Sequoia and Kings Canyon, the twin national parks situated at the southern extremity of California’s Sierra Nevada Range, exemplifies the concept of diversity.  The extreme contrasts in climate, topography and vegetation expressed in this region are astounding.  Consider the rise in elevation from 1,700 feet at park headquarters at Ash Mountain to the summit of Mt. Whitney at 14,495′ on Sequoia’s eastern fringe, and then contemplate how that differential impacts the ecology of the parks.  Rarely does snow fall in the foothills near the western entrance, nor does the snow ever completely melt in the park’s higher reaches.  Spring flowers bloom from January through October.  Sequoia contains the highest peak in the lower 48 – Mt. Whitney at 14,495′, and the deepest canyon – Kings Canyon – 8,200′ – even deeper than the Grand Canyon.  And then there are the mighty sequoias, the largest living things on earth.  Reason enough for Timberline to cherish Sequoia and Kings Canyon as a part of its adventure hiking program.

Our program headquarters at the Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia, where we’ll spend all five nights.  We’ll van shuttle from Fresno to Sequoia early enough to head to Lodgepole and hike along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River.  Our goal for Day 1 is Tokopah Falls, and a short final boulder scramble will bring us to the base of this 1,200-foot marvel.

Day 2 requires a short shuttle to the Wolverton Trailhead.  The Lakes Trail offers another perspective on the beautiful Kaweah River and Tokopah Valley.  Today our trail snakes along a ledge on the Watchtower itself, before descending to Heather Lake.  We’ll continue on to Emerald Lake, nestled at the base of the mighty Alta Peak – our destination in a couple days.

We’ll devote much of Day 3 to the awesome sequoias as we explore the trails of the Giant Forest.  We’ll hike the Congress Trail, view The House, The Senate, The President, and of course, The General Sherman Tree, “the largest living thing on Earth”.  We then follow the Trail of the Sequoias to Crescent Meadow. Later that afternoon, we’ll also climb to the top of remarkable Moro Rock for one of the park’s most incredible views.

Our challenge for Day 4 is one of the park’s greatest trails.  We’re headed for the 11,204′ summit of Alta Peak on a 12-mile round trip trek that offers some of the finest alpine vistas in the Sierra.  From Alta’s summit, we’ll see the towering peaks of the Mt. Goddard region to the north and those of the Great Western Divide rising out of Mineral King to the south.  Whitney’s crest dominates the eastern horizon and far below rests shimmering Emerald Lake.

We’re off to Cedar Grove in adjacent Kings Canyon on Day 5.  From our trailhead at Roads End, we’ll trace the course of the Kings River upstream to Mist Falls and then cross the river at its confluence with Bubbs Creek as we return to our trailhead.

The adventure continues on Day 6 as we climb the polished granite dome of Little Baldy for its spectacular 360-degree view of the High Sierra.  We’ll visit Grant Grove and then return to Fresno.