On our second day of vacation we snowshoed up to a nearby ridge. (All the signs listing distance were in km. I love the metric system! 1.5 km is MUCH easier than 1.5 m) We arrived at 8500 feet where there was no wind. We heard absolute silence: no birds, no planes, no car sounds, no other hikers. I felt like I got to drink a full cup of Bigness.
Jrex is gazing at the ridge that lines Kings Canyon. That road is closed from November through April. Not due to snow, but because there are often rock falls that wipe out sections of the road.
Unfortunately, the view to the west, which should consist of glimpses of Fresno, is solid brown smog. From Fresno, you have no idea there are 11,000 foot peaks just an hour away. The brown curtain shrouds both ways.
The day before we left, we got 24 inches of snow in 20 hours. That day Jrex went out cross-country skiing while I opted for a book by the fireplace. The next morning at dawn we went snowshoeing again since it was our last hurrah and we wanted to enjoy the fresh powder. Enjoy we did, up to our knees, despite the snowshoes!
I loved all the funny Dr. Seuss trees.
At every exit from the lodge there were signs that read, "Watch out for falling snow". I wasn't sure how bad it could be until I saw this (that's the main lodge, by the way)
The food was great. Served buffet style, both guests and staff shared the dining room. One night we had braided salmon, the next there was swordfish. Each meal had a veggie entree as well as red meat and an alternative (fish, poultry or pork). Lunch and breakfast were included as well, for $90/weeknight and $120 on the weekend! Nothing fancy, and certainly not a honeymoon locale, it suited our blue-collar style perfectly (good bang for the buck, real people, no pretensions).
Due to the snow, the roads were all closed. We had to wait for an escort to lead a caravan out to the main road.
Twenty minutes later...
Jrex is gazing at the ridge that lines Kings Canyon. That road is closed from November through April. Not due to snow, but because there are often rock falls that wipe out sections of the road.
Unfortunately, the view to the west, which should consist of glimpses of Fresno, is solid brown smog. From Fresno, you have no idea there are 11,000 foot peaks just an hour away. The brown curtain shrouds both ways.
The day before we left, we got 24 inches of snow in 20 hours. That day Jrex went out cross-country skiing while I opted for a book by the fireplace. The next morning at dawn we went snowshoeing again since it was our last hurrah and we wanted to enjoy the fresh powder. Enjoy we did, up to our knees, despite the snowshoes!
I loved all the funny Dr. Seuss trees.
At every exit from the lodge there were signs that read, "Watch out for falling snow". I wasn't sure how bad it could be until I saw this (that's the main lodge, by the way)
The food was great. Served buffet style, both guests and staff shared the dining room. One night we had braided salmon, the next there was swordfish. Each meal had a veggie entree as well as red meat and an alternative (fish, poultry or pork). Lunch and breakfast were included as well, for $90/weeknight and $120 on the weekend! Nothing fancy, and certainly not a honeymoon locale, it suited our blue-collar style perfectly (good bang for the buck, real people, no pretensions). 
Due to the snow, the roads were all closed. We had to wait for an escort to lead a caravan out to the main road.
Twenty minutes later...
7 comments:
Terrific photos.
However, if you do an article,
also have several head shots of
Jrex and other people.
That is crazy!
And I thought we had a lot of snow here.
Did you say "braided salmon"?
An hour and a half for both of us to dig the car out and install tire chains. Good reminder about what I don't miss when it snows!
They had long salmon fillets that they'd braided and baked. It looked great (though it meant the salmon baked a little unevenly...)
MY. I love the difference of road conditions within 40 minutes. (I grew up in the mountains so it was so much fun to go from super cold crisp mountain air to the hot dusty roads... and shedding all the layers.) That is a lot of snow. A lot. I see why bears hibernate.
Hah, braided salmon does sound pretty... and yummy.
I love the giant trees and have not been in those parts for many years. I think, Mr. Zelda and I are going to make time this summer and try to get up to those parts. The last time I was there, my son was an infant and he's now 28. Wow, I'm old.
What great pictures. Sounds like it was a great vacation :)
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