Thursday, June 30, 2016

Day 27 Palisades Creek Trail in the Sarghee-Caribou National Forest

Workers in town were up at 6:30am cleaning streets and doing garden work. The sounds of grass blowers woke me up. I stopped in the old historic district for coffee in the one coffeeshop I could find, then sat there for almost two hours while sipping coffee and updating my journal (enough for notes at least). The shop manager was very concerned that I liked his coffee so that I would come back again. I assured him I would.

The Greenbelt was quiet when I got back to it on the northern terminus near the Idaho State Science area, but the dogs were only interested in drinking some water. The sprinklers had all gone off and were watering the grass, and neither dog wanted to get wet (but Minnie was quite happy jumping into the river to retrieve sticks!) We only managed .5 miles as a leg stretcher, and then we were off on US26 going east. I had planned on hiking the Palisades Creek trail. This hike came up as the most popular hike in the Idaho Falls area. Write-ups also warned readerst that this could potentially be a crowded hike as well. With dark clouds lingering above, I took my chance.
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I stopped at the ranger station for more information on the trail. One worker gave me a colored print-out of the trail. The man behind the counter, a retired sheriffs deputy from southern California but born and raised in Ajo, Arizona, asked me how the situation in southern ARizona now is in regards to the border crossers and drug smugglers. That got us into a long but civil conversation about the politics and ecological situation along the border. He fielded a few phone calls and eventually I departed, as time was of essence for this 16-mile hike.

The clouds only got darker...

More later

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Day 26 - Salmon to Idaho Falls

The RV camp was quiet when I got up. No one seemed awake yet. I was tired but Sadie whined so I let the dogs out to pee. Another black Lab was walking alone along the dirt path, so I quickly called the dogs back. I didn't want an early morning barkfest!

The site manager, Rex, was not in the office when I got to shower and wash clothes, the two things I needed to do. I'm on my last set of shirt and pants! The showers weren't opened yet and the laundry room took only quarters with no change machine, so I quickly washed my hair in the sink and left. I wanted to explore the little town of Salmon in the morning, with no urge to hike far or wide or even drive for long. Minnie looked tired from yesterday's hike and moved slowly, so today was an off day. The rivers around town would be today's excitement. Sacajawea is from this area and I wanted to get a feel for the land.

But first I needed coffee, and came across a cute little yellow house called the Rise and Shine place. My three-shot cappuccino was exquisite, as well as my breakfast burrito. Several men were outside talking about Trump, one had a large black and tan German Shepherd Dog, a three-year-old female that came right up to me to sniff my dogs. What a gentle spirit she was, tall and filled in and quiet. She sniffed everyone who came by. The owner, who had moved from Alaska several years ago, bought the dog from a breeder in Challis, just south of Salmon. What a well-behaved dog! I wish Sadie showed that kind of gentleness around people.

I sipped my coffee inside as I overheard the two older men talk about Trump. Unlike Washington in which I saw many Trump signs in yards, I haven't seen any in Idaho or Montana. I haven't seen anything for Clinton, either.

The morning warmed up fast and I didn't want to waste too much time sipping coffee. I took the dogs on a short walk around the river island park before driving again north on US93. The highway north of Salmon meanders along the Salmon river, past lush green fields, dairy farms, more camping sites and some river rafting companies. I didn't see any of these last night driving in the dark. What a beautiful drive, as the canyon became higher but steeper. I turned around a mile from the Montana state line and now wanted to explore a creek trail. All I saw were signs to access the rivers.

I took the North Fork road a bit to let the dogs get to the water. The North Fork wasn't as crowded here, and the river was calm where I pulled over for a few rounds of fetch. Just a half mile down river, though, the current picked up as the river snaked downhill, gaining momentum. I turned around in the community of Indianola, where 1910-era buildings are used as a firefighting point and a memorial stands for two fallen helicopter jumpers who perished in a 1985 fire.

The dogs enjoyed the water but it was getting hot now. The hills here were dry and trailless and I was in no mood to explore these. I wanted something more shaded and challenging, but today turned out to be more about driving through expansive valleys. It was a nice change from yesterday.

I stopped in town at the Bertram Brewpub. The beer there was good! I had a hazelnut ale and a lost trail ale and ordered a Gut Buster burger with two patties, bacon and cheese. The dogs got the second patty and the bacon, and I split the last of my patty with them. That was their lunch for the day before we drove on in the direction of Idaho Falls via ID28, the Sacajawea Scenic Byway.

This was a scenic drive, but I was tired. I had the AC on high to keep the dogs comfortable, but at one point I had to pull over for five minutes when I almost fell asleep. I pulled over at a cattle trough and windmill with "Petticoat Junction" painted on the reservoir tank. This was a .4 mile leg stretcher. Clouds were darkening to the east and north of me and when the wind kicked in 30 minutes later, I pulled over to let the storm pass, a wind storm more than a rainstorm. ID28 is a narrow two-laner; there is little room to spare in a collision.

