Sequoia National Park Off The Beaten Path

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The large cones you find in the forest belong to the Sugar Pine, *not* the Sequoia. Sequoia cones are about the size of a chicken egg, and tightly closed. Fire is required to open them!

Sequoias rely on fire for reproduction. Their bark is made to withstand fires, fire is required to release the seeds from Sequoia Cones, and fires provide fertile soil for seeds to take hold, as well as clear a spot of sunlight in the forest.

The Cold Springs Trail was a scenic and short trail in the Mineral King Valley of Sequoia National Park. It's about a mile long, one-way, and can be either started from the Eagle Mosquito Trailhead or the Cold Springs Campground. The trail leads through aspen forest and meadows in the valley along the river, offering great views of Timber Gap and Sawtooth Peak. The trail also passes the ruins of Beulah, a former mining town. The hike is a good choice in the early morning.

This fairly easy trail, only 3.5 miles round trip, leads to great views of the Siliman Crest, the Great Western Divide, and the foothills. However, while we were there (around noon on June 21) we had the entire trail to ourselves. The trail begins from Little Baldy Saddle and immediately begins switchbacking up a forested slope. Soon, views of Big Baldy will appear. After climbing steadily for a while, the trail will level out as you reach the top of the ridge. On the fairly flat ridgetop, there are good views in all directions. But the best views come at the end, atop the round, flat summit of Little Baldy. This is one of the best day hikes in Sequoia National Park.

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Unknown, rarely visited Mineral King Valley, accessible by a winding, bumpy 25-mile road, is a gem in Sequoia National Park. Here you can hike to alpine lakes, stroll along meadows, or stay in rustic cabins. It's a wonderful place, not to be missed. I recommend hiking the 7-mile round trip trail to Eagle Lake, which has really good scenery.

When I was at the tunnel log, taking pictures, all of a sudden I spotted this deer....

It wasn't alone, there were a whole group of them, in the foggy cold woods, with the snow on the ground. I crawled over a big wall of snow, brrrr it was cold, I was still wearing my miniskirt and sandles, and my feet were sinking deep in the snow. I sneaked closer to them.... wow, that was a beautiful moment.

But I could see that they got restless by my appearance, reacting nervously, keeping an eye on me all the time. I stood there for a while, very quiet, trying not to disturb them.

But one small deer decided to go, and jumped over a little stream to get further away from me. The rest followed, disappearing in the fog.

I drove into the mountains of Sequoia National Park, and all of a sudden a few people on the side of the road were looking down a hill. Of course I stopped, and this was the first time I saw a bear in the wild.... wow! I don't know what it is about bears, but they just seem to fascinate me. This was my first bear : an experience I won't easily forget.

These young Sequoias have a long life ahead of them. Unless they are killed by fire or severe rainfall, these little guys will be around for 2,000 or more years and will grow to a height of over 200 feet tall.

Three Rivers is the closest town outside the park. The town was named after the Kaweah River, which splits into three branches- the south, east and north. After Three Rivers, this flat road begins to climb steadily past the arid regions of the canyon. The scenery remains desert like for the first few miles until the road heads north into the cooler and less dry mountain region