I camped 4 days at Success Lake, at a Corps of Engineer campground just outside the Sequoia National Forest.
My site had electric, but I found no place in the campground to fill my fresh water tank, so I had to conserve... I guess because of the severe drought California has been experiencing.
I filled the car's gas tank on the Indian Reservation here.
It's sad to think about how our government treated the native people back in the 1800s.
And then Thistle and I headed up into the mountains on CA Rte 198.
All of the pull-offs said no parking, so it was hard to get a picture of the view I was seeing.
The first developed parking/day-use area charges a daily fee of $10 a day. A Park Ranger there gave me permission to take a few pictures without paying. This is a small waterfall on the Tule River.
And apparently a popular swimming hole in the summer, which explains the fee. This lady did not wait for summer. She was floating on her back, but popped back up before I got my camera ready. That snow-melt water must have been frigid!
Farther along I began to see lupine growing beside the road.
And then I saw some lupine bushes! I didn't know lupines grow on bushes, but apparently they do in southern California. I googled it.
At the first pull-off that didn't say, "no parking," Thistle and I found a trail down to the river. So you know me...our feet started following it.
There were wildflowers growing all along the trail.
And we could see waterfalls down below.
Smooth potholes formed by flowing water over the granite.
Poppies!
This is the upper waterfall.
Then it splits around a large boulder and forms two smaller waterfalls below.
We found a small meadow full of colorful flowers.
What a great secret find this was. There was no sign for the trail along the road.
Farther up the road we found a parking lot with an official stairway down to the river. We declined that opportunity.
And also at that parking lot we had to turn around. Although the weather is beautiful and the road is open and dry for several more miles, we are required to carry chains beyond this point. So that's as far as we could go that first day.
But when we got back to the campground, the water was calm on the lake, and I decided to take the kayak out.
I didn't take Thistle because I had seen many birds on the lake, and didn't want to disturb them.
Widgeons
Great Egrets perched and grooming.
A flock of Cattle Egrets in their mating plumage.
These downed trees appeared to be a popular resting place.
Then there were White Pelicans, also grooming on the bank, and lots of Coots.
Can you see the Pelicans? Telephoto lenses work great, so I don't have to be very close.
There was time for quiet reflections...
A mixture of Coots and Widgeons and...
The pelicans grow those bumps during mating season. I wonder if having 3 bumps on your beak gives you an advantage?
There are some Western Grebes over there.
Western Grebes, aren't they elegant?
This one just surfaced from a dive, spraying water all around.
Let's see what else we can find.
The pelicans are going for a swim.
Facing away from the mountains towards the dam.
A fisherman coming, scattering the Coots.
White Pelican in flight.
Mergansers with Grebes in the background.
Grebes and Mergansers
This Western Grebe popped up right in front of me.
The grebes were pairing up.
The view of the snow-capped Sierras.
I watched a flock of swallows dive=bombing the water for awhile.
Can you see the splash?
Splash!
They were having fun, and so was I.
Snow-capped mountains,
And green foothills.
Coots, running on water. A motorboat was coming!
Common Mergansers...male on the left, female on the right. Coots and grebe in the background.
I hated to go back, but it was getting late.
Back to the boat ramp.
I passed this couple fishing from the bank.
Almost full moon rising over my site.
Fisherman calling it a day.
Trying to catch the last of daylight.
Golden rays of sunset on the lake.
Day is done, gone the sun...
