Quote:
Originally Posted by Upward
Looks like you did exactly the same stuff I did up there in July. It was damn hot. Wasn't really expecting that so high up in the mountains.
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Kings Canyon gets really hot in the lower portions (the most car-accessible parts). It's probably the deepest canyon in the US, at over 8,000 feet from cliff to river. There's no doubt that at these lower elevations it SEKI gets drier than expected for a mountain environment (vs say, Yosemite, Ansel Adams, or other portions of the Northern Sierra) especially at the height of summer/fall. That's why I find SEKI spring hiking to be the most spectacular. There's still tons of snow higher up, water is everywhere, and it's very lush in the valley at this time of year.
Also, as one ventures (by foot) higher and deeper into the park, temperatures moderate substantially and scenery gets more perennially lush.