Back to Civilization!

I have officially left Kings Canyon National Park. This park was a lot like Yosemite except much less crowded. Gigantic rocks, trees, and fast rivers were everywhere. My friend Mac and I did a round-trip backcountry hike. We picked a 48 mile trail to complete in three days. It was quite tough at times, but there were beautiful views everywhere you looked. The first day we hiked about 17 miles. It was all uphill! The Kings River ran right next to us for most of the hike which was incredible. The Kings runs so fast this time of year because of so much snow melting high up in the mountains. Most of the river is white water which means it moves so fast and fierce that water bubbles and foams, kind of like a big storm on the ocean! It was all very exciting. The second day of the hike we went over a mountain. It seems kind of crazy to say, but we really hiked right over the top of a mountain. It was definitely the hardest part of the hike. We trekked through creeks, over rocks, and lots of snow to get to the top. The view was beautiful. I could see for miles and miles. The third day we hiked the final leg of the 48 mile loop. Our feet, knees, shoulders, and muscles were really starting to hurt! Luckily, the last day was almost all downhill. It was a most exciting hike because I saw my first bear!!! I was hiking down a trail and was just turning a corner…when I looked 50 yards in front of me to see a huge black bear! I took a couple pictures of him. After I took pictures, he kept getting closer. Eventually, we yelled at him to scare him down off the trail. I was so excited. I’ve been waiting all trip to see one.