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Crescent Meadow and the High Sierra Trail, Sequoia National Park
After we saw General Sherman and hiked Moro Rock, we drove to the Crescent Meadow trailhead to do some more hiking. On our way, this guy ran in front of our vehicle. Black bears are extremely active here in Sequoia National Park! There are warning signs everywhere. They also suggest NOT leaving food visible inside vehicles because the bears will try to get in to get it. They are smart and resourceful. Not to mention, cute! Anyway, we parked at Crescent Meadow and Jordan and I decided to do a short hike on the High Sierra Trail. This is a 60 mile trail that goes all the way to…
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General Sherman & Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park
The next day, we got up early, checked out of the lodge (we stayed right in the park!) and headed to see General Sherman, the largest tree (by volume) in the world. It stands 274.9 feet high. Holy crap. It was a beautiful morning when we hiked down to the tree. The trail down was about a half mile downhill on a paved path. And there it was! Protip: get there EARLY to avoid the crowds! We had most of the grove to ourselves and it was quite peaceful. Sherman was magnificent. We didn’t linger long, but my mom and I explored the trail a bit more while Jordan went to…
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Walking with Giants in Sequoia National Park
After hiking Sentinel Dome, we said our goodbyes to Yosemite National Park and headed south to Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Driving into Kings Canyon we stopped at an overlook to see a prescribed burn. We learned that forest fires are key to maintaining healthy ecosystems in the national parks, particularly for the health of the Sequoias. It was pretty interesting–there was a ranger there explaining the process. Fires allow the Sequoia seeds to regenerate! We didn’t spend any more time in Kings Canyon (I guess I’ll just have to go back!) but headed right into Sequoia National Park. It was incredible. The Giant Redwoods are so big that photos cannot…