John Muir Trail Day 21: Are You a Tree Dweller or a Bush Dweller?

“I really like it here down in the forest surrounded by mountains” said Brian from Sacramento. Brain was referring to the beautiful Le Conte Canyon in Sequioa Kings Canyon National Parks. I think he was comparing it  to the starkness of the high passes such as Muir we had hiked through the day before. His comment made me think of cats. Yes, really.  Cats are typically “tree dwellers” or “bush dwellers”. If you have a cat that likes to climb up high (and knock things of the mantle for example), your cat is a tree dweller. If your cat likes to crawl under the bed, he/she is a bush dweller. So, when Brian said he likes to be down in the trees, he is probably the human equivalent of a bush dweller.  I must be the human equivalent of a tree dweller as I like being up high above tree line and at the passes. Meow.

I must say though, Le Conte Canyon is beautiful and it is one of my favorite places (OK, at least so far..). Ray and I hike quietly through the canyon in the morning and dream about climbing up each of the side valleys to explore. We may be back. The hanging valley by the Citadel looked especially interesting. We get to the junction of Evolution Creek and turn up it to head up to “the Golden Staircase” and on to Palisade Lakes. The Golden Staircase climbs back and forth past waterfalls and up towards Mather Pass which we will climb over tomorrow. Tonight there is a full moon and we want to stay at Palisade Lake. We get to camp in early afternoon, filter water, and set up camp at tree line. We arm wave about the geology, admire and identify flowers, and watch a garter snake try to hide from us in the shallow water of a creek. We are excited about being under a full moon in this beautiful valley.

Just the Facts