Category: Cross Country Trip 2018

18 April 2018

I left The Dalles around 8:30 am. Before leaving I tried to find local jeep dealers to get a new set tires for the jeep.  They are getting a little low on tread.  They still have some but I’ll probably have to replace them before the end of the trip.  

I found a jeep dealership in Gresham just east of Portland that had the specific tires I wanted but the person who did the alignment would not be in for several weeks.  They would not put the tires without the alignment and I wouldn’t want them to.  I tried a couple of other dealerships in Portland but no one had the tires.  In the end, I gave up and decided to head on to Mount Rainier. 

Several years ago, John Bell had been in the Columbia River Gorge on a riverboat cruise and he had seen a road sign for historic highway 30.  He wanted to take a picture but they were on a tour bus and never got the chance.  

He asked me when I was here 2 years ago to take a photo of the highway sign.  Unfortunately, I forgot to do. it.  This trip I was looking for the sign but the attractive sign he’d seen had been replaced by a dull brown sign that just said “Historic Highway 30”.  The standard park issue. 

I stopped back at Multnomah Falls in case the gift shop had a facsimile of the sign but they didn’t. I then got off I-84 at Troutdale and headed to highway 30 just in case they had an old sign still where I saw it first.  Nope.  Not there.  On the way back to I-84, I saw a museum for old historic highway 30.  I stopped and asked the person at the desk if they had a photo or post card with the old highway sign.  

She informed me the only person who might know about the road sign was in a meeting at the moment.  I said, OK, I’ll look around the museum until he gets free.  As I was walking around, I made my way back to the front desk and there in the front of the museum was the road sign as big as life.  I sent the photo to John and it turns out it was the one he remembered. 

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 I got to the Mount Rainier around 1:30 pm and checked in.  It’s a small room (it’s an old hotel – 1926) but has a full shower.  

I walked a little around the area of the hotel until I thought Tom Green would arrive and just as I walked into the lobby, he was checking in.  It’ll be close quarters that we share in the room, but at least Tom doesn’t snore.   

Tomorrow, we’ll probably head up to Paradise (11 miles past our lodge)  and maybe head to Mount Saint Helens.  

I thought the Redwoods were spectacular but the road into the park is really special.  I hope to do a little hiking (my ankle is still bothering me) and some local sightseeing.  

We get free breakfast with our room for the next three nights, so that is a plus.

16 April 2018

It rained all day yesterday, all night last night, and it was drizzling this morning.  Yet, later in the day the sun broke out and it was an absolutely fantastic day.

I really feel very fortunate to be able to do this trip – physically and fiscally. I’ve decided three nights at a place is just about right.  Just when I think I might get bored with an area, something new draws my attention and I have time to explore it.

This morning, I opted for Mickey D’s in Crescent City so I could get an early start on the road.  I traveled south of Crescent City looking for the Klamath Beach Road for the Coastal Drive Loop.  Supposedly when you find the road, it becomes one way so you need to find the correct turnout.  I did.  It’s a beautiful drive along the coast with glimpses of the Pacific and some stunning overlooks.

Shades of John Belushi and 1942, but there was a camouflaged radar station made to look like a farmhouse along the route.  The Japanese really did have submarines off the California, Oregon and Washington coasts during WWII.

Eventually, the one way traffic now becomes two-way (luckily, I got the directions correct and made it back to highway 101.

From there I headed to Yurok Trail Loop (named after an indigenous tribe) and did a short 1.6 mile loop.  This was a stunning trail.  You walked along the cliffs above the Pacific and through what can easily be classified as a rainforest.

One view of the Pacific was particularly amazing.

Also, along the trail, you felt you were in a jungle with the mosses growing all over the trees hanging over the trails.

Next was a stop at Crescent City to get a view of their lighthouse in the distance.

Then a close up view of the sea lions basking in the sun and arguing.

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Point Saint George (just out from Crescent City) really blew me away.  First the wildflowers were blooming to beat the band. Next, you have a stunning view of Castle Rock.  I wonder if it has anything to do with Castle Rock Entertainment?

