I got behind on this one BUT with good cause, as I knew there was another fantastic trip video coming from Mr. Woods! So, I waited a bit to post, and while waiting and going through the trip photos, I read about all the National Park accidents that have been happening up near where we camped, fairly close to Yosemite. King's Canyon is sometimes referred to as the forgotten step-child of Yosemite. It's right up in the same region, is a fairly similar glacial valley also cut by a river, and boasts it's own spectacular waterfalls and distinctive rock formations. It's just not as popular (extra bonus - no park traffic!).
(above, wooded section / below, whitewater along the trail)
After our trip and the crazy high water levels and rapids we saw, I'm not the least bit surprised that parks in that area are reporting terrible accidents. I kept looking at all the white water while we were there, reading all the warning signs and wondering what it could possibly be like to be in that water, getting carried away. After hearing about the three hikers in Yosemite who went over Vernal Falls, I'm sorry somebody did. Runoff levels are always high in the spring, but with the snowpack this year the water is just nuts. We've done spring trips before but I've never seen anything like this.
(Above, Sentinel overlooking Mist Falls / Below, Mist Falls)
Our hike along the river on Saturday benefited from the spectacle, and the hike trail lent a lot as well. 9 miles round trip but not too much elevation gain so really a pretty laid back hike. I love trips like this where we cover so many different kinds of ground. We started out in a large open meadow and progressed through forests, wetlands, massive boulder fields and at times the water levels and the trail placement made you feel like you were somehow hiking inside the river. It was verrry different from any other water-side hike I've been on and I'd highly recommend the trail. Not to mention that when you remember to turn around and look behind you, the canyon view isn't half bad either...
But no amount of pictures can do justice to a mountain trip like a Matt Woods original!
Kings Canyon 2011 from Matt Woods on Vimeo.
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