The mountains to the south were getting taller and snow capped. I could see the Tetons rise in the distance! Wyoming was closeby. ID28 ends at I-15, which I took into Idaho Falls, my destination for the night. With two hours of daylight left, I took the dogs on a circular walk around the Green Belt along the river and near the LDS temple, clocking in 4.6 miles and a few dips in the Snake River. Minnie has now swimmed in both the Snake and the Salmon Rivers of Idaho. The Snake River is not very clean in Idaho Falls. The trail is littered with Canadian Goose poop, reeds, and some litter. The trail is also used by a lot of people. The area was getting a lot of people out to the water.

The historic district is along the Snake River and the multiuse trail. Lots of chain restaurants and some fancy restaurants line the area. There's definitely all the amenities of city life in town, so what do I do? I google for a 24-hour laundromat and find a coin-operated one on First Street. I ended up spending two hours here, washing two loads (including the wet and dirty dog blanket again) as I wrote in my journal, looked at Amazon and updated some Facebook comments. A grizzly had attacked a cyclist near the KOA campsite in West Glacier yesterday afternoon, a sow with two cubs. So now that means the bear will be hunted down and killled and the cubs will be orphaned. Glad I wasn't in the area when that happened.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Day 25 Missoula to Salmon, ID

Today was another active hiking day, after yesterday's long circular drive. I had driven US93 back in 2009 when I explored western Montana, so I knew what to expect. The highway travels in a north-south direction; the creeks and canyons in a west-east direction. There is a creek in every canyon. The Bitterroot mountains to the west are a natural border to Idaho, and there are many creeks in the narrow canyons along the way. I had a choice of a number of scenic creeks to chose from, and after talking to the young lady working the espresso stand in Hamilton, took her advice and hiked the Kootenai Creek trail. The description of the trail was accurate: it borders the creek for the first two miles, proving deep shade, but then the trail turns away from the water and climbs steeply into rockier terrain, a rugged terrain that suffered damage during the 2010 fire season. The trail eventually gets hikers to an alpine lake and other wilderness trails, and there's even a horse ranch hidden up there.

The grade was quite doable and not taxing at all, but as soon as we got away from the creek and in the exposed burned section, Minnie started panting. I had my GPD tracking us, but my phone was not charging properly off the power bank and had to turn the tracking off at eight miles, but we did more like 11 in the end and didn't feel too exhausted.

Most people I saw at the trail head seemed to just hike up a mile or so and turned around. I went until the trail faded away. Now in the wilderness, I didn't want to get lost with no GPS helping me, so I turned around. Six equestrians and then an angler hiked up as I was turning around, determined to let the dogs play in the water for a while. I had no other plans today but a decent hike, and this Kootenai hike fulfilled that.

The entire creek is swift whitewater, so I was careful not to throw any sticks far into the water. The rocks and floating debris could easily hurt Minnie, who seemed determined to look for sticks and rocks in the water. At one point she did get carried away by the current, and for five seconds I panicked, but luckily she was right off shore, I was right there, and two snags kept her from getting swept over a small cascade. Minnie gave me a helpless look; she was too week to fight the current and I pulled her up via her collar. This short scene of terror didn't calm her down any, as she was ready for more fetching and water diving once she was pulled back to safety.

I sat at this spot for a while, soaking my feet and even washing my girly parts. That cold water felt good on a body that hasn't showered in a few days! My feet were getting numb from the cold, and getting up to resume the last three miles wasn't easy. I'll gladly do this hike again when in the area and turn around where the trail moves away from the creek. There are several low water areas away from any whitewater or swirls to let the dogs enjoy.

I then made the decision to put my entire lower torso in the cold water, to wash away some of the grime in my shorts. That also meant walking back with visibly wet jeans! Like I cared. I met two women hiking a short distance uphill before resuming their drive back to Seattle. They were in the area to look for horses to buy. "Did you see the sign on the bulletin board?" asked one of the women, referring to a printed notice on plain white office paper that there are trappers setting traps just off the trail, and to be careful of pets. Seriously? Trapping is still allowed in these times? When I got back to the trail head I made a slight edit to that notice, changing "trapper" to something more profane.

The dogs were now calm enough for the remaining drive. US93 is a scenic road along its entire length, starting on the northwestern part of Phoenix to the Canadian border. I was now going to see a stretch of the road I missed back in 2009, but first I had to get to the Idaho border. Traffic was calmer this time than in 2009; not as many logging trucks chugging on by.