Just about everywhere I hiked this day had tsunami warning signs.  This area of the coast is very vigilant since it so often gets tsunamis.

My last stop was the pièce de résistance.  When you check in with Jedediah Smith State Park, they hand you a park brochure with a piece taped to the brochure as to how to find Stout Grove.  At this time of year, you have to leave the park to get there through back roads.  However, during the summer and low water, there is a seasonal bridge across Mill Creek.  I’m glad they called specific attention to it.

The Lady Bird Johnson Grove yesterday was very nice.  The Stout Grove is beyond description.  Photos, of course, don’t do it justice but even they turned out pretty good.  This is a must do if you are in the area.

A word of caution… the roads are very rough although not as bad as the ones yesterday.  It’s still a challenge to drive but worth it when you get there.  It’s a 0.5 mile loop or you can take a little longer trail for 1.6 miles.

I’ve been to Muir Woods, Mariposa, and now Redwoods.  Of the three, the Stout Grove beats them all.

Tomorrow I leave for The Dalles, Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge.  I hope to see Multnomah Falls once again – my absolute favorite waterfall in the world.  Then after one night, it’s off to Mount Rainier National Park and 3 nights at the National Park Inn.

15 April 2018

The weatherman was good at his word – 100% rain for the entire day.  It must have started around 4 am this morning.  I kept hearing these plops and finally realized it was supersized drops of water dripping from the branches of redwoods high above the cabin.  As the morning wore on, the plops came faster.

I had intended to start the day by heading to Redwoods National Forest some 40 miles south of Jedediah Smith State Park.  You take highway 101 along the coast for a while and then you steadily climb.  You are required to keep your lights on because even without rain, fog fills the hills on this stretch of highway.  Add to that 15 mph curves and you get a thrilling ride.

The park map listed Lady Bird Johnson Grove and I decided to try my hand at the short 1.5 mile loop regardless of the rain.  It’s suggested that if you have a 15 foot vehicle, not to attempt the road to the grove and definitely not if you have a trailer behind you.  The grade is 15% with twists and turns.

Once you find the parking lot for the grove, you cross a very attractive bridge to get to the trail.  It’s a gentle uphill climb and then the trail levels out.  You get to the grove about halfway along the trail.

I equate this walk with tours of Europe where you walk into a cathedral.  The silence in this forest is the best.  You can hear your own footsteps.

Like the vaulted ceilings of cathedrals, you have nature’s vault of redwoods above your head.  Like the cathedrals, streams of light illuminate the forest floor.  I haven’t been in a cathedral yet that can compare to the experience of a walk in a redwood forest.

There’s a nice plaque dedicating the grove to Lady Bird Johnson.  She apparently was present at the dedication so she certainly saw the redwoods in the grove named after her.  Interestingly, it was done under the direction of Richard Nixon.
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After my LBJ Grove walk, I headed back towards Jedediah Smith via 101. One suggestion on the park map was to take a side trip to Elk Cove and Gold Bluffs Beach.

There were certainly elk at Elk Cove – at least at the parking lot and restrooms.  They were all over the place and paying tourist not one bit of mind.

The road from Elk Cove led to an unpaved road to Gold Bluffs Beach.  This reminded me of the rutted road for Titus Canyon in Death Valley only this road was much worse – washboard rough with huge holes in the unpaved road.  In some cases, the road was almost completely washed out.

Once at the end, you got to see a camping and picnic area with spectacular views of the wild Pacific.  The waves were coming in like gang busters and you were constantly being pelted by rain.

I made it to Gold Bluffs and back without any real problem – thanks to the jeep.  Some people were taking ordinary cars down the road and I had to wonder about that.

Once back on 101, I took another side trip to the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway which takes you through another stand of coastal redwoods.  It is amazing to be driving in daylight and need headlights to see ahead of you because of the shade from these giants.

I finally made it back to Crescent City and had lunch at a nondescript seafood place right on the ocean.  I had fried oysters and a salad.  It was OK but not as good as Kelly’s Landing in Fort Lauderdale.

Upon reaching the park, I immediately headed for the shower.  It’s a pay shower with up to 5 minutes ($1.25).  Of course, the first minute is waiting for the water to get hot.  I haven’t experienced pay showers in years.  At least this one worked.

