A common view depending upon the day or season. The contrast and character of upward tree growth. A seemingly infinite range of diameters, shades, and shapes. All unique where the trees are as people by where they stand yet different by what they do.
Asymmetrical balance of light cast upon a lake and its sky above. With reflections of color, shapes, land, and sky, a visual message appears to tell us a story of beauty and peace. A natural setting to contemplate, be at rest, and consider what is just beyond the horizon before us.
Seasonal rivers can flow at varying levels of force, pressure, or strength. Depending on where the river runs, it can rage or flow calm and gentle. SO as an example and time spent to see and learn more about the behavior and characteristics of wilderness features. The presence of temperate and life-supporting characteristics more natural yet unique.
There are times when out and about the trail just vanishes. Or at best becomes sketchy. The Windy Cliffs upside the mountain in Kings Canyon is just such a place. The trail comes and goes while cut horizontally along a cliff with a slope greater than the angle of repose. Meaning, enough rock slides happen on their own weight where a trail gets knocked out or covered. And that’s especially disconcerting when a trail is at best 12″ or so wide while making your way along the slope along a cliff. When you pull and hang onto vegetation roots along a path to keep going when you know you shouldn’t.
The Kings River runs along the bottom of Kings Canyon. Much of it alongside a two-lane paved road down to the bottom-most part of the canyon at Cedar Grove. With so many places to find a place to park and explore. Or to just find a road to turn off and set out in a different direction. Even better, on foot with a full heart and camera in hand.
A route far less traveled. A path much less followed. Along the ridge from one summit to another. Much of its technical terrain with loose boulders, shifting rocks, and large vertical slabs. The topology is with steep relief and contours well above the tree line. Not many living creatures up there at about the 13,000 feet range.
At Kaweah Gap, there is this widely familiar monolithic and natural structure along the route. A few days casual hike into the wilderness. Alongside Precipice Lake is this standing cliff just below its immense rocky ascent above. From one side of the lake or the other, a place to fall for or a place to fall over. A place normally either calm and welcoming or with strong winds whipping through.
This is why there is sometimes the false choice of seeing the forest through the trees. To dismiss detail, beauty, and a way to go. Where there is shelter, safety, and acuity in the detail. The forest gives context, situational awareness, and bearing. There is just as much unseen here as there is seen and observed. What is the place doing? What happened here? Who or what feeds off this place? How are the vertical surfaces formed? What do the leaves, wind, and birds say? What angle of elevation is this at? What is dying and what is thriving? Why is moss predominately concentrated on one side of most trees? When did that lightning strike? How much snow weight did those small branches have to bear before being stripped of their growth?
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