Lightning had started a forest fire south of Darby Friday and the fire was still burning as I drove past. It's now tagged as the "Observation fire" that began June 24th. The brown smoke coming from the ridgeline reminded me of the 2011 Monument fire in southern Arizona. I parked off the road a bit to photograph the smoke. The lightning sparked blaze has burned about 1,400 acres with containment growing to about 30 percent. There are over 500 people, eight helicopters, 21 engines, 15 dozers and eight water tenders assigned the fire which started on June 24. Lost Horse Road to Gold Creek between Hamilton and Darby is the focus of evacuations, but for now the sheriffs department and fire chief were assessing the situation. The fire hadn't moved into the valley when I drove through, and winds were calm. I hope this fire can be contained fast. The forest here suffered enough fires in the last few decades but there remain plenty of dead and dying trees from beetle borer damage. At least a fire will get rid of the dead trees (and hopefully the borers!) and give the forest a fresh start.

Today's hike had taken up most of today's activities and I had no intention of driving far. Stopping outside Darby to watch the fire was a nice break, but I wanted to make it to the state line for the day. Last time I turned eastward on MT43. This time I stayed on US93. A rest stop on the border between the two states marks an area where allegedly Lewis and Clark contemplated their route of travel. History signs posted here show the route historians believe (but do not all agree on) the team took back east. The mountains here are rugged and the canyons steep, so travel in any direction was very difficult without native guides helping them. Trees are dense here, but there is water in the canyons. I stayed at the rest stop for a bit, let the dogs out to pee, and contemplated staying here for the night. But in the end I decided to continue down the road into Salmon and I'm glad I did so, as it's a very scenic drive as the road meanders along the steep grade, past long lush green fields and rocky cliffs right off the road.

Salmon, ID was already shuttered for the night, but it has a brewpub off the Main Street and I knew this was the place to rest. I found a secluded Salmon Meadows RV park were I stayed, parked in the tent area and shaded by a mature tree. What a nice discovery for a wary traveler.





More later

Monday, June 27, 2016

Day 24 - Glacier National Park

I was up early for an early drive into Glacier National Park. After gassing up and letting the dogs drink from the Flathead River on the northeast side of town. The sun hadn't risen yet over the mountains and it was chilly. Few people were up at 6:30am, and when I got to the West Glacier entrance, the attendant wasn't in yet. I bought my annual National Parks Pass in southern Oregon, so I had no worries.

The drive along the paved road "Road to the Sun" starts out in a valley along a lake. It was still very shaded and the trees along the road prevented an open view of the calm waters. I even pulled over to nap a bit, hoping a higher sun would give me better colors of the vista. The higher up the road climbed, the more spectacular the views. I stopped a lot, took a lot of photos, and was glad there was little traffic still. Cyclists are allowed on the road until 11am, and with the grade, would have to be strong cyclists to make it to Logan's Pass and back down.

More later

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Day 23 - Spokane to Kalispel, Montana

The street was quiet when I got up. The cars that were ahead of me were gone. I had no reason to stay around so I got up to grab my battery charger. The van started up right away and I drove off through the sleeping town. I stopped at the Dutch Brothers' coffee shop for a large "wet" cappuccino, perhaps the worst one I've had through that coffee chain. I stayed on Second Street and kept driving east, into Spokane Valley and its gated hillside neighborhoods, let the dogs out to pee, and got on the interstate I-90 toward Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I wanted to see the city's lakefront but the entire northshore was blocked off due to a big triathalon. Just my luck again! After two exits of attempting a lakefront view and more road closures and detours, I gave up, got on I-90, turned around and went north on US95. Low fog was still in the nearby hills, but people were up early. The lakes along the way carried anglers fishing from rowboats as the morning sun rose and glistened over the water. I stopped in Ponderay for my morning breakfast.

More later

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Day 22 - Spokane

I wanted to take the morning off from driving around. I had my morning coffee at the base's Starbucks. I was hoping to find the laundromat but gave up. The fitness center offered shade for the dogs while I showered. I didn't leave the base until late in the morning, when I decided to stay local (if 46 miles is considered local?) and explore Mount Spokane state park. Once outside the city, the farmfields were dotted with yellow rapeseeds so common around Augsburg, Germany.

Much to my dismay, several thousands of others decided to visit the state park as well. It was a nice day, in the low 70s, and I can't blame the many people for coming to this scenic park that offers expansive views east into Idaho, north and south. At just under 6000', it's one of the higher points in the area. Too bad I had to share it with so many others! The road to the peak had no guard rails, either, and it was a steep drop for any unfortunate driver not paying attention.

The park ranger suggested I hike the lower Kit Carson loop trail. He must have told a few more thousands the same thing, as when I got to the trail head parking lot, there were many other young families starting out. This would not be very enjoyable for the dogs (or me holding their leashes) so I decided to turn around, go back uphill toward the lower ski lodge, and hike a more remote nordic trail to the Quartzite Mountain look-out. This was a wise move as I only encountered one equestrian at the start, and a young family with stroller coming back down. There was no vehicular traffic and the dogs could enjoy a leashfree hike with shade and some mud puddles. The loop was just at five miles long. I was tired; the days of hiking are starting to exhaust me, but I know the exercise is great for the dogs.

