Kings Canyon National Park

We drove through Kings Canyon National Park on our way to Yosemite.  We went to the visitors center and took a short hike on General Grant Tree Trail to see their largest tree.  I was pretty frustrated with the kids during our visit.  They are still fighting over who gets to stand in the middle of the pictures.  I finally decided that they have assigned day for who gets to be in the middle.  After a major Carter melt down I let Renee have the first day.  It took several pictures without Carter and threats that he would not ever have a day to be in the middle if he didn’t start corporate, that things started to get better.

 It took us about 3 hours to get to our next stop.  We did eat some Carls Jr. on the way.  I was craving something cooked.  I wasn’t able to get a reservation in one of the Yosemite campgrounds, so we are staying in Oakhurst.  It is 15 miles south of the Yosemite South Entrance.  After we got our tent sent up, we drove to Yosemite.  Once we were in the park it took another hour to get to Yosemite Valley.  We did a four and a half hour hike past Vernal and Nevada Falls.  The hike was uphill the first half and then down hill, including stone stairs, the last half.  The waterfalls were amazing.  I dropped my lens cap and it rolled off a cliff.  It is for the lens I rented. And I am not sure if that will be covered by the insurance.  Besides the loss of the lens camp the hike was a wonderful experience with breath taking views.  Well all of it except the last mile.  I am not sure how many miles it was but Carter cried the last mile that he was tired.  I ended up carrying him some of the way, which is no easy task considering he weights over fifty pounds.  After we got back to the car we still had an hour and a half drive back to the camp.  (I’m now really sad that we do not have a campground in the park.)  The kids had no problems getting to sleep and I slept soundly for the first time on this trip.

Gavin lef me this message on the back of the car.

Getting sworn in as Sequoia Junior Rangers.

Driving through Kings Canyon

About to go the General Grant Tree Trail.

Climbing through the Fallen Monarch.

In front of the Grant Tree.

Starting out on the Trail in Yosemite.

Yosemite

Checking out the water.

Talking to a squirrel.

Climbing up high on the John Muir Trail

View of Nevada Falls.

Continuing on.

Balancing downhill.

Vernal Falls.

Up close to Vernal Falls.

We took Misty Trail down and it was treacherous.

There are a lot of stairs on the Misty Trail.

Another view of Vernal Falls.

Continuing down the mountain.