Carl’s pictures

Marc writes:

Another year, another camp-out. This is the 10th year since the revival of what was the Kings Canyon Camp-out. I’m including 1998 where we didn’t quite make it all the way to the park. In 2001 the trip was expanded to two nights, the first in Kings Canyon and the second in Yosemite. That didn’t work too well so in 2002 we spent the first night in Kings Canyon and the second night in Sequoia National Park. We did the same in 2003, ignoring the side trip by Carl and Fred. Since 2004 we’ve been spending two nights at the Buckeye Flat campground in Sequoia National Park.

Several potential campers had to change their plans for various reasons. At 7 AM on Saturday four of us, Marc, Carl, Tom, and Rich, left the donut shop for breakfast in Hollister. We didn’t wait for Jerry. We never do. Jerry got to Hollister just as we were finishing breakfast, a bit later than his usual arrival time of just as we finished ordering. In breakfast club tradition we left him at the restaurant assuming he’d eventually catch up.

The weather was cool and overcast all the way until Coalinga with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees. Jerry cought up with us at the intersection of SR 25 and SR 198.

The planned lunch stop in Visalia continued Marc’s “places to eat in Visalia curse”. The very first place I selected 10 years ago was out of business when we got there. We found a nice BBQ place, instead. The next year the BBQ place had turned into a so-so fish-n-chips place. Last year, tiring of the fish-n-chips, we selected a 50s style drive-in hamburger place. This year it was closed as in out-of-business closed. Carrows was close. While sitting in the Carrows I spied a Fosters Freeze. We’ll try that next year.

After lunch it was off about 30 miles to 3 Rivers where we got gas and supplies, e.g. beer, wine, snacks, dinner, etc. From there it’s another 12 miles or so to the campground. We were happy to see that Buckeye Flat was open and had vacancies. An email I’d received from the National Park Service implied that it would be closed for the season. As it was we got perhaps the last two campsites. Tom and I shared the smaller site with Carl, Rich, and Jerry in the larger.

Camp was soon set up and we settled down for food, drink, music, and company.

Sunday was sightseeing day. My plans were to go up the Generals Highway and down into Kings Canyon via the Hume Lake route. The return plan was to come up to Grants Grove, exit the park on 180, take SR 245 to Dry Creek Rd, SR 216 (for about one quarter mile) to SR 198, and the 20 miles back to the campground. Total distance for the loop was just over 170 miles.

I leapfrogged the other riders, catching up with Carl, Tom, and Jerry for a while after stoping to take some photos, getting passed by Rich when stopped to take more photos, and losing Jerry when we made the turn to Hume Lake.

On the way back for roads end at the bottom of Kings Canyon I noticed a dirt road that paralleled the main road, but on the other side of the Kings river. The road was only 4-5 miles long and only the first 2/3 or so was dirt. It was a nice change, nevertheless.

I got back to camp before any of the others. I used the time to go down to the river and rinse off the dust and sweat from the days ride. In true-to-form breakfast club fashion I slipped and fell in. Figuring something like that might happen my pockets were empty and I did not have the camera in hand.

About an hour and a half after I got back to camp the others started to arrive. We got comfortable in the larger campsite, telling the usual lies.

When camping one is sometimes exposed to things that one would rather not be exposed. No bears, snakes, or other critters graced us with their presense this trip. Just Jerry!

Once in camp we settled in the large site, joined by a neighboring camper it telling tales and drinking various concoctions. I can strongly recommend the Gin and Tonic that Jerry makes. Ice just the right size, a slice of lime. Good stuff!

We broke camp Monday morning and had a wonderful breakfast at the Main Street Cafe in Visalia. The next stop was to regroup and the intersection of 198 at 25. We got gas and a final rest stop in Hollister. We said our good-byes and hit the road for home, riders peeling off in various directions. I put about 750 miles on the bike this trip. I hope to do it again, next year.