Being an explorer

           We woke up very early Saturday morning and began our journey to Yosemite.  We packed the car, brought a lot of warm things, and bought Chef Boyardee ravioli to cook on the camp stove.  Then we ate a lot of Starbucks oatmeal as fuel for the trip ahead.  It rained all day, so we checked the weather in Yosemite, only to find out there was a severe winter storm raging at the park, dropping 7- 8 inches of snow with very high winds.  Traveling to the park, even to Yosemite Valley, would require the use of tire chains, something I do not possess and quite possibly something that little baby Yaris is unable to use successfully.  We learned the warning was only effective until 5pm, so we decided to continue along, checking the weather as we went.  

            After stopping in Bakersfield, we found ourselves traveling on the very twisty, narrow roads of the Kern River Valley and into the Sequoia National Forest, eventually landing in our new destination, Kern, California.  We were planning on camping here so we could easily visit the park and hiking trails in the area.  Basically, we wanted to hug giant sequoias.  But it was still raining, and our new campsite in nearby Kernsville was very wet, not to mention potentially unsafe, as it was very likely we would be the only ones there all night.  Our  major goal on this trip was to avoid situations that put us in danger, and more importantly, avoid situations that could eventually become the inspiration for a new Lifetime Original Movie.  

Headed north out of Kernsville, we quickly found ourselves covered in snow.

            Long story short, we were determined to make it to Yosemite, but the weather was not going to allow us to go any farther.  Traveling up the mountain, we found ourselves entering a fast-approaching snow storm.  Eventually, we were greeted with a sign saying the road conditions required tire chains, so we were forced to turn around and head back down the mountain to Kern.  It seemed like we were trapped in Kern, not really because of the storm, but mostly because I am directionally and navigationally challenged.  After a brief moment of frustration, we decided to make the best out of our day trip adventure and see what we could see, despite the fact that the snow was coming down the mountain and it was getting much colder.  

            Kern is home to Lake Isabella, a bizarrely gorgeous lake that I assume is quite busy during the summer.  But it is the off season, so it was abandoned and lonely.  We got out of the car to do some photo-ing and enjoy our surroundings, even if it wasn't exactly what we planned.

Anna and Kristyn at Lake Isabella.

A nice view of the approaching storm and Lake Isabella.

Mysterious prairie grass.

Another view near Lake Isabella- you can definitely see the storm.

View facing away from Lake Isabella.

               We stopped in the beautiful valley on the way out of Kern, a great place to stop in the Sequoia National Forest.  We were at a lower elevation and the snow had stopped for the most part.  It was still really cold,  but everything was so green from all of the rain and snow.  All in all, it was a long and frustrating trip, but we saw some unforgettable places, so I would say it was a pretty successful journey.  We headed through the valley and back home feeling pretty accomplished.  We made it home that evening and proceeded to eat our Chef Boyardee Ravioli and plan our trip to our new destination, Joshua Tree National Park.

On the drive out of the Sequoia National Forest.

Explorer Anna and the (newly) snow-covered mountains.

Wildflowers in the valley.

The Kern River after the storm.

Successful explorers (no matter what)!