Fresno Trip - Stage 4 Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks - Part 1
Our trip to Sportsmobile West only lasted a few hours. Jonathan took his time to show us how different ideas were implemented in other vehicles they were working on in the shop, and definitely answered all of our questions to make sure we would get the vehicle we want, but we had a good idea of our needs and wants, and quickly went through the list of options available to us. Soon enough we were heading out for a late lunch (driving a bit out of our way for excellent Mexican at Jonathan’s recommendation) and a stop off at a grocery store for some water and supplies. Next stop, Kings Canyon NP.
The drive was relatively short and very beautiful as we drove from the valley, through the foot-hills and eventually arrived at our destination at Grant Grove. By the time we checked in it was late afternoon and evening was approaching (wow these late fall evenings come early!). We decided to settle in for our stay instead of running around and I downloaded our notes from the day’s meetings as Ann cleaned her camera gear.
The following morning we were up bright and early, though not exactly sure of what our plans were. The clerk at the checkout counter the day before said that they had just closed the main road into Kings Canyon NP. But when I went to pick up some ice by the lobby at 4:30 am, the clerk there said she thought it was still open. Then I asked her, “If you could photograph sunrise from someplace around here, where would it be?” Of all places, it was up a road right behind the lodge, so I went back to the room and told Ann I knew where we were starting the day!
So we drove up the road and hiked up to Panoramic Point in the dark. That night was the night of the Supermoon so even under the trees it wasn’t totally dark (that and Ann’s love for flashlights). The previous evening, Ann and I went out to look at the Supermoon through the trees but decided not to try and photograph it. Well, that morning, it was still up, and with the pre-dawn glow, I decided it was worth trying to make an image of it before it set.
I then turned around to see the view we went there for and was a bit frustrated with how dark the valley was even with the bright sky. Ann was trying this and that and was equally frustrated. I kept trying to make compositions with near-by rocks, but the odd sky made things tough. And then the sun rose over the mountain top and gave us light.
Since I was facing some rocks at the time, I decided to make a detail shot of the granite right in front of me.
Within a few minutes, the sun was streaking into the valley below.
Not the best place for photographing, but not a bad way to start the day. Best of all, on our way back we could stop for breakfast!
After breakfast we headed down the road towards Kings Canyon with our fingers crossed. It didn’t help. Driving through Giant Sequoia National Monument we were held-up by some road construction. Chatting with the control guard there, he told us they closed the road noon the day before. We were one day too late. But given we took care of the Sportsmobilethe previous day and wouldn’t have traded that for a drive into Kings Canyon, we accepted it as the way things were. Fortunately, the night before I had planned on that eventuality and had scouted out a forest service road (actually much nicer than I’d expected) we could take to loop back around to near our lodge. We would wing it from there.
As we got to the bottom of the hill and had to veer right instead of left, we saw a meadow that I thought might offer some potential. Ann was battling the second wave of a bug I had given her (not quite a cold, not quite the flu, but definitely energy sapping) and she decided to just sit and enjoy the view as I tromped off into the field to photograph. It didn’t take me long to find somesubjects along the edge of the meadow, so that’s where I went.
The light was interesting and I was seeing things in black and white, so I went with it. One photograph was easily the type that could work in black and white or color.
However the next one was pure B&W.
As I made my way towards the area that grabbed my attention from the road, I noticed a rock on the edge of the trees that gave me something to include in the image so it wasn’t just grasses, trees and sky
I struggled awhile with that rock and meadow, trying a half dozen similar shots and eventually heard Ann’s voice on my walkie talkie asking where I was. It was time to head back to the car.
We decided to take it easy for the day and to drive down the road towards Giant Sequoia NP a day early. Since this was a scouting trip to begin with (two days for two national parks doesn’t give you much time for anything else) we figured we’d stop if we saw anything compelling, otherwise we’d scout out places for the following day.
On the way up the forest service road I glanced out my window and saw an interesting creek, hit my brakes hard and had to back up and into a small pull-out on the side of the road. We got out and decided that it was definitely one to put on the list, and even though it would require a bit of a climb down, it looked quite do-able.
I noted a couple of locations along the main road in Giant Sequoia NP, mostly accessible areas of broad granite with a smattering of trees, and put the closest pull-offs/road intersections in my little notebook. But much like Yosemite, there was a surprising number of people at most of the pull outs and we turned around at the main visitor’s center after a short break. We swung by the General Grant Grove parking area on the way back and ended the day with a list of 4-5 locations we could photograph the next day, if the weather held. Snow was in the forecast.
The next morning we woke to fog, but no snow. It had rained a bit, but had stopped, so we were good to go. After breakfast, we decided to head back to the first location we’d seen the day before (figuring the open expanses of rocks at higher elevations could be icy). It didn’t disappoint. Well, it didn’t, but I did.
Things seem to start off well, with me going for the shot I’d imagined from the road the day before.
Unfortunately, it became increasingly more difficult for me as I could see all sorts of interesting shapes and colors, but couldn’t quite figure out how to capture them. Then the sun would peak out and reveal something new, only to go away for quite some time once you’ve decided to try and photograph that instead. Some places are just so visually exciting that you don’t step back to calm down and think about the images you want to make. And you wind up with mediocre photographs. This was one of those places for me.
I wound up again making some black and white images, but was still less than satisfied (it was only after looking at Ann’s images that I realized why I wasn’t too pleased with what I was doing).
After awhile, the skies seemed like they would clear up (of course after I’d framed an image that didn’t work with the sun blaring on parts of the rock), which afforded other opportunities. So I again framed a broader landscape image, only for things to rapidly change on me, have me wait for 15 minutes before I was convinced (rightly it seemed this time) that the sun was obscured for good.
Still, you can see what an incredible place this was.
After that brief break in the clouds, the heavy clouds came back and I got one last image in before the drizzle started.
At first it seemed like it wasn’t going to last, but after about 15 minutes of trying to keep everything dry, Ann and I decided to call it quits. In part because we were wet and cold, in part because we were worried we wouldn’t be able to climb out of there. So we headed back. By the time we made it back to the car (after finding a decent, too not muddy route back up the steep slope, and avoiding the rocks which were becoming slippery), it was raining.
We headed back to the lodge for lunch and to see if we were going to get any more photography in that day. Still, we’d spent 3 hours at this location and I’d go back there in a heartbeat. So despite my frustrations, it was a wonderful morning of photography.