Grant Grove Day Ride Trail
I had come to Kings Canyon National park to sled, but I wanted to see the General Grant Tree with snow, so stopped by. The walk up to the General Grant Tree was easy, since the trail was paved, but it did mean that there were patches of ice that needed to be navigated. Once I saw the old man, I got curious about the Grant Grove Day Ride trail, so I started up that trail.
Because the trail was covered by snow in most parts, it was tough going, but it did mean that the soundtrack was wonderful. I actually tried to go further on the Grant Grove Day Ride trail, but found the snow to be too deep (I was not carrying snow shoes), so I turned around and took the connecting trail to Sunset Trail. The trail was tough to pick up in some areas, but in those instances, the map would guide me until I could pick up the trail again.
I’m really glad I went down the Grant Grove Day Ride trail as walking just the General Grant Tree trail would have been a little boring.
What I Learned:
It would have been smart for me to carry snow shoes. I wasn’t carrying enough provisions to really hike too far on the Day Ride trail, but still, I think it’d been beautiful.
I should over pack a little bit when hiking. If I had more provisions, I would have explored around the connector trail a bit more.
2.1 miles, 1 hr 9 min, 231 ft of ascent
Hike Review:
I think this trail would have been easy in the summer, but it was winter—with ice and snow comes a whole lot of difficulty. Still, it was a short hike, so it wasn’t too bad.
The views on the trail are of a beautiful redwood forest. My memory is fading, but maybe a third of the trail was burnt trees. It was very calm and still.
Didn’t see a soul on the Day Ride trail, which was great. Felt like it was just the forest and me.