May 15, Sequoia National Park

 Sequoia National Park 

What a joy to sleep with the sound of a roaring river and looking up through the tent vents and seeing stars!

 

We make friendly with our next camp neighbors.  He used to be one of the trainers for the Braves.  Now he works for a different team.  Doesn’t matter which one if it isn’t the Braves. 

Nick makes a nice bacon, hash browns and scrambled eggs breakfast.  Everything tastes better when eaten outdoors. I make some sandwiches to take with us on a hike.  At the store we got some Wickles Pickles.  They have a wicked bite to them and will add a nice touch to the ham and cheese sandwiches. 

 

We drive to the Visitor’s center – always a nice place to start to get their recommendations on hikes etc.  Nick found a really nice purple mug which will be a fellow traveler for the rest of the trip. 

Even though a large part of the park is closed due to road repairs after the heavy spring rains, there are still several choices for hikes.  Most of them are hiking in and out on the same trail, which means we turn back when we’re half done with our hike.  We choose the one that starts where we were stargazing last night.  We don’t get far and Nick asks if I have my eppi pins.  Oh Crap!  No!  They are on the bedside bin in the tent.  Back we go.  A VERY short hike.  It’s already quite warm.  We decide after all of our hard driving days that relaxing at the site would be nice and we’ll take a late afternoon hike from our camp spot.   So, here I am, sitting in the shade, babbling brook…..a Robin hopping by????

Our neighbors come over and say that they have to move to a different campsite because they couldn’t get reservations for both nights for the same site.  But, the people at the new site haven’t left yet.  They ask us to let the people know that they plan to move if the new neighbors arrive before they get back.  Sure, no problem. 

We make an excursion out of going into town to Walmart to pick up some flavored water for Nick.  The highlight is a stop at a candy and ice cream shop.  Se sample several varieties of ice-cream.  I settle on a chocolate toffee. Nick got coffee.  

The heat is really getting to Nick and he has no energy for any kind of a walk.  I’m antsy so decide to do a walk that starts at the campground.  It could take one all the way to the Hospital Picnic ground (I’m still wondering why it has that name).  That is about 2/12 miles each way.  A bit further than I really want to do.  It’s about :30 so starting to cool down.  The walk basically follows the river and the road but far enough from the road to not hear it.  There are several varieties of wild flowers that are blooming.  Sometimes, the path is very narrow with tall grasses tring to choke the path off.  I come to a point with a sign saying “River”.  It is fairly steep down.  I come close to the river and there is a strange contraption going across the river.  A strong cable with a metal bucket that looks like it’s designed to carry one person in it.  Across the river is a receiving point.  I don’t take a picture of it as I’m looking for nature pictures.  I turn back.  After the steep walk back up from the river, the path is easy and slightly down hill.  I look up and there is a deer in the middle of the path.  I freeze.  It is easier for the deer to leave the trail than it is for me.  So, I take a few slow steps closer.  The deer graciously steps aside and warily lets me pass. 

When I got back to camp, Nick asked if I had gotten to the swing bridge.  Oh, YES!  That’s what that metal contraption was that I worked hard to keep out of my pictures.

Nick makes a couple of steaks, and hash browns and I cut up a small watermelon to go with it.  Our new neighbors show up and no sign of our old neighbors.  We relay the situation and tell them to just go ahead and set up camp.  It’s getting later and still no sign of the old neighbors.  We all are starting to worry about them.  They left about 1:00.  Vic was wearing swimming trunks with a towel draped over his shoulders.  Hmmm.  Now it’s about 10 PM and still no sign of them.  We talk with the new neighbors and agree that we will make a missing person report at the visitor’s center in the morning if they still aren’t back.   It’s about 10:30 and we head for bed wondering if we will be able to sleep worrying about Natalie and Vic.  Ah! The pull in! Yeah!  Now we can sleep in peace.