Yosemite + Sequoia National Park | Solo Adventures in the Giant Forest
After we wrapped up and said our goodbyes at the CALI DREAMIN' Yosemite Photography Workshop, I took off on a solo adventure through Kings Canyon and spent the day in Sequoia National Park.
(If you recognize this outfit, it's because I am scrubby as hell, never shower and wear this everywhere. But I'm comfy so... 🤷)
I absolutely LOVE the Sequoias maybe because it was where I did my first backpacking trip, but most likely because I LOVE forests and trees! ESPECIALLY GIANT FORESTS that look like they came out of a fairy tale storybook. I stopped at a familiar place, Lodgepole Information Center + Campground. FYI, this is one of the few places that have clean, actual flushing toilets. Let's be real, when you've got the shits in the middle of nowhere, you don't want to be forced to do squats. I consider this place my miracle potty haven and also where hilariously embarrassing stories are born. Shout out to Lodgepole for being there at every single shitty moment. 😂
I found a less impacted trail away from Lodgepole and hiked in with a little notebook and pencil, took a seat on a fallen tree and tried to put in words the wonderment of this place. I couldn't find right word that embodied all I felt sitting there. Looking up at these giant magnificent trees and realizing how small I was, just a speck of dust in comparison. And at the same time I truly felt immeasurable, boundless... INFINITE. If anyone has the right word to describe all that, please share it with me! There isn't an image that could capture the magic of this place either. But I sure did try to capture it!
Everything about the Sequoias is beautiful, the light, the trees, the smell! I hiked in a bit and find a spot to hang my hammock for a nap. I got so enamored with my excursion I lost track of time and decided to leave before having to drive the winding roads in the dark. A few hours into my drive home, I trucked on through a lightning storm and then a flash flood along the Grapevine. Looking back, I should have just pulled over at one of the many designated camping locations along the way. In the end I powered through it only to be so tired I slept in my car for a few hours, eating power bars and chocolate. By the time I got home the following day, I was dead tired. It was all worth it, but I never-ever want to drive ever again.