More later

Friday, June 24, 2016

Day 21: Yakima's Cowiche Canyon to Palouse Falls

I was up early. The hotel was quiet. The few tenants were spread out among the three buildings. I shooed the dogs into the van to take them a block away to pee, then parked the van away from my front door to prevent them from barking at passers-by. They had left quite a bit of fur on the green-stained carpet, which I hopefully got all removed by wiping my Keens across the material.

I lay in bed reading more of my review book. "Lost Fathers" by Hisham Matar. It got me enraptured the more I read it. I'm now three books behind. It's hard to read books while on the road, or without a comfortable bed or couch to get comfortable in.

On my way to the closest McDonald's for the usual large Latte and three sausage biscuits (the dogs each get one), I learned that Britain voted yesterday to leave the European Union. I was stumped. I was not expecting that. But the immigration policies and the high taxes to the EU are what caused the Britons to revolt and leave. Will this now mean other countries will leave the EU as well? The global market plummetted today after the UK vote to leave the EU. What is next?! I wanted to sit in the restaurant ant listen more to the news, but I had hikes planned both in Cowiche Canyon and later in Palouse falls, three hours away.

More later

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Day 20 Aberdeen to Yakima

I slept good again, too good. I didn't even hear workers coming into the nearby hotel rooms. Men were walking past me and the dogs were quiet. When I finally got up to drive away, I surely surprised some of the workers as they see the van leave when no one had come by to open the door. Half of the TravelLodge was closed for remodeling and I was parked in the remodeled area.

To no surprise, it was raining again. Today's plan was to drive east on US12 (Which starts in Aberdeen) to Yakima, 240 miles away. The one other hike along the way is a section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) at White Pass. Once east of the PCT, the terrain will be dryer and warmer.

Traffic was steady. Part of US12 follows south along I-5, the same stretch I was on when I entered Washington more than a week ago. Lush green dairy farm dot the landscape.

More later

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Day 19: Forks to Aberdeen, WA

I slept well again overnight. When I got up at 5:15, both dogs were cuddling next to each other. The motel parking lot was quiet as I drove off to get coffee at the Mocha Motion drive-through. That 24-ounce of latter cost me $5.70! I was charged 50 cents extra for using a credit card. Coffee in Washington costs more than a pint of beer.

I drove down to the beach early. I was the first one there and already saw the eagles. La Push beach is one of the most active bald eagle gathering spots in the Lower 48. I saw several juveniles, hanging out in the tops of trees while their elders were farther away in the mudflats discussing today's business. The marina and the homes themselves all looked neglected, and one small house had a young German Shepherd Dog tethered to a pole with a "Go Away!" sign up front. How welcoming.

More later

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Day 18: Bremerton to Forks, WA

I had fallen asleep in the van in the Safeway parking lot. That was not my intent! I was up late reading under a parking lot light. No one came by to tell me I couldn't camp there. So odd. The Naval station is just north of town, too.

Traffic was light as I started an early drive south on WA 3 to Shelton, then getting on US101 north to Woodsport. I wanted to hike Mount Ellinor in the morning, a 5725'. I stopped in at the NF Visitor's Center and talked to an elderly woman named Phyllis who had been here in the area for 13 years, but is originally from San Diego. After her husband died she moved north with a male friend whom she married, but he now is also gone. Phyllis knew all the trails and gave me some sheets to go by.

Findig the trailhead was easy, but I was quickly disappointed to see that my hopes were dashed: the trail was completely shrouded in thick fog. Why bother hiking an unknown peak in the fog and then not enjoy a vista? I decided then to hike the easier Jefferson Pass trail which followed a ridgeline for 3.5 miles. It, too, was in the fog, but at least the fog in the lower level evaporated quickly.

The dogs liked this alternate route. And I must admit that I did, too. My left foot was blistered from last week and hurting. HAd I cut myself while hiking up Mount Pilchunk? Or was I just tired from lack of sleep? The route meandered past several waterfalls, multiple landslides (which are common here, it seems) and a variety of wildflowers. On a clear day this would have been a lovely hike. Today there was no vista, but at least I had the cooling effect of the fog and the dogs didn't mind.

The Jefferson Pass trail #800 ends at an overgrown landslide that is now grown over with a thick grove of pines. I turned around here and went back the way I came, picking up discarded beer cans along the way. My hiking guide mentioned that this area was used by ATVs, and this trail was as well. When we finished the hike and went back into town, I stopped back at the Ranger station to let Phyllis know that I did not hike the peak, but that the Jefferson Pass trail was a nice alternative.

