PUSH/PULL, that dual feeling of wanting something and not wanting something, is a layered and complex emotional state we must deal with each and every day. We can want something, say, like an ice cream sundae, just before we head for bed, and yet we don't want the sundae, for we know we need a solid night of rest (and consuming copious amounts of fudge probably won't deliver on that). Likewise, when we head into the woods or the desert or a place of epic wilderness, we long for peace, for quiet, for the chitter of the squirrels and calls of the birds to be the only sounds sailing by our ears. And yet? We also want to know more about what we're seeing, and if a guidebook or app isn't coming through for us on this front, we do have a competing wish to be among others, especially with a fact-filled guide at the lead. If this has been your state of mind on recent nature hikes, and you'd specifically dig knowing more about those giant, branch-rocking wonders who call certain swaths of the Sierra Nevada home, look to the...
SEQUOIA PARKS CONSERVANCY, which will be hosting day hikes beginning on Saturday, June 2, 2018. True, you'll be among others, and not just the beasties and bushes, but you'll also be gaining heaps of knowledge about these wondrous specimens and the many beautiful sights you'll encounter. There's the Big Stump Hike, which is a "... journey through time, exploring King's Canyon's story-filled sequoia grove," and there's the Walk Among Giants, which gives you the opportunity to "... hike through John Muir's 'Gem of the Sierras'." Both outings get the label of "Easy," with a recommendation that both "first timers and seasoned hikers" join. The cost? It's forty bucks, if you're not a conservancy member. Learning a ton about these titans of the mountains? We mean, that is truly a gift.
THE ONLY QUESTION... that remains, after you hop onto one or both hikes, is will you want to share your newly acquired knowledge with somebody on your next on-your-own hike in the sequoias? Perhaps you can tell the nearest bird what you learned with the Sequoia Parks Conservancy, though the bird probably already knows, since it lives among the trees. But these two fab guided hikes aren't the only things happening with the tree-minded organization: Tours of Kings Canyon & Cedar Grove as well as Sequoia & Kings Canyon are also pleasant possibilities, too. Sequoia-up your summer, pronto, by starting here.
