Monday (Feb 22)
I got moving early in the day for me (11am), I ate badly at the McD’s in Susanville (I wanted their wifi), and I enjoyed a long drive through beautiful snow on a sunny day in the high country. The snow seemed fresh, I think it fell this weekend, when Reno got half inch of rain one night and then a few inches of snow in the morning. It all melted by noon. In the high country, thathalf inch of rain would have been snow and it wouldn’t have melted.
The Reno-Susanville drive gets pretty tedious, but the Sville-Redding drive is quite beautiful for much of the way, especially in winter.
WHUFU page for: Cave Campground
Smack on the way from Reno to Eureka, where CA 44 meets CA 89.
A geologically interesting valley. A giant, recent lava flow that feels like the recovering disaster area it is. The Lava Cave is a short walk across the highway.
The Forest Service keeps one campground open all winter, and it is this one.
A deep blanket of pine needles makes it quiet except for the occasional truck on 89.
tonight:
Site 4! The premier spot, right at the footbridge over the river, and there's no one there tonight. In fact no one here in this beautiful campground but me all night!
Amazing day here along Hat Creek, Temperature is a cool but completely livable 57°, all the way until sunset, when it drops like a stone to 33° by 8pm. Leaving early means I got here early. Early enough to have some blog time and a nice long walk along the creek before dark at 6-ish.
The water level of Hat Creek seems to be more or less constant no matter what the drought or flood conditions, I think it’s the extremely porous volcanic substrate. But this time I can tell it was a few inches higher recently … I’m guessing this weekend, in the same storm that dumped ten inches of snow where I drove today.
Tuesday
Pretty day. Got down in the low 30’s last night, but it’s already 66° at 11am.
Continuing on 44 this morning, around the north entrance to Mt Lassen there was again quite a bit of snow. So the area around my campground at Old Station really is a little banana belt of relative mildness compared to the areas before it and after it.
WHUFU page for: Pigeon Point Campground
On a bend in the Trinity River. The main deal here is the heavily used boat ramp, I think the campground was built as an adjunct to it. Just seven sites, a couple of which are really nice.
Busy Route 299 is only 30 yards away, so when a truck passes you hear it. Fortunately, the road is not busy after dark.
Not quite as torrid as Redding, but still pretty darned hot until the sun goes down.
tonight:
I have the campground to myself! So I park for site #5 again, and spend my time at the big group site #3 again.
Absolutely no one here this afternoon. I am guessing that fishing season is over … or that fishing is terrible in rapidly moving water. In any event there is a complete absence of fisher-persons.
Wednesday – Saturday
The Strawhouse is less than five miles west of here, so very soon I am living the coffeehouse life again – quite possibly my favorite thing to do in the world! I know that I will be in civilization tonight, so the fact the Strawhouse does not have wifi or even phone reception is not a problem. In fact it is a feature! I can do my puzzles and read my book and doodle in my journal without feeling I should be tapping on a device instead. Old school!
I get to Martha’s about three, chill for a while, then go to Tyler’s basketball practice, then straight to Chad’s mom’s house for a birthday dinner for Rylan, who is two years old today!
Thursday
Coffee at Old Town, then home all day. Out to shoot hoops with Tyler at sunset. I am elected to to pick up take-out pizza for the family.
Friday
Coffee at Because Coffee then quality time at the Humboldt County Public Library. Late afternoon I go with Martha to babysit in the car while she buys a white sofa she found on Craigslist and which she for some reason HAS to have right now (“nesting behavior” for the new baby she says).
We have a high school friend of Chad’s over for dinner. A nice time is had by all, I think.
Saturday
Coffee at Because Coffee, then home to go to Tyler’s basketball game. Fourth graders are definitely more clued in that third graders, but it’s all still pretty random. The influence of Steph Curry is quite noticeable in the fancy ballhandling the better kids keep trying, although they haven’t quite grasped that the point is to get somewhere and do something, not just to flash the ball behind you back a few times. Tyler’s team is undefeated for the season to date!
Home for a while, then we go in two cars to Angelo’s Pizza, where the Death Valley Troubadours (Chad’s band) are having a photo shoot and a band pizza party. They’ve got the Warrior’s game on TV so I’m happy.
