Gary-Summer: : July 26, 2021

Monday, July 26, 2021

: July 26, 2021 - Cedar Grove

Title: : July 26, 2021 - Cedar Grove
Hike Info : Description : Menu : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Gate on Road 13S07

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking : Car

Trail: Road 13S07

Destination: Indian Basin Grove

Actual Destination: Junction with Road 13S50

Distance: 2.25 miles

Start Time:3:02

End Time: 4:46

Travel Time: 1:44 (1.30 mph)

Moving Time: 1:19 (1.71 mph)

Elevation Rise: 317'
Descent: 344'

Maximum Elevation: 6,253'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Neither one of us are feeling too energetic. Must be a sign that we have not gotten out enough if a drive up here and preparation has us depleted.So we have decided to take a car trip down to Cedar Grove and just do some short stuff around there.

Grizzly Falls

But first, we must get up. I got up at 6;00 and walked to the Grant Grove Visitor Center for their WiFi. No lightning was picked up, but I did load my email. I get back to camp at 7:30. Sherri gets up a little before 8:00. We have french toast for breakfast. It is a slow morning. We read until 11:00.

We get into the car and take off to Kings Canyon, Our first stop is Grizzly Falls. This is a falls right off the road which until looking at Anne Marie Brown’s book, California Waterfalls I did not know about.We find a parking place right in front. When we stop out of the car, the heat hits us-the upper 80’s. The waterfall is only 50 yards off the road. I am expecting only a trickle, but there is enough water to make it a worthwhile walk.

Gary and Sherri at Roaring River Falls

We head into the Canyon proper. We stop at the Cedar Grove Visitor Center to see if they have WiFi-no-so we do not even step out of the car. It is warm. Then we get to Roaring River Falls. It is a bit down from the last time we saw it. But I do not think I have ever seen it not worth the 200 yard walk. The firefighters from Engine 337 walk by us before we realize who they are. We have lunch and then I take a 20 minute nap.

Onward to Zumwalt Meadows where we intend to take a walk around the meadow-about 2 miles or so. But the parking area is full so we continue on to Road’s End. The lots there are pretty full, except for the ones at the very end. It is 92^o. So we decide we are not really interested in trudging through the hot sand to the Bailey Bridge and back.

Middle Fork of Kings from Vista Point

We turn around and drive out of the Canyon. It is Sherri’s turn to take a nap. We had said we wanted to take a look at the Princess Campground. Looks like it is well taken care of-some friends of ours like to camp here. With our Senior discount, Sunset is a bit cheaper and closer to many of the places we like to go to.

Across Highway 180 is Forest Service Road 13S07. Ordinarily, I am only moderately interested in Forest Service roads like these-they are more to get to someplace than a scenic drive. They usually are a bit rough for an enjoyable drive. But I had spotted that there was a Sequoia Grove, Indian Basin Grove, up this road. After we go up it a ways, there is a gate closing further travel via car.

We are up higher than the Canyon and the temperature has cooled a bit. We are both interested in a short walk, so off we go. It is a moderate rise up. It feels good to be out stretching our legs. We see a few signs of tree bases having been scorched. But I wonder what fire? (From CalTopo, it looks like the Rough Fire). Will need to look it up when we get back home. After half of a mile we see what looks like a young Sequoia-by young let's say 150 years old (only a guess on my part). Even young there is a burgeoning majesty to them. We think we see a trail, more like an old road which we follow for a ways. There is a sign saying Giant Sequoia Grove Boundary. Evidently we are on the right track. Our old road is getting more overgrown and starting to head down into a ravine, so we just look around, then return to 13S07.

We continue heading up the road, not intending to go very far. But we do find a couple of places where we can look down into the Grove. Fun trying to pick out what are Sequoias and what ones are cedars. The road climbs up gradually, or flattens out. We hear the sound of thunder rippling across the sky. Will there be more? (Turns out when I checked the lightning report the next day, there was no lightning in this area. Did we hear the sound of a tree falling? If so, it was a large tree.)

We come to the junction with road 13S50. Here we look around, catching glimpses of the mountains across the Kings River. We walk back down the road to the car. No more excitement. We stopped at Grant Grove Visitor Center, but were not able to pick up an Internet connection there.

When we get back to camp, Sherri fixes us a chicken-cheese sandwich for dinner. But we run into a problem-no more propane! I thought I had brought a nearly full one-guess not. So we have a cold sandwich.

Greg had left a text about a problem getting to a web site and do I have any thoughts about what it could be? Yes I do, so I called him back. We talked about the problem. Then I ask him if the stores in the area sell propane canisters? He does not know, but he has a couple new ones which we can have. We make arrangements to meet at the Delilah turn off tomorrow. Yippee! This is so good.

Road 13S07

Sherri and I play Cribbage some more. Then it starts to sprinkle, so we throw things into the tent. When we get into the tent, discover that several of the Cribbage pegs have broken. That ends the game, that and the solar light keeps going out on us. Time to read and go to sleep