Volume 3February 2000Number 2
Continuing a story that began last month, the National Parks of Kings Canyon and Sequoia were also visited from Oakhurst, California and the Ahwanee Campground and RV Resort. All three parks were toured within 4 days of each other. After having been to Yosemite for two days we entered Kings Canyon with our introduction to the Giant Sequoias behind us. The actual road to Kings Canyon is closed in the winter due to the snow conditions. Even though the snow was not a problem at the time that we were there, the roads are seasonally closed in October. Grant's Grove which was originally Grant National Park before it was incorporated into Kings Canyon was our first stop. The initiation we had to the Sequoias in the Mariposa Grove, in Yosemite, was nothing compared to the monsters in this Park. The General Grant tree was named the official Christmas Tree of the nation by President Eisenhower back in the 50's. It's the most celebrated tree in the Park with festivities happening there quite often. But even the General Grant is not the biggest of these monsters. The largest of these trees is in Sequoia National Park.The Sequoias are a light brown/cinnamon colored. They get their coloring from the tremendous amount of tannic acid contained in the tree. They are almost impervious to disease, virtually fireproof and seldom die on their own. Their usual method of destruction is losing their balance and tipping over. The root system of the tree grows only about 6 feet deep at it's deepest. It may spread to about 200 feet from the tree. The trees live for thousands of years, with the General Sherman Tree being the largest, but not the oldest, remaining tree. The General Sherman has been estimated to be from 2500-3000 years old. And when these trees finally fall down, they take forever to rot because of the same tannic acid. There are fallen monarchs which lay in their entirety on the forest floor and have been there for an estimated 500 hundred years. There are some 26 groves of Giant Sequoias and the only place they grow naturally is the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. (Central California)Our second stop in Kings Canyon was Panoramic Point. Having to climb to get to it was not our first choice, but no other way was clearly evident. We had worn ourselves to a frazzle climbing hills in the Mariposa Grove to see the many Sequoias. Having reached the Point, the view was spectacular. It was an overlook of the entire snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It was definitely a view worth the effort.Our final stop was the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. Walking among these massive trees is awe-inspiring. You realize from the history, that the only reason these trees are still here is because their wood is too soft for any practical purpose. When they were cut, they were used for toothpicks and matches but not for buildings. So how big are they? They typically grow to 36' wide at the base, if they live long enough. A good sized garage is about 24 X 24 feet. Their size cannot be imagined, unless they are actually observed. They are so big that the General Sherman tree is said to be the largest living thing in the world. And all I can say to that is........That's a lot of matches and toothpicks ! A trip down highway 111 heading south from Interstate 10 will bring you to a little town called Niland, California. Niland is located just southeast of the Salton Sea. It is famous to RVers as ''The Slabs.'' So named because 'they' are what remains from an old military installation, after the buildings were removed from the foundations. Also found at the slabs is the largest collection of characters that can be found anywhere south of San Francisco.The leading character is Leonard Knight, who is creating and painting the mountain. Since the early 80's Leonard has been assembling from dirt, straw and water, a mountain which is regularly painted with bright colors to bring out the religious theme created by him. It stands about 50 feet high and he works on it constantly, during the night in the summer, when the heat regularly hits 110+.Also at the slabs are the varied living quarters of the many residents. From the $300,000.00 hi-line Motorcoach to the truck camper sitting on a slab. From mobile homes, which have long since lost their mobility, To a van sitting on top of a trailer. This place has got everything, and everybody.Most people are here because it's free. But there are a lot of folks here just because they enjoy this kind of living without any ties to the conventional. We stayed 1 night.Will Electronic problems follow us all the days of our lives? You may have noticed a new e-mail address making an appearance on the Newsletter. After having checked with my local server about retrieving mail on the road, they assured me there would be no problem. Needless to say, there was a problem. We couldn't retrieve our mail. I try not to listen to the 'so-called' experts but sometimes you have no choice. The newest problem was trying to align the satellite dish in Mexico. Not having a zip code that was reliable, I asked a couple of camping neighbors for the co-ordinates. I was having no luck what-so-ever until a gentleman with a 'satellite finder' showed up. This is the same device that Sharon has told me to buy, more than once. I hate it when she's always right. | ||||
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