It was 2:30pm and I wanted to drive on. Highway 101 at this point now skirts the shore of the northern peninsula, revealing clam beaches and mud flats, just as I remember from years ago. Traffic was light. I was able to get the Canadian radio station again and the topic was the high rates of opiate overdoses in British Columbia. On NPR (before I lost it) the topic was the lack of medications for the remaining doctors in Syria who can no nothing more than hold the hand of a dying person and help them to the afterlife.

I had been to Port Royal 16 some years ago. I remember eating in a restaurant after driving around, but which one? Does it really matter, anyway? I drove up into the National Park on the Hurricane Ridge, noticed more landslides and fog. On a clear day the views would be spectacular, but again the fog stifled the beauty. Since dogs aren't allowed in National Parks (but horses, mules and rednecks are), I didn't stay long. I drove back down to Highway 101 and kept on driving. The sun was setting now and I had limited sunlight, but seeing Lake Crescent at dusk was quite beautiful. No doubt the national park is worth exploring more without dogs, but I hate supporting an agency that does not allow dogs in. There is a feeling of remoteness in this part of the state. Several Native American tribes live here as well.

I made it to Forks, WA at the last rays of light. It's a town of 3175 people, with several gas stations, a bank, a grocery/outfitter/hardware store all on the main strip. I parked near the Umpqua bank to use their free wifi and eventually parked for the night in the back end of a pretty motel.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Day 17: drive to Bremerton

Today was an off day. I was exhausted from the hikes the day before, but had planned on at least four miles. Weather had other plans for me, though.

It was a cold morning in the forest. I was up at 5:30am to continue my Mountain loop, but pulled over an hour later to nap some more. It was my second day sleeping in the front seat. Minnie must have loved spreading out on my cot! The highway was quiet and there were many turn off for several creeks to let the dogs out, but I was too tired to walk. I kept on driving.

The Hountain Loop is in part on SR530, hwere on March 22, 2014 a massive landslide killed 43 people, injured ten and destroyed many homes near Darrington. I had noticed several older landslides but this one looked fresh. When I stopped to photograph it, realized that I was looking at the fornmer death scene that had made the national news two years ago. A memorial forest has been planted, one for each victim, and each tree has memorabilia of that victim: photos, old shoes, even six-packs of PBR. Snohomish County still wants to build on this memomrial and has closed the hillslide for future development.

I drove south on WA9 through some pretty logging towns, then stopped in Everett for lunch. I decided by midday to take the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston and am so glad I did.

More later

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Day 16: Whatcom Lake to Mount Pilchunk

I didn't get to sleep until 4am; the late-night latte I had at Wood's kept me up all night long. I had too much to update and was online for over six hours, many of which I spent parked in fronht of a Starbucks watching people walk by. Some just stood around watiing for a deal. I parked on a side street and slept in my front seat, leaving Minnie to stretch out on my cot. When I got up at 7:30am I knew I had a long day ahead of me. I wasn't too exhausted despite the lack of sleep.

I didn't want to leave Bellingham, but knew I had to get going. I drove east on Lakeview drive to get to signs for the Whatcome County park. I walked the dogs for 5.28 miles along the Hertz trail, a ten-foot-wide crushed gravel trail along the north shore. It was level and easy. Lots of young couples, some with dogs, were out walking here. Minnie jumped into the lake a few times to retrieve sticks but had difficulty getting out in parts because the shore was steep.

I didn't want to leave Bellingham. It's a nice area but I had other hikes to focus on elsewhere. My next one was Mount Pilchunk further south, near Granit Falls. I took my sweet time getting there, driving through the fertile Skagit valley. I failed to gas up in time in Granite Falls and had to return to town to do so, then failed to turn off at the Mount Pilchunk turn-off. By the time I got to the trailhead it was 6:30pm. Would it be too late to venture off? I doubted myself, then turned around and when I saw so many people going uphill for a sunset hike, opted to join them. I'm glad I did.

More later.

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Day 15: Excelsior Pass and Bellingham, WA

What a quiet night. I woke up to a light drizzle. Rain wasn't forecasted until late in the morning. Bummer. But then it stopped and I took the risk of hiking the Excelsior Pass trail, a steep 9-mile r/t hike. I had no idea how far I'd make it before the rain came in, but I kept going. The higher up we hiked, the faster I hiked. We were so close to the pass, about a half-mile, before the icy snow cover, drizzle and deep fog made me turn around at 10am. It was a wise decision, as the rain started coming down steadily 30 minutes later and we arrived back at the trail head at 11:36am. We hiked 7.74 miles, and the pass would have been nine miles r/t. So close! But part of the hike would have been the views and it was too foggy and wet by the time we made it to 5000' from a start elevation of 1200'.

There were three more cars in the parking lot when there were none when we started. Minnie barked at a young dad and his young son as they started up as we were coming down. The dad gave me a snear and I don't blame him. I hate it when Minnie barks at people; she's been doing that a lot on this trip.

