Roadtrip Tag 72 / Kings Canyon

After we had a good rest, we packed everything up. We drove 300km on the 'Red Center Way' to Kings Canyon. Kings Canyon is a huge gorge that has formed over billions of years through water pressure. Since it was already noon, there was only a short walk to see it. It was too hot for any further hikes and the trails were closed. Unfortunately, we couldn't walk all the way to the lookout platform because a rock had fallen into the gorge and blocked the path. Nevertheless, Kings Canyon is worth seeing. At Kings Canyon Resort, we refueled ($1.95/L). We also bought a permit to enter the Aboriginal land for the next 200km. Since it was already afternoon, we decided to set up our tent. This time we chose a mountain with a view of Kings Canyon, where camping is free for 24 hours. While cooking dinner, we saw a storm in the distance. There was a fire pit, so Patrick wanted to make a fire. Since there wasn't enough firewood, he used his $10 axe to cut down a small tree. Meanwhile, the lightning and rain reached us. We stayed in the car and waited. Padi was already sad that the campfire was ruined. Later, we visited other campers who had an awning. Since it was continuously windy, we slept in the car. At 3 am, we woke up and everything was dry, so we moved to the tent for a few more hours. We definitely prefer our 4-person tent for sleeping, as it's not so hot.