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TR: Sequoia & Kings Cyn (dry camping and boondocking)

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
Here is a link to our latest trip report:

Sequoia and Kings
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."
14 REPLIES 14

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
Dan ... that trout was caught on a rare wet fly no longer available anywhere, so far as my BIL and myself have been able to determine.

My BIL obtained some many years ago from an "old fishing gentleman" and we've been using from that dwindling stock ever since. He's trying to locate the closet he can find. We may have to resort to hiring a custom fly tier to reconstruct some by looking at a photo.

That was just about the only fly that connected on this recent trip, as well as on many other trips. It brought in several nice trout a few weeks ago for a great fish fry at our dry camping site in the trees along the shore of the lake.

Viva California. ๐Ÿ˜‰
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
Phil, that trout is amazing -- and just imagine what you could've caught with a bigger hook baited with a hundred dollar bill!!
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
JAC1982 wrote:
It's the only thing I miss about California


We haven't given up on CA yet - because we live here.

Here's one of our two most spectacular drycamping spots, it's in CA, and we camped there for a week earlier this month:


Here's one of the 24 inch things from the water at that spot:


Way off topic, but for what it's worth our other spectacular drycamping spot is on Antelope Island in Utah:
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

JAC1982
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for sharing these pictures. I grew up in Visalia and these are the areas I grew up camping in. It's the only thing I miss about California ๐Ÿ™‚
2020 Keystone Montana High Country 294RL
2017 Ford F350 DRW King Ranch
2021 Ford F350 SRW Lariat Tremor

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
Yes, but not in the Sierras. There is some good big-rig boondocking on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, way out in the Kaibab National Forest. Take it slow -- the potholes are deep -- but we did see a few big RVs out in the Rainbow Rim area.

The Rainbow Rim has a great mountain bike and hiking trail -- not too difficult, and some decent views. Nice and cool -- over 7000 feet. This was the view from our campsite at 5 am one morning -- this is why they call it the Rainbow Rim:


Click For Full-Size Image.

And there are areas in Utah that offer big-rig boondocking -- northwest of Bryce, for example. But the mountain roads in California tend to be narrow and rough, without decent places to turn around. We often have to do a three point turn with our little trailer, which is just 15 feet from the back to the coupler. (It's usually seventeen points by the time we're done, but you get the idea.)
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."

Too_Young_to_Re
Explorer
Explorer
That looks like a great spot. I'm on the search for places that can accomodate a 35' 5'er. Do they exist?
2018 RAM 3500HD MegaCab,hauling a 2020 Mobile Suites, and loving it.

LenSatic
Explorer
Explorer
profdant139 wrote:
Len, this was definitely a king snake, not coral, and it had a black nose. I propose an alternate rule -- "if the snake has a nose, stay away from it." ๐Ÿ˜‰


I should have enlarged the pic. Hmmm. Maybe my parents were trying to get rid of me. Could explain 3rd grade when they moved while I was at school.
2008 Casita SD 17
2006 Chevy Tahoe LT 4x4
2009 Akita Inu
1956 Wife
1950 LenSatic

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
profdant139 wrote:
And Phil, there is some awesome geology in Kings and Sequoia -- on the Big Baldy hike, for example, at around 8000 feet the trail crosses the contact zone between the underlying granitic batholith and the metamorphic "country rock" that was pushed up out of the way by the rising Sierras. At the precise point of contact, the heat vitrified some of the metamorphic stuff. Very exciting for those of us who like rocks!

I have been told, however, that this is not so exciting for the spouse of the rock enthusiast who is a little tired of hearing about orogeny. She no longer finds it uplifting, so to speak.


Dan,

My DW is the rockhound - she studied it in college.

I fully support her in this, especially on RV trips. Some of the places where we have to go to do it make fantastic RV boondocking areas, with most times no other campers anywhere nearby. i.e. Remote, sometimes barren, and sometimes hot:
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
Len, this was definitely a king snake, not coral, and it had a black nose. I propose an alternate rule -- "if the snake has a nose, stay away from it." ๐Ÿ˜‰
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."

LenSatic
Explorer
Explorer
I grew up with an easier coral snake identifier: Nose black, stay back!

LS
2008 Casita SD 17
2006 Chevy Tahoe LT 4x4
2009 Akita Inu
1956 Wife
1950 LenSatic

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
Tiger, you have got the right rhyme. But I have recently discovered that it is not possible to recall the rhyme and recite it accurately when the snake is slithering toward your hiking boots.

My new rhyme is "see a snake, get out of the way till you are sure it is not poisonous."

It does not rhyme but is very easy to remember.

And Phil, there is some awesome geology in Kings and Sequoia -- on the Big Baldy hike, for example, at around 8000 feet the trail crosses the contact zone between the underlying granitic batholith and the metamorphic "country rock" that was pushed up out of the way by the rising Sierras. At the precise point of contact, the heat vitrified some of the metamorphic stuff. Very exciting for those of us who like rocks!

I have been told, however, that this is not so exciting for the spouse of the rock enthusiast who is a little tired of hearing about orogeny. She no longer finds it uplifting, so to speak.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."

Tiger4x4RV
Nomad
Nomad
Wonderful photos, as usual. And that snake! I always forget how the rhyme goes. Is it "Red touch black, safe for Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow?" Or the other way around?

Congratulations on your 40 years of adventures together and best wishes for many more to come.
2006 Tiger CX 4x4, 8.1 L gas V-8, Allison 6-speed

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
Dan ... great trip report ... as usual. Thanks.

I've always wanted to visit Kings Canyon but as of yet have not.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

cewillis
Explorer
Explorer
Very nice. That's a special area.
Cal