Me and the boys go home. Martha and Chad go out for date night. I am babysitter. Again, a good time was had by all I think. Tyler and I do a great job of being really boring to the point where the two year old dynamo falls asleep without much drama.
Sunday
Leavin’ day. I do my usual rounds to find a Sunday Chronicle (Shell Station on Harris was the lucky spot today), then coffee at Old Town, then home for final packing. On the road by 1-ish.
I am tired and unenergetic. I have been fighting off a cold ever since I got within contamination distance of the two year old and all the excellent germs he picks up at pre-school. I have plenty of daylight to drive on to Oak Bottom, but I just feel like stopping at my usual Pigeon Point, so I do.
WHUFU page for: Pigeon Point Campground
On a bend in the Trinity River. The main deal here is the heavily used boat ramp, I think the campground was built as an adjunct to it. Just seven sites, a couple of which are really nice.
Busy Route 299 is only 30 yards away, so when a truck passes you hear it. Fortunately, the road is not busy after dark.
Not quite as torrid as Redding, but still pretty darned hot until the sun goes down.
tonight:
One other person is here. They took the primo spot, #3. I decide to go with my original favorite, #6.
It's pretty cool! You have a closer communion with the Trinity River from your parking place here than at any other site, and since I live in my parking place, that makes it a good spot!
Still no pay envelopes, so another free night. The river is flowing very swiftly and is covering maybe 5 inches of the willows near the water. It’s super pretty. I am still feeling pretty crappy, so I nap and feel a lot better afterwards.
Monday
It’s a leap year, today is February 29th! As I leap onto 299 from my quiet parking area I almost get run over by a logging truck, so that’s how my leap day starts.
Somewhere before Junction City I saw a bald eagle cruising along the river! I remenmber now that I saw one in roughly the same area five days ago, so … that must be the spot.
Stopping at Pigeon Point really does break this exhausting drive into two manageable parts. After I pulled over to get the logging truck out of my life, I had a simple and easy drive along the river, through Weaverville, over the mountain and into lovely (hah!) Redding. Actually Redding really is pretty sweet this time of year. I have to keep reminding myself what a hellhole these pleasant, green, flower-bedecked lawns and houses will be in 5 months when the temperature is 107.
I tried a new place today, that I discovered last time – Corbetts – and I am very happy with it. It’s a block from Brew, has good wifi and very good breakfast served by mostly cheerful waitresses. So now I have my food niche and my “just coffee” niche both covered! … As long as I get there by 3 when it closes. Along with the two good sandwich shops and the two cheap diesel gas stations, I have to say that Redding is serving me well.
WHUFU page for: Coleman National Fish Hatchery
Not strictly an NWR, but think of it as a wildlife refuge for trout!
I didn't have the energy or inclination to explore very much, but they are very welcoming of visitors, and encourage strolling around.
It's a lovely drive to get here, along Gover Road, a quiet two-lane hugging a scenic stretch of the Sacramento River. Nice views of Mt Lassen along the Fishery Road.
tonight:
Not strictly an NWR, but think of it as a wildlife refuge for trout!
I didn't have the energy or inclination to explore very much, but they are very welcoming of visitors, and encourage strolling around.
It's a lovely drive to get here, along Gover Road, a quiet two-lane hugging a scenic stretch of the Sacramento River. Nice views of Mt Lassen along the Fishery Road.
I have a restful afternoon driving along the river to the hatchery, then down Balls Ferry Road to my campsite. Saw a covey(?) of wild turkeys off in the fields.
WHUFU page for: Perry Riffle
It pays to call the ranger! I called about spring flowers on these riverside trails (not yet he said), and as long as I was there asked about staying overnight. He said the all the other parking areas were day use only, but the one at the end of the road - Perry Riffle (cool name!) - allows it. So here I am, feeling very pleased about life.
tonight:
It pays to call the ranger! I called about spring flowers on these riverside trails (not yet he said), and as long as I was there asked about staying overnight. He said the all the other parking areas were day use only, but the one at the end of the road - Perry Riffle (cool name!) - allows it. So here I am, feeling very pleased about life.
Dang, I was loving the perfection of this place, but a bright red flatbed truck loaded with an apartment’s worth of crappy furniture just pulled up, so I think “quiet” and “solitude” will have to be wiped from the review.
