May 6, 2012 - General's Highway to Panorama Pt

Hike Info:

Trail: General's Highway to Panorama Point

Distance: 3.0 miles

Duration: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Elevation Rise: 800'

Description:

Today we decided to do a short hike after church and mowing the lawn. So we left Fresno around 1:30, for the Grant Grove Area. We got there after 2:30. There was snow—old snow to be sure of—but snow just the same, around the visitor center.

We are doing a trail from the General's Highway to Panorama Point. It is technically a segment of the North Boundary Trail in Grant Grove portion of Kings Canyon National Park. But we have hiked this on its own just to enjoy the pleasure of the early season. It is a short hike, maybe three miles round trip with about an 800' elevation rise.

We pull in; get our REI Flash Packs ready, along with our hiking poles; put on the old boots, and then,a burning truck pulls into the turn-out where we are parked.

A man and two kids jump out and scoot away from the truck. Lots of smoke—Steven sees some flame—and there definitely are some popping sounds. Good thing he stopped.

Sherri and Steven went ahead, up the trail. I took the man and his children back to the Visitor Center. A ranger called for fire engines. It looks like I will need to find another place to park and meet Sherri and Steven.

So I drove up to the Panorama Pt parking lot and walked down the trail, expecting to meet Sherri and Steven on the way up. No sign of them, except for some footprints which looked like the tracks were going in the wrong direction.

Got close to the highway and saw foam, an ambulance, a fire truck and a tow truck. Exciting, as long as it was not my vehicle.

Coming back up the trail, I saw the reason why I missed them. There is an older, gentler trail, which I took down. But then, there is a newer, shorter, but steeper trail, following some power lines. Sherri and Steven had gone up the short trail. Looking at the GPS logs, I missed them by three minutes.

We caught up with each other at Panorama Point. On a clear day, you can see much of Kings Canyon's back-country. Such as North Palisades and Kersarge Pinnacles. Both of which Sherri and I will be passing by later on this summer when we do our JMT adventure in July. So it is a wonderful thing to see all the handiwork from this Point.

We came back to the car, 300 yards from the Point. And then headed back. Spring is in the air and the deer are scattered everywhere.

We ate Pizza in Squaw Valley—Bear Mountain Pizza and was back in Fresno by 7:15.