I’d been under the impression that I would find Sequoia National Park in California to be empty and quiet, void of a lot of people. For some reason, I just assumed everyone migrated north to the more famous sister, Yosemite National Park. So I was surprised that we had to work on claiming our spot in the long line of people climbing up Moro Rock, a gigantic structure placed in the perfect position for a sweeping view of the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains. The steps leading up to Moro Rock are part of the National Historic Registry, and while it had the potential to be a treacherous and challenging climb like the one we did on Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, it was fairly tame.
Sequoia National Park battles a horrendous amount of air pollution coming out of the San Joaquin Valley, and the views from the top of Moro Rock should be spectacular, but I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. With little room to maneuver atop the monolith among the crowds of people smiling for the camera, I took a few minutes to stare into the hazy distance then stepped back for a group of loud, camera-toting, flip-flop-wearing tourists to take my place.