I sat in the van for an hour just to warm up. I had carried my rain gear but never put it on and let myself get damp and cold. The dogs were enjoying the break. They ate their lunch but only the canned stuff. I ate a slice of cold pizza but never warmed up until I got into Bellingham at 4pm. What a lovely coastal town! I walked the dogs briefly around the Whatcom Creek trail so they could drink some water, then I sat inside a Wood's coffeeshop in old town just to write this and download photos to my Facebook page.

More later

Friday, June 17, 2016

Day 14: Vancouver BC and the Mount Baker highway

I was up super early to get started. I decided to try a drive into British Columbia in the morning. The border crossing north of Lynden, WA wasn't open till 8am so I drove to Sumas, WA where the border crossing was open. I was a bit nervous. Would I be let in with the dogs? I had my passport and the rabies vaccinations for both dogs. The lady agent asked me a plethora of questions. Did I really drive from Arizona to come to Canada? Did I have knives, firearms or pepper spray with me? Any alcohol, tobacco or fresh fruits? Why was I coming? Where was I staying?

I took highway 1 west. Now everything was measured in kilometers and Vancouver was 80km away. Traffic was steady and moving. I took the long way into town because I didn't want to pay a toll. I had no idea where I'd go, I drove with the flow.

My first impression of the city was its heavy Chinese and Thai influence. The streets were crowded with traffic. I set my GPS to take me to Stanley Park on the north end of the main city, with walking paths for the dogs. Parking was CND $3.25 an hour, so we walked a brisk 3.3 miles in that time. Lots of people out enjoying the weather, but I also noticed transients camped in the woods. I was warned by one park volunteer to leave no valuables in my van while parked because of break-ins. How reassuring!

The dogs do not do well on leash in the city. Minnie especially barked at all the other dogs and pulled me. I was embarrassed at her behavior, as Sadie feeds off that. So I just drove around, took photos, and left during the lunch crowd to avoid getting stuck in rushhour traffic leaving town. I wanted to get back early enough to explore the Mount Baker highway and a short trail to cool off in, as rainy weather is due back again tomorrow.

I made it to the ski lodge just after 5pm. The road to Artist Point was closed due to the snow fall on June 14. I did what all the other walkers did: I walked the road to the end. I started after most walkers were coming back down and had the road to myself. The peaks were impressive, and so was the snow piled up on the sides of the road, getting taller as I got higher. I turned around here and walked back down, getting another five miles in. There were only three cars in the parking lot when I left.

I drove back down the highway and stopped at the Corner 9 pub, where I had two very good beers from the Rushan brewery out of Bellingham. I also ordered a large mushroom pizza to take with me for tonight and tomorrow. Several locals were talking about black beers they had seen while hiking. My dogs would keep me safe.

I spent the night just outside the Silver Fir campground. It was very quiet and once again I slept soundly. Tomorrow would be a long day.

More later, with photos

Day 13: Wallace Falls, Oyster Dome

We both were up early to get started on our drive back. Lynda's Vanagon was promised to be ready by noon and she wanted to pick it up and drive back to Portland while it was still light out.

We stopped at a German bakery when back in Leavenworth. While the pastries were fine, the man behind the counter was reluctant to tell us where he was from (Hagen, Germany), "Why does that matter?" he replied, but then told us his hometown. "So typical German!" said Lynda.

Weather was predicted with 30% chance of rain. Would we be able to hike the Wallace falls? I had really hoped so, as the falls were described as the area's most visited waterfall, with only 5.5 miles r/t. We were on the trail by 8:45am and it was already busy, with lots of dogs as well. We stayed on the river trail, skirting the longer and steeper hillside trail. The falls cascaded along the entire trail, and Minnie took a few dips in the water. I took the dogs off leash a few times to keep them from pulling too much, but luckily we had the dogs back on leashes when a park ranger came by. My dogs were both not very friendly to the other dogs, which aggravated me.

We turned around at the Lower Falls, just at the 1.75 mile marker. I'd have gone farther but Lynda has bad knees. It was a wise decision as we were hit with a sudden and intense downpour. My rain jacket did no good as my fleece jacket got wet. We completed 3.5 miles, a good start for the day when four miles is my set minimum.

We got back to Ed's transmissions at 1pm. The van was ready, so I dropped Lynda off and decided last minute to go north (rather than south back to the Olympic peninsula) to hike Oyster Dome, another well-rated hike in my "Hiking Washington" book. This 6.4-mile hike up the Chuckanut hills provides expansive views of the San Juan islands. What a view! This hike was worth the two-hour drive north. I started at 3pm and got back to the van around 7pm. There were still groups of young people going up the hill at 6pm. By now I was tired and I'm sure so where the dogs. We finally got some good hiking mileage in on this hike, and the cool forest was good for Minnie.