Tonight, I intend to stay in and cook on the front porch of the cabin – no open flames inside the cabin.  The porch is sheltered and I intend to bake biscuits and add Canadian bacon to some and wild plum jelly to the others and make a meal off that.

Then it’ll be off to sleep with rain dripping from the redwoods.

14 April 2018

It was sad to leave Richard and Connie.  What a swell place and swell people. I finally got off around 9:30 am and stopped at the Sundial Bridge in town.  Richard insisted I needed to stop and see it and I’m glad I did.  He said it pretty much put Redding on the map.  It’s a  great investment for the city.  All along the river on both sides of the bridge is an exploratorium park.  It’s good for both kids and adults.

The gps ever strangely routes me somewhere I didn’t anticipate.  It took me through Medford, Oregon (from I-5) and then back down into California.  It seems there are not too many roads that lead west out of Redding.  In any case, it’s a drive I’ve made twice before to go to Crater Lake so I knew it was very scenic.

I got to Jedediah Smith State Park/Redwoods National Park around 2:30 pm and checked into the cabin.  No water, no bathroom (you know I fixed that with my port-a-potty) but it has heat and electricity.  However, no mattress or linen, so I pulled out my thermalite pad and sleeping bag and blanket and blow up pillow.  I should be fine.

The good news is there are showers in state parks and the bathroom/shower is right behind my cabin.

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I walked around a little and was blown away by the profusion of western trillium (Trillium ovatum Pursh).  It’s everywhere in the park and it’s my first time to see this plant other than in books.  As the flower ages, it turns a beautiful pink or rose color.

Of course, the main feature is the coastal redwoods – the tallest trees in the world.  They are everywhere.  This is the largest stand of redwoods I’ve ever seen – even greater than Muir Woods.

After getting settled, I headed into Crescent City (population around 9,000) and stopped off at the Safeway to purchase goodies for dinner and breakfast.  Crescent City has been hit by more tsunamis than any city in the U.S.  The park information alerts you to the possibility of tsunamis while you are within the confines of the park.

If an earthquake lasts for 20 seconds or more – you are told to duck and cover – and then run for higher ground.  Let’s hope I  don’t have to do any of that this trip.

Tomorrow, I head south along 101 to the actual Redwoods and then begin working my way back towards Jedediah.  I intend to do short day hikes that are either easy or moderate (my ankle is still sore – but better) and some scenic drives.  The rain forecast for tomorrow is 100%, so it might be a little damp on the trails.

Hurray! I have two bars from ATT so I have phone service and internet!

13 April 2018

Happy Friday the 13th!  It was a lucky day for me.  I got to the southwest entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park and the visitor center was open and they told me I could hike the road (even though the road was closed) to Sulfur Works.

It’s a mile to the Sulfur Works along the closed highway 89.  It’s all uphill but it was an easy walk.  I met two brothers who were cross country skiers (think my age) and I got into a conversation with one of them.  He was in the Navy during the Vietnam War and served as a radioman.  I informed him I was in the Coast Guard during the Viet Nam War and served as a radioman.  Of course, we hit it off and proceeded to talk about transmitters, duty watches, security clearances, and the lot.

I don’t think they ever found a place to cross country ski.  The brother was more familiar with the area and seemed to be leading his brother further up the road.  He did tell me to keep walking up the road and around two bends and I would get a pretty good view of the valley floor below.  He was right!

Since this is a geothermal area, a lot of the road was clear due to hot spots but most of the road was iced over.

Two years ago, I was in Rocky Mountain National Park hiking up to Bear Lake and met a couple with ice cleats on their feet.  They certainly had an easier time of it than I did since the trail was pretty much iced over.  I got off the mountain without falling but I immediately went to a camping shop and purchased a set of cleats for my boots.  They work!  Not only that, they work very well.  It made the hike to Sulfur Works and beyond much, much easier.  I’ll never leave home without them – if there is ice involved.

