Читать книгу Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks - Mike White - Страница 14

West Side Trips

The west side of the Sierra Nevada rises steadily from the broad plain of the San Joaquin Valley toward the protected lands of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Heading east, the verdant agricultural land of the San Joaquin Valley gives way to the grasslands and chaparral of the foothills zone, which in turn give way to the dense timber of the mid-elevation forests. A few roads penetrate the heart of these areas of towering conifers and scattered groves of giant sequoias, but auto-bound visitors to the parks must stop well below the granite cirques and serrated peaks of the High Sierra. Steadily rising, roadless terrain continues through the red fir and lodgepole pine forests into the subalpine and alpine zones, which eventually culminates at the apex of the Sierra Crest forming the eastern boundary of both parks.

Recreationists entering Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks from the west will experience a wide range of topography, flora, and fauna. The foothills region of Sequoia offers year-round hiking opportunities in the drainages of the South Fork and Middle Fork Kaweah Rivers. In the spring, once Mineral King Road reopens and the Giant Forest is snow free, fortunate hikers are blessed with splendid opportunities to stand beneath a massive sequoia, stroll along a tumbling stream, or gaze across a verdant, wildflower-covered meadow. Midsummer, the height of the outdoor season, lures backpackers with the siren call of the magnificent backcountry within the parks and surrounding wilderness areas.

Giant sequoias in the Garfield Grove (Trip 2)