fivespot cabin

top things to do in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park

Editor's note: In August 2010, Beth Manning and her family spent a week at fivespot. On their departure, I was amazed to find a detailed and personal description of family-friendly spots to visit in Sequoia-Kings Canyon. With Beth's permission, I am posting it and her fantastic photos of Zumwalt Meadow, its bears, and Panorama Point, here for the world to see! And check out her blogs: http://lickofmylips.com/ (fiction/poetry) and www.prettygoodday.com (life's little things).

AWESOMENESS we recommend (we visited and loved these places, traveling with kids ages 6, 8, 11 and 16):

In/near Grant Grove

• Hume Lake: easy to swim and play all day (gas sold here, too), kids loved playing on the floating logs 
• Dead Giant Loop (hike): about 2.2 easy, mostly shady miles; great spot for a picnic with lovely view of Sequoia Lake
• Panoramic Point: BEAUTIFUL! Quite a few cars parked in the lot and everyone marveling at the—well—panorama. But very few on the trail, which was AMAZING! We took the Ridge Trail to the fire road and took the fire road back to make for a 3-mile loop. If our kids were a little less tired we would have loved to do the whole trail to the fire lookout. Don't miss the trail! It's wonderful!

 

 

Kings Canyon Byway/Cedar Grove

• The Byway: It's a long drive to Road's End, but absolutely gorgeous. We did it twice, with different stops each time.
• Zumwalt Meadow: easy 1.5 mile loop, extremely beautiful! And … we saw a Mama Bear and two cuter-than-anything cubs! HOORAY!

 

• Muir Rock: For swimming, I like this spot even better than Hume Lake. Maybe because jumping off the rock into the clear, deep water is so much fun! Also, lots of calm, shallow river for kids to play in (note: this is only possible late in the summer season).
• Roaring River Falls: just off the road; a quick fun stop.
• Grizzly Falls: ditto. This is a more classic fall, with a long drop and a refreshing mist .
• Boyden Cavern: Less famous/fancy than Crystal Cave, but my 11-year-old and I (who visited both) liked this one better, maybe because the tour was more intimate and homey. Our one-hour tour ended up being 90 minutes thanks to a friendly, interesting tour guide and a relaxed vibe. (Also, we were the last tour of the day, at 5 pm).

Lodgepole area

• Only spent one day around here. We want to come back and hike and explore more Giant Forest trails.
• Tokopah Falls: A great, beautiful riverside hike, 1.7 miles up and then 1.7 miles down. A popular hike so you'll see plenty of other people on the trail, but it's so gorgeous that it's worth sharing. Near the falls, everyone except me saw a bear eating berries; all I saw was the branches moving around. There's a COLD deep pool at the top, fed by the falls - just a few crazy folks (including my 16- and 11-year-old boys) jumping in. On the way down, we found plenty of spots where the younger kids could splash around.

Have fun! And while you're at fivespot, enjoy:

• sitting on the hill
• hanging on the patio
• perusing the books and the knick knacks on the mantle
• sauna and an outdoor shower, with peppermint soap
• counting hummingbirds and butterflies

Peace!

local eats at the Pinehurst Lodge

We couldn't believe our incredible luck: we moved all the way from Brooklyn to the California boonies, and landed a two-minute walk away from one of the best hamburgers we've ever eaten, at the Pinehurst Lodge.

Originally a sawmill built over 100 years ago, "The Pinehurst" (as it's known around here) is a local hangout with an emphasis on food for carnivores and those who enjoy a bit of alcohol with their meals. The Saturday night special is prime rib (and BBQd ribs, which are not on the menu—you'll have to ask for them). A few items for vegetarians include a delicious broccoli soup and stuffed baked potatoes. There's usually a Monday night special that's especially tasty, since that's the night the wine tasting group eats out.

Reasonably priced, family friendly, Pinehurst Lodge is a great way to get to know the folks in our neck of the woods. And it's only two minutes down the road from fivespot!

     

how fivespot came to be

Fivespot guests have often wondered who paneled the walls, harvested the cedar poles, or made that beautiful tricky cut in the wood flooring for the fireplace hearth. Introducing: Madon Snell.

