The adventures definitely continue. After leaving LA I crashed just off the exit along the interstate and at some tiny town. Since I had been hiking in, running in, and generally using up most of my clothes, I decided to do some laundry.
I stopped by a laundromat to defunk my trail clothes and other wears was well as charge up the batteries on my laptop,
GPS, camera, and other vital technological gear. On the way to the park, I saw a sigh that indicated park headquarters/information in
Porterville (just sough of the National Park). Apparently it was one of the main offices for the
Sequoia National Forest, which I hadn’t even previously considered nor really was aware of the existence (of difference between parks) of it. I talked to one of the rangers for a while and explained my interests and time schedule, and she was able to provide a good list of recommendations. I was a lovely, though a bit long drive to the sites, but the place was spectacular. Along the way, I stopped at a little roadside turnout that had a small stream next to it. I had (or was pulled into) a lovely long conversation with a gentleman that was there with his wife, daughter, and grandkids doing a bit of stream fishing. We chatted for what was probably 45 minutes to an hour about different traveling experiences as he relayed some of his old experiences in the area and shared what had changed, what he had previously see, recommendations, etc. I really enjoy running into such people that enjoy sharing their experiences and felt it really added a bit of flavor to the trip.
My first stop, after actually getting to where I intended to be after all the little side stops for pictures or vista views, was the 'Trail of 100 Giants'.
This was a lovely trail, though paved, that winded throughout the southernmost sequoia grove. I’ve always wanted to see these giants after reading about them and seeing pictures in Social Studies class as well as history books from the hey day of primary school. They were every bit as grandiose and prominent as I would have expected. To say, ‘big’ would not even begin to convey the magnitude of the giants. I wandered around the trail trying to take in the sheer volume and age of the living monuments.
These entities were large when Nero was taking fiddle lessons as a boy or when Galileo’s head was on the block for looking up the truth. After the trail, I took the opportunity to explore the many side dirt roadways that the forest has to offer. One huge difference from the National Park system is that the National Forest (run by the Department of Agriculture vs. the park system’s Department of Interior) is that they seemingly encourage the utilization and enjoyment of the resources on a more primitive level.
The NPS has everything marked, interpretatively signed, and well traversed while the Forest Service seems to enable self-exploration that allows one to feel like they really are pushing into the wilderness and not just getting a ‘Disneyfied’ version with pretty interpretive signs and iconic animals saying that only you can prevent forest fires. The little Chevy HHR that I got as a rental could handle a lot more than I expected, though with all the layered dust, I’m expecting that I’ll have to pressure wash it before I can return it to the rental agency when I’m done. Hmm, maybe I should have gotten the *full* insurance package.
I found a lovely dead end right along a stream and set up my camp for the evening, even getting a few shots of my living space, for prosperity, of the next few weeks. Although seemingly small, it is a good deal more comfortable, and especially more versatile, than many motels I which I have stayed in the past.
The adventures definitely continue. After leaving LA I crashed just off the exit along the interstate and at some tiny town. Since I had been hiking in, running in, and generally using up most of my clothes, I decided to do some laundry.
I stopped by a laundromat to defunk my trail clothes and other wears was well as charge up the batteries on my laptop, 
My first stop, after actually getting to where I intended to be after all the little side stops for pictures or vista views, was the 'Trail of 100 Giants'. 
This was a lovely trail, though paved, that winded throughout the southernmost sequoia grove. I’ve always wanted to see these giants after reading about them and seeing pictures in Social Studies class as well as history books from the hey day of primary school. They were every bit as grandiose and prominent as I would have expected. To say, ‘big’ would not even begin to convey the magnitude of the giants. I wandered around the trail trying to take in the sheer volume and age of the living monuments. 
These entities were large when Nero was taking fiddle lessons as a boy or when Galileo’s head was on the block for looking up the truth. After the trail, I took the opportunity to explore the many side dirt roadways that the forest has to offer. One huge difference from the National Park system is that the National Forest (run by the Department of Agriculture vs. the park system’s Department of Interior) is that they seemingly encourage the utilization and enjoyment of the resources on a more primitive level. 
The NPS has everything marked, interpretatively signed, and well traversed while the Forest Service seems to enable self-exploration that allows one to feel like they really are pushing into the wilderness and not just getting a ‘Disneyfied’ version with pretty interpretive signs and iconic animals saying that only you can prevent forest fires. The little Chevy HHR that I got as a rental could handle a lot more than I expected, though with all the layered dust, I’m expecting that I’ll have to pressure wash it before I can return it to the rental agency when I’m done. Hmm, maybe I should have gotten the *full* insurance package. 
I found a lovely dead end right along a stream and set up my camp for the evening, even getting a few shots of my living space, for prosperity, of the next few weeks. Although seemingly small, it is a good deal more comfortable, and especially more versatile, than many motels I which I have stayed in the past.
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