighs an estimated 1,385 tons with a circumference at the ground of nearly 103 feet. Can you believe it? Its largest branch is almost seven feet in diameter! Every year, the General Sherman grows enough new wood to make a 60-foot-tall tree of usual proportions. The sequoias are truly amazing trees – they have an unusually thick bark that makes them highly resistant to insects and fire. Nothing hurts them. Barring accidents, the trees seem to be immortal. The main cause of the death of the sequoia is toppling, as they have a very shallow root system with no taproot.

On Saturday, April 14, we drove to Kings Canyon to visit Grant Grove and to see the General Grant tree, known as "America’s Christmas Tree". We intended to drive all the way to the bottom of the canyon but only made it as far as Kings Canyon Lodge. At that point, we found the road still closed because of ice and snow so we turned around. We decided to make our return trip to camp through Sequoia National Park so we could visit the Lost Grove in the northern part of the park. We stopped for lunch at the Wuksachi Lodge in Wuksachi Village and, while we were eating, snow began to fall outside, as we looked out the dining room windows. It was beautiful. After lunch, we followed the Generals Highway through the park and returned to camp. Tomorrow, we would head for Yosemite, the granddaddy of them all.

Until next time, happy trails to you . . . til we meet again!