Had the opportunity to spend a few days camping out in the Sequoia National Forest area. It was not what I expected, but in the best way possible. I didn’t fully grasp the enormity of the National Forest before getting there. I was imagining my last trip to Sequoia National Park, which was awesome, but a much different environment. Most of where we were was high desert frequently found in the Eastern Sierra.
Our first night we reserved a campsite near Lake Isabella in Kern county. We didn’t exactly know what to expect once we got there, so we wanted to be safe and ensure we had a place to stay. That being said, not my cup of tea. It’s great that we have really nice established campgrounds with paved roads, bathrooms, amenities, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for it. But when I go camping, I want to get as far removed from any trace of society as I can. I want to make my own way, really go on an adventure. So after our first night, this is exactly what we planned to do.
Anna and I took off past Lake Isabella and headed out towards Death Valley searching for Wilderness Areas we could explore. Just by dumb luck we found the Chimney Peak Wilderness Area, which is all BLM land. It was perfect. We drove into the hills, hiked some peak (maybe Lamont?), set up our own camp, and didn’t see another person for the next few days. It was bliss.
Sadly, we found plenty of trash as well. Bullet casings, broken bottles, toilet paper. It’s one thing to enjoy yourself in nature, it’s another thing to trash it. I’m personally not a huge fan of guns, but I get why people like them. That being said, I find it incredibly disrespectful to trash the environment. If you’re out shooting guns in the wilderness, fine, but at least pick up after yourself. Shooting a bunch of shit to pieces and then just leaving it in nature is a pretty shitty thing to do and it’s disrespectful of everyone else who wants to access that land. So there’s my rant for the day. Photos soon.
