Sierra Nevada Wildflowers
In the summer of 2019 I took a few trips to the sierras – Sonora Peak, Blue Canyon and Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Here are the flowers, with a few favorites below.
Category: Travel
Least Crowded Hikes
List of less crowded hiking locations on the peninsula and in the south bay area.
Blue Canyon
Blue Canyon is a glaciated volcanic canyon in the Emigrant Wilderness (Stanislaus National Forest) in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The hike up the canyon to Blue Canyon Lake requires significant effort (stream crossings, trail finding, steep terrain, loose rocks) but in return it offers terrific plants, rocks and water. Blue Canyon Lake The lake at the top of Blue Canyon is crystal-clear and is surrounded by volcanic rock formations jutting skyward. With snow…
Sonora Peak
Sonora Peak (elevation 11,464 ft.) is a volcanic mountain top which provides the boundary between the Northern Sierra and High Sierra regions of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. The trail offers scenic, long distance views as well as numerous types of wildflowers and maybe even a pleasant surprise. Views If you complete the moderate hike (details below), the 360-degree view from the top shows varying and impressive terrain for 100+ miles. South/Southwest: high volcanic…
The Dardanelles
The Dardanelles (California) (1) is a volcanic formation in the Sierra Nevada (Carson-Iceberg Wilderness and Stanislaus National Forest), 37 miles east of Sonora, CA. The volcanic rocks of the Dardanelles reflect a time, millions of years ago, when the Sierra Nevada mountains were primarily volcanic. Since then molten rock and upward pressure created huge areas of granite (termed “batholiths”) underneath the volcanic layers, elevating the mountains. Over time rain, wind and glaciers carved away the…
Sequoia and Kings Canyon
Lucky Me To stroll calmly among giants. To inspect glacially-carved rock faces. To deeply breathe cool alpine air. I consider myself lucky – lucky to have some time off to explore the Golden State a bit and lucky to be relatively close (~4 hrs.) to some spectacular natural sites at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. With a few days to work with (thanks to my kids’ visiting aunt) I managed to do some camping…
Don Cecil Trail
The Don Cecil hiking trail goes from the relatively lower Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park up the southern canyon walls towards Lookout Peak, which is about 4,000 feet higher. The Cedar Grove area is about 2 hours East of Fresno (CA), although it may take you longer if you stop to enjoy/photograph the views of Kings Canyon from one of the many vista points along highway CA-180. It took me a little…