first day in the park and it wasn't crowded yet, so we decided to make a long loop in the giant forest. started at the sherman tree, and had it nearly to ourselves. sierra was definitely mind blown.
did a nice loop on congress, trail of the sequoias and log meadow/crescent meadow loops. with tons of wildflowers (lupine) and fern with magnificent forest smells all day. warm but not unbearable. hard to find a more pleasant walk in the woods. huge sequoias everywhere. also checked out round meadow. we saw a couple goofy marmots. aside from the areas near sherman and the crescent/log trailheads, we saw almost nobody at all. amazing
After my bear encounter I decided to run my planned route in reverse. Starting from Crescent Meadow I ventured through the Giant Forest to the Museum, on the Moro Rock Trial to Moro Rock and back through to Crescent on the Sugar Pine Trail. I made a side trip on the Big Trees Trail and saw three more bears! A mother and her two cubs were in a meadow on the back side of the Big Trees loop. It was an exciting morning running though the Sequoias and seeing four bears!
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average hiking speed 1.77 mph
WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
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