Marble Fork Trail, Sequoia National Park

                              Tuesday  4/17/2012



On our last day in Sequoia National Park we drove to Potwisha Campground to hike the Marble Fork Trail.

 

A heard of deer were resting in the shade in the campground until I got too close for pictures. Then they got up and started eating. There were only about 5 camping sites that had occupants in them.

 

You take a road that runs next to site 14 for a while, to get to the trail head. At a gate, I looked down and saw this little feller sticking his head out of his hole. He just sat there, so I got my phone out and took his picture. Does anyone know what he is?

 

Close to the trail head, I saw about 20 purple butterflies, fluttering around a spot on the ground. Some were on the ground.

 

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They were a beautiful periwinkle color.

 

 

 

This road takes you along a stream to the trailhead.

 

After walking on the road for a while, we found  this sign directing us up some stairs on the right behind some bushes. The starting elevation is 2000 feet, and the trail ends at 4550 feet.

 

I had Joe go first to scare all the bears away!

The trail is a constant switch backs going up and very woodsy. We finally came to this clearing.

 

We had walked for about a half hour and my left foot was going numb. ( I have had this problem with my left foot going numb, when walking too long, for at least 10 years. Doctors don't seem to have an answer for me why). We have not had a lot of exercise so we headed back down the hill.

 

At the bottom of the trail, I found another group of purple butterflies.

If you take the trail to the end, you reach the base of Marble Falls. To do the entire trail, there and back, it is 7.4 miles. That is way too much in our lack of condition, especially when my foot starts to go numb. 

 

Back in Potwisha Campground we saw a lot of these little guys. They sit up and make a funny little calling noise. Not sure what kind of squirrel or marmot they are. Anyone know what they are called?

 

We also saw some birds in the campground. Looking into my bird book, that Renee gave me, I think this is a Oregon Junco.

 

Western Scub- Jay with their white eye brows.

 

 

 

Potwisha Campground was alive with wildlife.

 

The ranger in Potwisha told Joe the first day he drove up there, a bear had come into the campground also. By the time we got back to the car, my foot was really bothering me. Good thing we turned around when we did. Sorry the pictures were so blurry, but I zoomed in the best I could, but my subjects were all too far away to be clear.