Three Rivers, California and the Sequoia's

This trip will be through the southern tip of Nevada into California, around the southern tip of the Sierra's and up to one of the entrances into Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park.  The wind must be blowing 60 miles an hour!  Even though it's just a seven hour drive through the Mojave Desert gap, by the time we reach Three Rivers Granpa is exhausted from trying to keep us on the road. 
Three Rivers is a teensy-tiny town in the foothills of the Sierras.  Not surprisingly, the town is located near the junction of the North, Middle, and South Forks of the Kaweah River.  While Three Rivers is at about 1,000 feet above sea level, in less than 50 miles the mountains climb to 14,000 feet.  (Woo-hoo!)  Except for the coast line and the Central Valley, California is all mountains.

The scenery at Three Rivers is said to be almost identical to that of the Rhodesian kopje country.  So what, you ask.  Well, there was a group of folks who fought in the Boer Wars in Rhodesia that settled there in the late 1800's, and  some of them are buried here in the Pioneer cemetery.  The men fought in several wars in Rhodesia including the Boer Wars and World War I.  That's pretty different and interesting!

Doesn't this just make you want to get in your car and go!

Here's a big surprise:  One of those Rhodesian pioneers, Frederick Burnham taught woodcraft to Robert Baden-Powell of Paddington, England.  (Ever heard of Paddington Bear?)  Whoopee, you say.  Well, Robert, being inspired by what Burnham taught him, established - and is now known world-wide as the father of - the international scouting movement, and he was the first Chief Scout of the Boy Scout Association.  (He was also a lieutenant-general in the British Army.)  Overall, he is one very interesting dude - a man's man, but also an author and artist.  You should google him sometime:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Baden-Powell,_1st_Baron_Baden-Powell

Did you know that Nazism regarded Scouting as a dangerous espionage organization, and Nazi Germany banned Scouting in June 1934, seeing it as "a haven for young men opposed to the new State"? 

How'd I get off onto that rabbit trail?  Oh yeah, I was surprised by the Rhodesian-war fighters in the cemetery.  Well, back to the Sierra's...

John Muir came to this area in 1873.  He said that it was "a magnificent growth of giants...one naturally walked softly and awe-stricken among them.  I wandered on, meeting nobler trees where all are noble...this part of the Sequoia belt seemed to me the finest, and I then named it 'the Giant Forest.'"

Maybe, possibly - if you are on a computer and not a smart phone - you can get a sense in this next photo of what Muir was talking about.

Do you see the "Keep Right" sign?  to the right of it, halfway to the Sequoia, you will find Granpa. NOW do you get a sense of how monstrous these trees are?  And these are not the biggest of the big.