The hike to Sulfur Works is one mile, so it’s a two mile round trip.  Since I walked around another mile above Sulfur Works, it turned into a little over a 4 mile trip in Lassen.
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The snow was beautiful and I loved the way the clouds rolled over the mountain tops into the valley.  This park in winter is excellent!

When I got back to the visitor center, a kinesiology class from some local college was getting ready to go snow shoeing.  Can you image Lassen as your classroom?  What lucky students!

After I got back to the Bed & Breakfast, I hiked the river trail next to the house for about 1.4 miles.  That made an almost 3 mile walk after the 4 mile walk so I got my exercise for the day.

I decided I wanted steak for dinner (all that exercise) and TripAdvisor recommended Jack’s Grill.  It’s the oldest restaurant in Redding (1938) and known for their steaks.  What really blew me away was their salad that comes with the steak.  The salad reminded me of the salads the Gulf Cafe in Morton, Mississippi used to serve when I was a kid.

The bar/restaurant hasn’t changed much since 1938.  Well, they have stopped running a house of ill repute on the second floor – at least that’s what their web page said, but otherwise, it’s pretty much like it has always been.  The steak is very good and I recommend it the next time you are in Redding!

Tomorrow, I head out for Redwoods National Park and three nights in a cabin at Jedediah Smith State Park (no mattress, no linen, but electricity and heat).  I doubt there will be cell service or wifi, so you may not hear from me for the next three days.

It’ll be sad to leave Connie and Richard.  They have been the greatest.  I really enjoyed our conversations in the evening over wine.  They are such great people.

 

12 Apri 2018

What a special place Apples River House Bed & Breakfast is.  Especially with Rich and Connie.  They make you feel at home.  Rich basically loaded the washer for me yesterday, and Connie dried my clothes and then folded them for me and put them on my bed.

I’m a lull in the guest house this week.  They had a very busy week before I got here and they have another busy week ahead of them, so I’ve had their full attention.  We have a lot in common and we’ve gotten to share stories and laughs.

Tonight they introduced me to a really great liqueur from Spain called “43”.  It is citrus based and has hints of vanilla and butterscotch.  I’ll definitely be looking for it when I get home.

The guest house and Connie and Rich are so nice, I don’t want to leave.  If you are ever in the area, you must stop and stay here.

Today was a mixed bag as for as my trip is concerned.  Connie provided an excellent breakfast and I headed out for the northern part of Lassen Volcanic National Park around 8:30 am.  It takes about an hour to get there.  There was snow all around and a few flurries on the way.  The visitor center was closed and the park road was closed one mile into the park.  About the only thing I saw was the closed visitor center and Manzanita Lake.

Tomorrow, I’ll try for the southern entrance and hope to progress deeper into the park and a chance for an open visitor center.

Rich suggested that I may have little to see at Lassen and said it would be a good trip to do a loop from Lassen to Burney Falls and then Mount Shasta.  I decided to head to Burney Falls and I’m glad I did.

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The falls are in a state park and and they are 129 feet high.  You walk down a beautiful trail to the base of the falls and then you have the option of taking a loop trail of 1.3 miles around the top of the falls and back to the parking lot.  It was a steep but easy trail, paved all the way, with great views of the falls all along the trail.  This is a must stop if you are in the area.

By the time I left Burney Falls, it started snowing pretty good.  Not only that but snow melting off the trees kept falling on the windshield of the jeep with pretty good clunks.

I drove into the town of Mount Shasta.  Unfortunately, Mount Shasta itself was wreathed in clouds and you could not see the top of the peak.  The town is very nice.  I got out and walked around and found a bookstore and made a wildflower book purchase.

I then headed back to Redding and made a stop at a pressure car wash to get the dirt and grim and bugs off the jeep.  The jeep has been too good to me to let it look so disrespectful and I wanted to get the bugs off before the paint started peeling.

I had left over pizza from Maxwell’s for dinner tonight.  Rich and Connie make sure there is plenty of wine available.  We had a great time talking over dinner and the “43”.  What a great couple who really love what they do!

If I can get some hiking in at the south entrance to Lassen tomorrow, well and good, but if not, there is a river trail next to the guest house that I want to walk tomorrow.  It’ll be a busy day.

