Grant & Cedar Grove 7.16.08

Today we drove up through Grant Grove to Cedar Grove, and then down along Hume Lake back to camp.

The Grant Grove to Cedar Grove drive is considered one of the most magnificent in any national park, including Yosemite. The drive takes about an hour and views from the drive are spectacular – roaring Kings River with all of it’s creeks that feeds into it, rugged peaks, steep granite cliffs, waterfalls, & windy roads.



We started at Grant Grove & stopped to see the General Grant Tree, the 3rd largest in the world, a memorial to U.S. Soldiers killed in war, & the nation’s Christmas Tree. On the 2nd Saturday of December, they have a grand celebration here yearly. The General Grant tree has a base of 40ft in diameter! It would take 20 people holding hands to circle the base. It’s sheer size makes it the 3rd largest tree, by volume, in the world. It’s a sight! The hike was only 1/3 of a mile to the tree & several around it and then we headed on down the road.



We stopped at Kings Canyon Lodge where the gas station was one of America’s Oldest double gravity pumps is still in use! Built in 1928, the tanks are above the pumps which fills the pumps, and when it’s pumped into the vehicle, it uses gravity as well. The novelty of it all made us add 10 gallons – at $5.75/gal! Yikes!



We stopped at Grizzly Falls and had a great PB&J lunch, then on to the Cedar Grove area.



We hiked out to Muir rock, a large, flat river boulder right on the river where John Muir would bring Sierra Club field trips & give talks. There was a family of about 20 who were daring each other to jump into the frigid water below & survive the rapids! Everyone did fine – even the youngest boy who did NOT want to jump in but succumbed to peer pressure.

That took us to the roundabout appropriately called ‘Roads End’ and we headed back. This time we stopped at Roaring River Falls, a 5 minute walk to a 40 ft spillway that falls into a granite bowl. It also looks like the water is carving out a super smooth journey!


We decided to take a different route home, through Hume Lake. The Hume lake area is beautiful! Although…it’s filled with kids as it’s a Christian camp. They were everywhere! It sure looked fabulous and Michael noted that he would have liked to come here when he was growing up!



Back at camp it’s Macaroni & cheese night as we’re trying to use up all of our remaining staples we brought along.

Rene