Sequoia - Day 1

Saturday - June 4

Wuksachi Lodge

Left home at 6:05 am. Stopped for breakfast at IHOP at Santa Clarita from 7:00 till 8:00. Stopped for gas just past Visalia at the Shell station at the intersection with CA 63. Reached the Sequoia National Park entrance gate at 11:15 am and arrived at Wuksachi Lodge at 12:30 pm just in time for lunch. It was 45 degrees. Lots of snow on the ground. 

I hesitate to say that it was an easy drive as it is mountain driving and mountain driving is never easy but the drive went smoothly. There was road construction from 3,000 ft elevation to 4,000 ft--had to wait two minutes for green light as there is one-lane traffic only through that section of several miles--we were very lucky to have hit it just before a green light came on for our direction. 

Overcast all the way. A few sprinkles but no real rain. Pavement was dry all the way. About 5000 ft started seeing snow alongside the road. At 7,000 ft there are hillsides covered with snow. Not new snow--covered with dust and dirt but several feet deep. 

Lunch: Had lunch at the Wuksachi Lodge--cream of broccoli soup and Caesar salad for lunch.

American Robin

Checked into our room -- Stewart Building, room 111. Entry level, suite. Super nice. From our window we noticed two birds so we went outside and walked along the back path and saw 6 more different kinds of birds--White-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Robin, Steller’s Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Oregon Junco, Green-tailed Towhee, and Mountain Quail. Amazing. They don’t seem to be at all skittish -- maybe we can get some good photos.

Had to stop bird watching so we could make our 5:15 dinner reservations at the Lodge -- reservations are required as there is only one place to eat. We both had trout.

After dinner we sat in the lobby and accessed the Internet but it was very, very slow.

8:25 pm -- almost dark.