So far, my left ankle is holding up but I need to invest in Advil stock since I take so much of it!

11 April 2018

Thanks to Michel and John for seeing to my a/c.  It was a bad capacitor and I escaped with a little over $214.  I need to start saving for a new one since this one is 17 years. old.  Michel and John went the extra mile for me and I really appreciate it.

The trip to Redding was uneventful other than making sure I found diesel fuel for the trip.  After the trip to Fresno, I was running a little low.

I packed up in a little over an hour.  The main trouble was a wet ground cloth for the tent (condensation, not rain) and making sure everything still fit in the cargo box and the jeep.

The drive was 5 hours and 28 minutes or so.  No traffic jams.

I’m staying at Apples River House Bed & Breakfast.  It’s really a beautiful house and beautiful bedroom.  I haven’t met the hosts/owners yet (both were working today) but they provided me all the information I needed to get into the house.

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First thing, I had a shower.  Even with the body wipes, I needed one.  Then a shave.  Then the hosts had left me out some wine to decompress.  The place is so nice, I may not want to leave here to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park.

It is scheduled to rain tonight with temperatures in the low 50’s.

 

 

10 April 2018

The first morning I was waked by wild turkeys calling to each other.  This morning I was waked by wild girl scouts calling to each other, followed by the turkeys.  It’s a great way to wake to the morning!

The temperature this morning was 48F. That was warmer than the previous night.  The previous night, I used the 40F sleeping bag and blanket.  A few hours later, I switched to the 20F bag and blanket.  Last night, I started out with the heavier sleeping bag but later came out of it and into the lighter weight bag.  It’s strange how a few degrees in temperature makes a big difference.

I had a Spam sandwich for breakfast with a strong cup of English tea.  Dishwashing was at a minimum and I was packed and ready to try the trail by 8:30 am.  I was torn between the Old Pinnacles Trailhead to Balconies Cave (5.3 miles round trip according to NPS) or the Bear Gulch Trail to Bear Gulch Cave (2.2 miles round trip according to NPS).  I chose the longer hike and I’m very glad I did.  I spent a lot of energy on the first hike even though both hikes are described as moderate.

I was the third car at the parking area for Old Pinnacles Trailhead and set off on the trail around 9 am.  A couple passed me on the trail as I was stopping frequently for wildflower photos.  Otherwise, I didn’t see anyone until I reached the cave. The trail is pretty level until you get to the cave.  

There’s a large metal gate through which you enter the cave.  The caves are sometimes closed to the public depending on conditions.  The park doesn’t give you much information about the cave except to not disturb the bats and to take a flashlight with you and it can be slippery.  

I’m surprised they let the general public enter this cave.  It is hand over hand over huge talus, wet and slippery.  There is an established path if you are lucky enough to see it.  I fell once in the cave and banged up my left shin.  I hit pretty hard so I was lucky there was no real damage.

Once through the cave (it’s a total upward, steep climb hand over hand through the cave in almost total darkness) I looked around for trail signs to indicate the loop outside and around the cave.  None was available, so I decided to make the trip back through the cave.  I fell a second time on my way back in, re-twisting the left ankle again.  

At one point, you were faced with 60% slope which was wet.  That was the only way down with no footholds.  I slid on my butt down that wall and managed to touch bottom without injuring myself.  

Once back through the cave, I retraced my steps to the jeep.  I then headed to Bear Gulch.  I was unsure whether or not to walk the Bear Gulch Cave/Reservoir loop because of my ankle.  Before I left Old Pinnacles parking, I popped two ibuprofen for the ankle and I felt pretty good.  

In for a penny, in for a pound.  The trail to the cave is all uphill.  This cave was a breeze.  There were only a couple of totally dark spots (unlike Balconies Cave which was almost all totally dark) and you could walk upright for most of the way.  They even provided hand rails and steps in several places.

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Pinnacles was named a National Monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 (and National Park in 2013) and I suspect the reservoir was created by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the depression.  It’s a beautiful reservoir and the home to the endangered red-legged frog.  The park recently re-introduced the frog from surrounding streams back into the reservoir and they have since set up breeding colonies.  It’s tempting to go swimming but they ask you not to in order to protect the habitat of the frogs.  