Madon had already worked with us on our house for a couple of years when we bought the cabin that was to become fivespot, so we were well-prepared for a big renovation. Our workflow was simple: Bachrun and I (actually, mostly Bachrun) made the plan, Madon figured out how to do it, and all three of us cut, sanded, varnished, tiled, installed, etc. Madon was able to find a solution for every challenge—not only that, he was willing to do it over and over when we changed our minds! Here he is working the cement mixer in front of fivespot in 2008:

Madon has moved on to Palo Alto where he assists social entrepreneur/engineer Dainuri Rott in building a powered surfboard (Goodlife Mobility).They recently got media coverage on CBS news in Los Angeles! See the project in action here (Madon is the guy in the brown jacket): Local Man Creates Surf Board For Physically-Challenged Athletes « CBS Los Angeles.

intermittent closure of Generals Highway this winter

Road construction continues in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. I believe they are replacing a bridge at Halstead Meadow. For fivespot guests, that means the General Sherman tree and trails at Lodgepole will be inaccessible, but the General Grant tree, Hume Lake, Big Baldy, and Big Meadows trails are open and within a 30-minute drive from the cabin. Here's the latest from the Park website:

Generals Highway (Lodgepole to Grant Grove)
Closed on 1/2/2012: From Wuksachi Lodge to Montecito Resort (8 miles south of Hwy 180). 
UPDATE: As of Saturday, 1/7: Due to limited snowfall, the road between the parks will be open only on upcoming weekends and holidays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. until measurable snowfall closes the road. After snowfall, the road is expected to be closed through April 1.

So, in brief, while there is no snow, Generals Highway is open on weekends and holidays. As of today (January 10) no snow/rain is expected for at least 7 days (this year's La Niña pattern is holding off any moisture). Hopefully that will change soon, and once it does, Generals Highway will be closed altogether until April 1.

Call the Park to get up-to-the-minute information: (559) 565-3341 (press 1, 1, 1) or (559) 335-2856.

napping in our national parks

The activity pictured here is recommended for all hikers regardless of ability, especially those who don't want to ruin a perfectly lovely mountain day with "exercise." Herewith is a collection of Bachrun's snoozing adventures in various locations and seasons in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We invite you to come up and do the same!

 

 

 

visit fivespot on facebook

Fivespot now has a Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/fivespotcabin

See new and enthusiastic recommendations, and check out the Pages we like: Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia Natural History Foundation, etc.

"Like" us, if you like!

 

fivespot tchotchkes on YouTube

Enjoy this fun stop-action movie made by fivespot guests last Christmas. Winter vacations are the best for inventing your own entertainment!

 

 

update from Pinehurst

Thanks to a super-busy summer of rentals and art projects, we're getting behind with posting new and interesting things. But never fear! Something is always going on in Pinehurst and Badger, even if we are in "the country."

The biggest event of the summer was The Hatchery: East of Fresno, a contemporary art exhibition held in nearby Badger at the old Synanon site. Over 40 artists from around the U.S. and beyond participated; nearly 400 people came to see it during the two days of the show. See photos and a description of the project at the Hatchery website.

The image we used to promote the show was made by Bachrun; the poster was designed by artist Lex Calip. Coming soon: a catalog of the event, with photos of all the work in the show, and pix of an entertaining evening spent in and around the abandoned building and airstrip, complete with BBQ and band (the excellent Not Perfect Humans)!

U.S. National Park Service Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Visit Sequoia - Kings Canyon National Park for free! There are 17 free days in 2011, including National Park Week, April 16-24. National Park Free Entrance Days

That's a great time for driving up from the Valley through spring flowers, then snow-shoeing in sequoia groves. Fivespot is usually snow-free in April, so it's no problem to get around. Come on up!

The Hatchery Free Range Contemporary Art Exhibition

As if you needed another reason to visit the Sierras on the last weekend of October (when the road to Kings Canyon will close for the winter), now you've got another: a contemporary art exhibition called "The Hatchery Free Range." website

This will be a one-day-only event, Saturday, October 30, 2010, in Badger (about 10 minutes from Pinehurst). Art viewing is from 11 am to 4 pm. Then, a "bring your own bar-be-que" from 4-6 pm, and finally, live acoustic music from 6 pm until we're done.

Bachrun is one of 10 artists who will be showing work in a huge airplane hangar at Badger Creek Development, where his studio is located. This decrepit building has been re-named "The Hatchery", which also refers to the group of artists who have begun reclaiming it. The Hatchery, in its ruined state, is a fascinating backdrop for the art, and of considerable interest on its own.

Hope to see you on the 30th!