Sequoia National Park

We picked up 2 of 4 French hitchhikers. (We didn’t have space for all of you – sorry guys!) They couldn’t drive their large RV on the narrow winding roads in Sequoia National Forest – we could; an advantage of our compact VW California =oD Our van’s small size also eases finding parking spots very much.

Convenient flexibility that we were happy to trade for a mobile bathroom. Our ambitious traveling schedule doesn’t leave time for a shower anyway. That we can do at home. We’re the only ones smelling our dirty bodies anyway and when it’s warm enough we have a memorable washing experience in a lake ;oP

We had been recommended Sunset Trail by a tourist guide at the park entrance. However, neither that woman nor the tourist guides in the visitor’s centre of the particular hiking area could give us a detailed map or concrete info about the trailhead: “Should be somewhere in that campground… Well, usually people just drive to the Sequoia trees…” It seemed like Sequoia just had rather unprofessional, not too useful staff and maps and too few signs.

Luckily, we found the Sunset trailhead right at the campground’s entrance. It was a very interesting, varied hike through the forest with rocks, brooks, but also soft ground. It was fun to partially jog since the first half was nothing but going down hill. Of course, then it was exhausting to “gain back potential energy” (Alan). He was “falling apart” when we reached the giant trees ;-D