And then I decided to drive further north, first along WA11 that circles the northwestern side of the bay, then landed on the Lummi peninsula where a tribe of Native Americans live with a view back toward Bellingham, and then landed in the small border town of Lynden, WA with Mount Baker in the horizon. I wanted to park near the McDonald's to get on the wifi, but there were several cars parked in the lot with young people loitering, and two city cop cars parked nearby. That didn't look very promising, so I went across the street and found another hotspot behind the Taco Time off WA539. It was dark back here and I was the only car in that section of the parking lot. Several cop cars drove past me while I was parked there. That was enough to convince me it was time to park somewhere for the night. My choice was the Hidden Village RV Park and Campground, set along a bubbling creek with pretty landscaping.

Just wow.

Day 12: North Seattle to Wenatchee

Lynda is in Seattle getting her Vanagon's transmission working again and staying with a friend. She invited me up for a visit and I grabbed that opportunity to spend time with people again. After an early start and a drive through Tacoma (which I remember from years ago when I was in the area thanks to the army) I called her and agreed to meet her in the morning. It was listed as a 78-minute drive but that I-5 was congested. My GPS app had me drive side roads to get to the address Lynda had given me.

I arrived at 10am. Lynda was inside the beautiful Victorian home playing "Cards of Humanity" with her friends, and I joined in. I had never played that game, but have heard about it. It certainly can be a riot. Becka, whose house I was at, also made me two lattes and offered me some of her pie. What gratiousness!

Lynda and I finally got going at 11:30am. She had suggested an overnight day trip to a Bavarian village named Leavenworth and to stay the night in Wenatchee. Never having been in the area, I agreed.

We travelled first to Marymoor's dog park, a huge dog park off a bank of a river. Parking was $1 and all the dogs were off leash. Minnie got to fetch sticks in the water and take other dogs' balls. Amazing how dogs are so much friendlier when they are off leash and having fun. We managed to walk 1.92 miles around the area, just chatting away and getting each other updated on the latest in our lives. I could have stayed longer at the dog park and walked more, but we still had a bit of a drive to Leavenworth.

Leavenworth really does look like a Bavarian village, complete with Maibaum and buildings decorated with religious paintings. After a stroll through town, we ate a fine meal at the Bavarian Bistro and Bar where we both had schnitzel and a beer. We continued on to Wenatchee where Lynda had reserved a room at the Motel6 ($101!!!) where the dogs could relax. I was up late reading and trying to catch up with my blog and Amazon reviews, but I barely made any leeway in either. It's hard to read for long while on the road.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Day 11: A day off, stayed on base

Rain was expected by late morning. It was still clear when I got up, had a shower at the gym and breakfast at the Burger King, but as soon as I opted to take the dogs back to the McKay marsh trail, it began to rain again. Just my luck! It then rained on and off all day.

More later

Monday, June 13, 2016

Day 10: Astoria to McChord AFB, WA

I slept good again, but when I finally got up at 7:30am, it was raining. A cold front had come in and will now linger over western Washington for a few days. Snow is expected in the higher elevations.

I drove around town one last time to take in the views along the hillside, before continuing the drive southeast on US30. The last time I drove this stretch toward Portland two years ago, it was at night. I never got to see the wide river open up here into smaller inlets and marshes.

I crossed at Longview nto Washington at 10:30am, stopped at Kelso to get some radiator coolant (the radiator was low on fluid) and resumed the drive. Seattle was only 125 miles from here, but the stop at Mount St Helens would prove to be a 90-minute drive one-way on WA504, a meandering ridge road that takes one directly into the blast zone of the 1980 eruption. Hillsides are still swept away, exploded trees from the lateral blast still stand like broken pencils. The rain dropped the clouds low, so no peaks could be seen.

I stopped at the McD in Castle Rock for an early lunch and drove east. Seeing Mt St Helens was a must-see on this trip, but the fog was disappointing. It got thicker the higher I got in elevation, with no "sun bursts" in sight.

Thirty miles into my drive and at the Forest Learning Center off the highway (with great views toward the blast valley, but a fogged-in mountain), I discovered that my Chromebook was missing. I have been keeping it in the front of my passenger seat, covered by books, clothes, camp towel. Sometimes I slide it along the side of my seat. It was nowhere. Had I left it at the McD? That's where I had taken it to use while eating my lunch. I tore the front end of the van apart, from books and sleeping bag to plums and water bottles. The Chromebook was nowhere. My trip was temporarily put on hold as I drove back to the McDs. At 3pm I arrived and the manager told me "Thank-you for coming back for this!" as he returned my Chromebook back to me. Why would I not come back for this? It's my lifeline! I had left it by the side of the drink dispenser. What a relief to still have it!

The fog wasn't getting any easier and now darkness was playing a factor. Would it be worth it to make the 52-mile drive again just to see a fogged-out peak? I opted to drive the route again after a quick ponder while still at the McD's, arriving at 4:30pm as the last open views were starting to fog over again. It was 41F at the observatory, just under 4000 feet. Quite a few other visitors were also here, many dressed as summerly as me.

