John Muir Trail, part 1 - Into the Giant Sequoia forest

This is the story of the first 10 days of walk. From the giant sequoia forest (Sequoia National Park) heading north to Kings Canyon National Park. Then joining the John Muir Trail about 20 km north from its south starting point.
It was very difficult to select the photos for this story: these places are so amazing beautiful that I would have published three times more!
Photos are most by me, with some by David.

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August, 2007

While I'm struggling with the bureaucracy that is blocking me in Italy (a long story to tell...), my friends are packing our unbelievable amount supplies: there is also 4 kg of amazing hard cheese illegally imported into the US.
Day 1 - Finally I manage to join my friends and our adventure can begin! We are in the sequoia n.p. and these trees already look big... but the big ones have yet to come!
Beautiful lichens
This is the fattest sequoia in the world: 30 m. of circumference! It's not the tallest as it has lost its top.
This photo doesn't show correctly the real size of this tree: people are much closer to the camera than to the sequoia, otherwise they'd look half size :-)
You are not allowed to get close to the big sequoia, but this is a "small" one and we can touch it!
We leave the most visited area: our plan is to camp just outside of the giant sequoia area, as here it is not allowed.
Yes, this photo is quite similar to the previous one... but here it's so beautiful!
Day 2 - obviously we didn't mange to get out of the reserve before dark. So we left the marked trail and are camping hidden in the forest... Italians!
Artistic bush
Checking the map
Fallen sequoia
Franco has found a sort of pine seeds, delicious :-)
The holy-deere friend of Mononoke
On the trail
Once in a while we meet some horses. The dust they create gets in the socks and mixes with sweat... not really pleasant.
Dinner time
Day 3 - After 3 dry days, finally a creek!! Perfect place for a nice bath!
(Let's keep this photo smaller :-)
We are so hippie! Aren't we? :-)
Then we meet a marmot. To take this photo Mihai run after it...
...Mihai run after it naked, surprising some American trekkers :-)
Magic bark
In our backpacks there are 11 days of supplies, and Elizabeth Pass is at more than 4000 metres of altitude. I remember this afternoon as the hardest of all the trekking.
Hold on, Zorro, we are almost there!!
We make it and get down on the other side to a suitable place for camping in the middle of the night. Here Miriam is preparing a late dinner.
Day 4 - bear-canister: containers designed to prevent that a bear eat all your food. So well made that even a human needs at least 10 minutes to understand how to open the lid.
I don't know if you get it from the photo, but the "floor" is all one single rock layer of granite.
Here you can see it better.
Nice creek.
A couple of baths per day: the cleanest trekking ever!
Miriam, beauty bathing.
The amazing "Dead Man Canyon"
Alien invasion?
The others are all sleeping in tent, but I want to try to lay under the stars. It will be so pleasant that I won't use the tent any more in all the next 20 nights.
Day 5 - a beautiful pass at 3700 metres, here there are strange big trees growing in the sand.
One of them
From here a long and steep downhill leads to King's Canyon.
Tonight not only beans for dinner, but also...
But also some fish cought by Franco! ...well, maybe not much for 8 people. :-)
Day 6 - the coldest creek.
Maurilio lags behind and meets the bear. We missed it.
(Unfortunately his camera was awful, so this is the best photo we got)
Amazing scenario
Day 7 - we have spent the night camping on the shore of this lake. Can you imagine a better place to wake up in the morning? So much beauty all around us!
David take this photo of me like a model, I'm narcissist and so I'm publishing it. ;-)
Squirrel!
Making progress on fishing.
Getting fresh water from a spring on the lake shore.
New 4000 metres pass, little tarn almost on top.
The valley on the other side is absolutely amazing!
One more lake.
Lakes and trees. I love this photo.
Along the trail
Day 8 - the group splits in two: a fast-walking group (on the left) and a slow-walking one (on the right). The funny thing is that the slowest person decides to go on the fast group and the fastest one, Franco, joins us in the slow group. A nonsense typical of us :-)
Farewell. We don't know when we are going to meet again.
Actually, after 30 minutes, we meet each other again in a great creek for swimming
Decaying wood.
I saw the coyote and made a photo! Yes, quite faraway indeed, but I saw it!
The fast-walking group instead of the coyote meets this blue lizard.
I'm somehow fascinated by this secluded little valley.
Again a 4000 metres pass, this time in a sort of lunar scenario.
Plants "in fire"
Weird colours, eh?
Slow group at dinner.
Rice and 9 trouts: the best fisher is Franco.
Day 9 - breakfast time
Ten minutes later we meet the fast group having breakfast.
Day 10 - burned wood.
Slow group, self-timer photo: I'm not fast enough. But that's why I'm in the slow group :-)
Spinning tree.
Beautiful valley
Into the wood
We meet the fast group for a last dinner altogether: they have decided to leave the John Muir Trail!
We were 8, now only 4 people will go on.
Day 11 - the crossroads: the fast group will reach a road in two days, we continue our journey on the John Muir Trail!...

Image Manager

While I'm struggling with the bureaucracy that is blocking me in Italy (a long story to tell...), my friends are packing our unbelievable amount supplies: there is also 4 kg of amazing hard cheese illegally imported into the US. - - Cover	Day 1 - Finally I manage to join my friends and our adventure can begin! We are in the sequoia n.p. and these trees already look big... but the big ones have yet to come! - - Cover	Beautiful lichens - - Cover	This is the fattest sequoia in the world: 30 m. of circumference! It's not the tallest as it has lost its top. This photo doesn't show correctly the real size of this tree: people are much closer to the camera than to the sequoia, otherwise they'd look half size :-) - - Cover
You are not allowed to get close to the big sequoia, but this is a "small" one and we can touch it! - - Cover	We leave the most visited area: our plan is to camp just outside of the giant sequoia area, as here it is not allowed. - - Cover	Yes, this photo is quite similar to the previous one... but here it's so beautiful! - - Cover	Day 2 - obviously we didn't mange to get out of the reserve before dark. So we left the marked trail and are camping hidden in the forest... Italians! - - Cover
Artistic bush - - Cover	Checking the map - - Cover	Fallen sequoia - - Cover	Franco has found a sort of pine seeds, delicious :-) - - Cover
The holy-deere friend of Mononoke - - Cover	On the trail - - Cover	Once in a while we meet some horses. The dust they create gets in the socks and mixes with sweat... not really pleasant. - - Cover	Dinner time - - Cover
Day 3 - After 3 dry days, finally a creek!! Perfect place for a nice bath! (Let's keep this photo smaller :-) - - Cover	We are so hippie! Aren't we? :-) - - Cover	Then we meet a marmot. To take this photo Mihai run after it... - - Cover	...Mihai run after it naked, surprising some American trekkers :-) - - Cover
Magic bark - - Cover	In our backpacks there are 11 days of supplies, and Elizabeth Pass is at more than 4000 metres of altitude. I remember this afternoon as the hardest of all the trekking. - - Cover	Hold on, Zorro, we are almost there!! - - Cover	We make it and get down on the other side to a suitable place for camping in the middle of the night. Here Miriam is preparing a late dinner. - - Cover

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