Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks border each other and the only way to get to Kings Canyon is to take a road that passes first through Sequoia.Sequoia has lots of short trails that lead to view points or particularly large trees. There are lots of people roaming around. One trail I took led me into an immense campground where it came to a cross walk and left me standing with no where to turn except cutting across campsites or following the paved roads. The largest trees are surrounded by fences and loops of interpretive trails, although even the smaller sequoias are immense compared to any other tree.
After driving along a road next to a raging river through the narrow Kings Canyon I arrived at the Road’s End trail head. Looking at the map I randomly selected one of the trails and headed up to Paradise valley. On either side of the valley are massive granite cliffs. The trail to Paradise valley climbs up past a waterfall to a friendly valley with three campgrounds
stretched along it. As the trail crosses the rocky area near the waterfall I met a couple coming down the trail. They said that there was a rattle snake up ahead. I kept my eyes open and, as the trail got steep and went up some rough stairs of granite blocks, I saw the snake, right under the corner of one of the stairs. Farther up as I passed a gap in some rocks at the side of the trail I heard a rattle, I took a step back and as I crossed in front of the gap again the rattle repeated. After I peered among the rocks I spotted the second rattler. Then on the way down there was one more stretched full length on the trail. He posed just long enough for a picture and then slid off to one side.It is acceptable to park/camp along the road in a National Forest but not in the National park. So I drove about a couple of miles out side the park boundary and pulled off in a turn out near the river.
In the morning I got up and drove back to Road’s End. This time I headed up to Avalanche Pass and a spot on the map called The Sphinx. Shortly after I started hiking I saw a bit of movement to the left of the trail, as I approached I heard something moving up the hill. When I got up to the point where I saw the movement I looked up through the trees and saw a brown black bear. He was completely unconcerned with me and I watched him for a while until he disappeared in the trees.
As I hiked along the valley floor I looked up at the cliff faces and sitting on top of one was a pile of rocks that looked vaguely like the Sphinx he even had a small pyramid next to him. I took the right fork in the trail and started up a long series of switchbacks. Sphinx Creek was always near by, but took the more direct route; tumbling straight down the ravine. The trail climbed out of the trees and gave some very impressive views of the valley as it crossed and recrossed a rocky area. Eventually I arrived in a fragrant valley full of pines. The trail crossed the stream and then started switch backs up the other side of the valley. After the trail turned back on itself one last time it went almost straight for a mile across to Avalanche Pass. The wind has swept the ground bare around the wonderfully wind swept old trees in the pass.
On the way down I stopped at the first switch back and headed up and over the ridge to sneak up on the Sphinx from behind. From a rocky outcropping on the end of the ridge I spied him down the other side. I followed a narrow ridge down through the trees and scrambled up the bare rock of the pyramid. From there I could look about 4000 ft down to the valley floor. The Sphinx itself was well protected by a gap that I dared not attempt.
Arriving back at the parking lot the bear was in the trees near my car. He was tearing up the bark on dead trees looking for grubs.
