April 22:
The western foothills took quite the pounding of wind & rain two weeks ago, with Squaw Valley & Dunlap loosing power & reporting numerous downed trees. We knew this meant snow in the higher elevations, but pre-season preparation projects at the cave needed attention, so we headed into the canyon anyway.
The trees are so pretty with snow on them!
Driving past Grant Grove Village
Road conditions were ok by the time we came through, but chains & 4-wheel drive are frequently required.
The view of clouds settled down in Kings Canyon was breath-taking! My frequent & sudden exclamations of "oooooo" & "wow!" were entertaining to others in the truck. :-)
Below the clouds, we could clearly see a definite snow line.
All the springtime moisture is making things green!
April 30:
This past week we got another storm, but this one was lighter. In the morning the higher elevations had ice on the road, but once we got past the turn off for Hume Lake, it was clear driving. By later in the day the entire road was dry, so it melted easily enough, but not before at least one vehicle had gotten stuck, causing delays.
Just a dusting here!
Our van & trailer with things to put in the gift shop, with an amazing backdrop!
There's such a dramatic difference in the scenery as you change elevations, and sometimes it's easy to forget. If you live nearby in the valley & foothills, you're so close to this! Next time it rains or looks "icky" outside in your area, it just might mean that the mountains in your backyard are looking like these photos!
~Michal Lisa~
P.S. To get current road conditions & advisories from the National Park Service, call 559-565-3341.
Wow!Thank you so much for giving me a look of that road during winter. I always wondered what it looked like there other times of the year. So pretty! Maybe with the snow melt and the rain that you got this year it will be greener at the camp. I'm hoping. Please put as many pictures on here that you can as it is so beautiful!
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