On Sunday, July 10 [2022], we technically had the day off, but—as we had during our Texas adventure and as we would again on future Bold Bison trips—Patrick and I spent the day hiking, this time in Kings Canyon National Park. Often with Bold Bison, our work responsibilities and recreational activities blend, and they would on this day. In addition to hiking in Kings Canyon proper, we continued capturing photos and video footage of the devastation wrought by the KNP Complex Fire.
When Sean and I had made the trek into Kings Canyon back in 2018, we had driven a more roundabout way to avoid going up and through the Giant Forest (to spare me the hair-raising drive). But Patrick and I took the Generals Highway route through the Giant Forest so that we could visit one of the most fire impacted sites.
But first, we got to experience a little magic. There was a prescribed burn that day in part of the Giant Forest, and the drifting smoke caught the light like mist.
We stopped to get some really lovely shots.
After the magic, we continued on to the devastation. Near the boundary of Sequoia National Park, the Generals Highway took us through some of the burnt matchstick forest we’d seen from the distance the day before.
We continued along Generals Highway out of Sequoia National Park and into Giant Sequoia National Monument in Sequoia National Forest. At a pullout, we caught a panoramic view of Kings Canyon and the High Sierra in the distance.
The graffiti above was at a pit toilet we made a quick stop at. I was very good at finding a parking spot in the completely empty gravel lot.
Farther along, we entered Kings Canyon National Park at Redwood Mountain, one of the most fire-impacted areas of Sequoia Groves.
It was sobering.
Even pieces of built infrastructure, like road signs, were cooked.
We could see firsthand the baked soil devoid of vegetation. Although the KNP Complex Fire was caused by nature, a series of lightning strikes, there were factors that made it unnatural. More than a century of fire suppression, persistent drought, and increased temperatures from climate change all contributed to making the fire as intense as it was.
We continued on and I faced “Hayes’ Misery,” as Patrick termed it, the road into Kings Canyon proper. It is a doozy. Blind turns. Thousand-foot drops. No railings (thanks, USDA Forest Service).
But we made it. We entered Kings Canyon and found a parking spot at a trailhead near the end of the road.
Our goal was Roaring River Falls, a short mile-and-a-half hike along the canyon floor.
It was a hot, bright day on the canyon floor, very similar to when Sean and I had visited almost exactly four years earlier.
The older fire impact visible on the canyon floor had nothing to do with the KNP Complex Fire.
We were in no hurry, so it took us almost an hour to walk the relatively short distance to the falls.
I think Patrick was a little underwhelmed.
Instead of going straight back to the car, we overshot the parking area and visited Zumwalt Meadow, a spot on the floor of Kings Canyon that feels a bit more like Yosemite Valley than other portions of the canyon. Same granite as Yosemite, but—in being farther south—generally warmer and drier than that valley.
After our short hike, we started the drive out of Kings Canyon, which is even worse than the drive in because on the way out, you are on the drop-off side of the road.
But we made it.
Reentering Sequoia National Park along Generals Highway, we had the dramatic image of the entrance sign backed by burnt matchstick trees.
This was probably the most haunting view of fire damage that we saw.
Back in Three Rivers on this hot late afternoon, we were invited by Savannah for a late afternoon swim in the Kaweah River.
It was cool and refreshing. And we enjoyed swapping stories of National Park adventures with her.
Next morning, we wrapped up our time with a few meetings before driving down to San Diego.
Approaching greater Los Angeles, we decided to stop for dinner and wait out the traffic. I asked Patrick if he had anywhere in particular he wanted to go, and he said Newport Beach. So that’s what he did, so that he could live out his Lucille Bluth fantasies.
When the server at Rockin’ Baja Lobster asked if Patrick wanted his burrito wet, he replied, “I dont’ understand the question, and I won’t respond to it.”
Our project in San Diego was to spend three days essentially driving around San Diego County building up a photo and video library for a regional planning organization. They needed iconic San Diego locations as well as images of public transit, solar installations, examples of infrastructure, etc. It was a fun few days.
And even better, I got to see Andrew, Yesi, and Skylar. They picked me up, and we went to dinner on the waterfront.
After our three days in San Diego, it was time to head north, all the way to Seattle.