I had company for lunch.  I suspect previous hikers had shared their lunch and he assumed I was willing to do the same.  

This is prime territory for the rare and endangered California Condor.  I kept a lookout but no joy.  However, the the trip to Bear Gulch was worth it for a view of the Stellar Jay.  I’ve been trying to photograph this bird ever since Michel got to in 2014 when we did the Tauck Desert Southwest tour.  It is a good looking bird.

The trip back down was beautiful but uneventful.  I didn’t fall once on this cave loop.  One thing I saw on the way up the trail was ropes for technical climbing.  On the way back down, there were students rappelling off the cliff face.  

To celebrate the end of the days hiking, I stopped at the park store and had a Häagen Dazs ice cream.  

My overall impressions of Pinnacles National Park is that the eastern entrance seems to serve simply as campground with the visitor center very much like a state park operation.  What makes this a unique park is the trails and the wildlife and wildflowers.  It’s worth a visit, after all.

By the way, those wet wipes for backpackers really work well.  You should see the dirt that comes off those things when I strip down and “shower” with them.  

Tomorrow morning I pack up and head for Redding, California for three nights in a bed and breakfast and day touring Lassen Volcanic National Park.  

9 April 2018

Today marks the 1/4 mark of my trip.  It’s hard to believe I’ve been on the road 21 days.  The count so far: Guadeloupe Mountains NP, Carlsbad Caverns NP, Saguaro NP, Petrified Forest NP, Meteor Crater, Death Valley NP, Channel Islands, and Pinnacles NP.  

Today was a no hike day.  I explored the two roads that lead away from the visitor center and then studied my topographic maps for moderate trails to try tomorrow.  I then headed for Fresno to pick up my boots at REI.

The GPS tried to route me on a 4 plus hour journey.  I took out a road atlas and found shortcuts through the country and the trip ended up taking a little under 3 hours through some magnificent hill country.  

I seem to wax poetic about these green California hills with the oak trees standing sentinel on the hillsides.  It brings back memories of the first time I saw them in 1970.  Our Coast Guard bus (see previous blog) traveled along some similar hills on the way to the shooting range at the fort.  It’s really hard to beat California in the spring.  California poppies with their orange color dotted the landscape and stood out among the green grass on the hillsides.

I found the REI in Fresno and walked to the register and they had my boots right there.  I then made a mistake and decided to walk through the store.  My regular, every day shoes had started to come apart (god, I must do a lot of walking) and I spied a pair of Solomon (same brand as my boots) hiking shoes.  You know what happened next.  

I don’t know where I think this money is coming from.  John Bell has informed me my a/c is not cooling properly so I’m sure I’ll have a big bill for that before too much longer.  I’m just glad he noticed it and he and Michel can look into it for me. 
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I let the GPS direct me back to Pinnacles and sure enough, it routed me a different way but also an even quicker way.  Why it didn’t do that this morning is a mystery.  In any case, it took me around 3 hours to get back.  I put Sirius on 70’s music and rocked back to the park.

I stopped at the town called Tres Piños and bought a can of Spam, bread and mustard.  I saw that in the visitor center/camp store but their prices are outrageous.  The only thing cheap there is the wine.  A bottle of BV Merlot is $10.  

Speaking of wine, I passed thousands of acres of vineyards.  They were all young vines so someone is anticipating a continued growth in the wine industry.  I don’t see how any one company can tend the vines.  I would think that drones would be a great way to overlook the vineyards to look for patches that might be dying out.  It was a sight to see.

Fresno is a busy place.  It has all the superstores and most of the architecture I saw was modern.  Traffic was moderate but in this area, California drivers are pretty aggressive.  I always obey the speed limit because nothing says sucker like a Florida license plate.

Tonight is the second sandwich I purchased at the camp store.  Tomorrow morning, I intend to break out the Spam for breakfast.  It’s sad to say, I still like it from my childhood.  

I’m going to try to send this out tonight with the jeep’s hot spot.  I haven’t had much success with that, but we’ll see.