True for a while, but now the excitement has died down and I am in John Freeman heaven, sitting in my lawn chair, typing my stories, watching the last rays of the sunset turn from red to gunmetal gray over the Coastal Mountains, not a single car or person within hearing/seeing distance.
Apparently the old dude in the truck (again, “old dude” means more or less my age…) had a medical emergency (heart attack?). Eventually five different official vehicles made the curvy, slow trek out here to stir up dust in my parking lot. Your tax dollars at work. There were two Fire Marshals, a CHP, and two sizes of fire truck, one of which functioned as the EMT, breaking out their first aid kits and rushing over to deal with the guy, I don’t know the details, I left.
I was trying to chill, but with all the excitement it became clear that relaxing is off the table for now, so I got going on that evening hike to the river … I didn’t walk very far, it’s getting dark on a no moon night, and I am still wheezy from that darned cold, but I got far enough to be looking at the mighty Sacramento River up close and personal. It’s pretty cool up here!
I saw very clear, fresh-ish cougar tracks out there. First I was excited, then a little scared.There have been a lot of stories lately about hikers having to fight off cougars in the Bay Area hills, and I have only my little flashlight to defend myself with..
By the time I got back it was just the CHP and the old guy, and eventually – 15 minutes or so – they both motored off into the sunset … literally. Now I am content!
Tuesday
Slept poorly, and the downside of this lovely spot is that I don’t feel comfortable lounging in my pajamas to get that sleep back.
I do walk back down to the river, and even knocked off the tai chi long form while I’m there. Aside from the joy of doing it, it has the effect of my standing in the same place for 20 minutes and looking in all four directions, and this is a nice place to do that! I saw some nice soaring raptors and heard some nice song birds.
After I head out I realize I am pretty hungry, I haven’t really eaten since my giant breakfast at 2-ish yesterday. So I pull off at the Bend Boat Launch/riverside park, on the east side of the river, under the Bend Bridge. It’s a really nice picnic spot, and I knock off half a sando to fortify me for the hourish trip to Chico.
Drove straight thru Red Bluff and down 99W. That ismy preferred route, much more mellow than 99E. Then I pick which bridge over the Sacramento River I will take to get to ((W for the entry into Chico. This time I did the bridge at Woodson, but it was longer and more boring. I’ll go back tot he bridge at Tehama next time. That part of the valley, the trees near Corning were of course olives, then as I neared the river at some country road divide they got bigger and leafier, and were I think walnuts.
Tried a new coffee place in Chico, LOVED it: Tin Roof Coffee and Bakery. Easy parking, roomy, good service, free refills, in-house bakery – nearly perfect for me!
I did a drive-by on Llano Seco. This tells me that the migratory birds have moved on to wherever they go next. This changes everything … and by everything I mean what I will do the rest of today and tomorrow morning. I decide not to hike here, to just head on to the Sacramento NWR instead.
There, I decide that the walking tour will be a better way to spend the rest of the day than the driving tour. Without the amazing sunset swarms of geese, I might as well watch sunset on foot, where I can see better the raptors and hear the songbirds. This worked out really well.
WHUFU page for: Sacramento Unit
Conveniently located next to Interstate 5, which somehow adds to the experience. You can see the semis rocketing along less than a mile away, but you're in another world. There's a nice hike through the marshes and along a tiny creek, and a very nice auto tour with a viewing platform stop in the middle.
Sometimes I do the drive then the hike, sometimes the hike then the drive.
Sunset looking back across the marshes from the viewing platform can be spectacular.
tonight:
migratory birds are gone, so taking a nice sunset walk seemed like a better bet than a nice sunset drive past the occasional pintail or shoveler or coot
Llano Seco Coupled with a stop at
Sacto buzzard
Granz – perfect Poppy day!
WHUFU page for: Granzellas Deli
They have a parking lot dedicated to overnighters and trucks carrying boats/trailers. There's one very comfy stop next to a tree. It's really handy for me as an overnight before Harbin.
tonight:
parking lot is pretty empty, I was able to get my favorite spot at the edge of the grassy area. Looking forward to the sports bar beer and I think salad bar(!) tonight, and watching some of the W's game on their wifi - because they don't get it on their TVs :(
Wednesday
Slept very well. Straight to bed after two beers and a big sandwich and traffic around me and I sleep through the night. Last night ate very little in the evening, had perfect silence and tossed and turned all night. Go figure.