We left Sunday for the national park around 10 30 AM. The ride down there was hot and boring. We were relieved to go east into the mountains and get some relief from the heat, plus some nice windy roads.

We set up camp and discovered we forgot to pack the rain fly with the tent. We were looking at draping a blanket over the tent to give us some privacy, but it was due to rain on Monday so it wouldn’t quite do. Luckily when we ran to the store to get food and some supplies, we were able to buy a tarp to put over the tent.

Monday morning we made PB&J’s and then grabbed the shuttle to Lodgepole Campground. From there, we followed the Tokopah Falls trail to the falls. It’s only 1.7 miles out and 1.7 miles back so pretty mild hike with a fabulous pay out at the end! The falls are gorgeous, there’s a view of the neighboring mountains and you can crawl down the rocks to play in the river. Since we hadn’t been able to shower the night before, splashing in the water felt SO GOOD.

We climbed the rocks up on the other side and discovered an arch of snow! It was very unexpected.

Monday night we had showered at Lodgepole and eaten a bit of real food. We were settling in to bed when we heard beeping and yelling. Bears had come to the campsite! I heard the bear noises, but I never saw it. It was kind of annoying when I had just fallen asleep and then was woken up by a bear of all things..

Tuesday morning we got Wifi at the gas station! We rode up to King’s Canyon Scenic Byway by taking 180 West to 10 mile road towards Hume Lake then turning right on the byway. 10 Mile Road was a bit sketchy with potholes and gravel but Hume Lake was gorgeous - I would’ve loved to have swam in it, the water was pretty warm!

The scenic byway took us around the mountain and down into the canyon. It was breathtaking. We road along the river all the way to Cedar Grove Lodge, where the trailhead to Cedar Grove Overlook was. We climbed the Hotel Creek Trail 1200 feet to the overlook! We were both DYING. It was only 2.5 miles to the top, but took us around 2 hours. Thankfully, the view at the top was absolutely worth it.

The descent was a lot easier, and we showered and recovered with a burger and soda at the lodge before riding back. We managed to get back to camp just before sunset. I slept right through all the bears that night!

Wednesday we packed up camp and made the hot, boring ride home.