The landscape around the visitor's center still looks ashen and no new trees are on the upper ridgeline. Wildflowers are coming back, but the old growth forest is gone. Looking out from the visitor's center, even in the fog, is impressive. Old growth trees splintered like pencils, their stumps still remnants on the hillside. Over 232 square miles were affected by the May 18th blast. Fifty-two people died, many from asphyxiation during the spewing of gasses during the 8-hour eruption. Some people have never been found. The observatory is now named the David Johnston Observatory, named after a USGS surveyor who was on the ridge during the explosion and who perished in the blast.

I was chilled and feeling damp here, but still in awe of the destruction of that volcano. I wish I could have seen the peak but that may have to wait for another time. It's been 36 years since the volcanic eruption (I was in Bloomington, IN when it blew and we had ashen skies all that summer) but there is new growth coming, although no new trees per se as I'm sure that blast zone was sterilized for a long time.

With rain and colder temperatures forecasted for tomorrow, I opted now to drive straight to McChord AFB for the night. I needed a shower and to wash my clothes. I decided to take tomorrow off from hiking and driving and to just stay on base to get some errands done.

I got to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord area by 7:30pm Traffic was still very congested and I was glad to get off I-5 and settle on base for the night. I'd been to Lewis back in the 1990s and remember it as a maze, with a main post and a north post, both used for training. There's been much growth since my last visit here in the early 2000s. I even found a small hiking trail on the north end of the post, the McKay Marsh trail. This trail is well-marked and about 1.5 miles around. I found it after walking the dogs on a tank trail near the post police training center. It was already 7:20pm when I started and I had no idea how much daylight I would have left, but we managed almost three miles at a very fast pace, so it was worth it for the exercise. No one was on this trail but us.

After much driving around, I settled down across the street from the hotel on the air base and used its wifi.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Day 9: Lincoln City to Astoria, Oregon

I slept good again and didn't start waking up until 7am. I heard heavy clanking around the van. It turned out to be a large pick-up truck with a trailer hauling tents and other supplies for a plant fair at the LC community center by which I was parked. I was thus locked in. To the dogs credit, they didn't bark or cause a rukus. I finally pulled out at 8am, stopped at the local Dutch Brothers Coffee stand, and then headed north to Mount Hebo, a 2307' peak.

National Public Radio kept broadcasting about the latest mass shooting this time it was in Orlando, Florida. Twenty people were confirmed killed in a gay bar, but an hour later it was raised to 50 dead (!!!) with the shooter's name as Omar Marteen He singlehandedly killed all those people with an as 0f boxwe Muhammed sault rifle?. All day long the news was about Orlando. Last week it was the death of Boxer Muhammed Ali from pulminary failure due to Parkinson's disease.

more later

Day 8: Oregon's Dunes to Lincoln City

I was up early again. Another quiet night. The RV park across the street was still napping when I drove off from Reedsport, with the sun still trying to shine high across the water. Traffic was minimal.

I wanted an early start to a hike and opted to check out the Dunes' shoreline. I pulled into the Siltcoos entrance and just my luck that dogs were allowed here, going north. It was still cool out, but winds were minimal. The sand felt great against my barefeet as I follwed the shoreline. Both dogs played with each other. No one was around. Where was everyone? Tracks up along the dunegrass line revealed recent activity with OTVers. I was the only one on the beach.

I spent my much younger years along the south shore of Lake Michigan in Indiana, a shoreline crowded with steel mines and power plants. But here in Oregon there is no industry. From my vantage point I only saw sand, water and sky both toward the north and the south. The beach was clean, too: no dead fish or trash. Visibility was about a half mile.

I didn't engage the dogs much on this early walk. I let them entertain themselves as I got lost in my own thoughts. Minnie found a chewed-up buoy which she carried in her mouth; I found a few sand stones. Most of the shells were broken from the constant trashing of the waves. Low tide was at 6:08am and it was just past 7am when I started the walk. We walked 1.76 miles, but it felt like more.

There were a few more cars in the parking lot when I got back to the van. Several men were fishing off the shore. The day was young and surely the visitors were still sleeping in.

Florence, Oregon is where I started my ocean drive two years ago through Oregon. I discovered a few more things to like about this town: A Dutch Brother's Coffee stand (I first noticed them in Coos Bay) and a laundromat with showers! Curious about that combination, I stopped in. The Pacific Coast highway has a lot of RVs on this route, and this combo is designed for the RVers. People were already washing their clothes when I came by at 10:30am. A couple that was leaving gave me their EZcard, a plastic card that one recharges with cash like a gift card. The card costs 49 cents and there was still 31 cents on it. I added another five bucks and took a hot shower, the first one since leaving Fairfield. I was worried about having ticks on me as the woman who gave me her card noticed a tick on my upper chest. I can't stand ticks. That now gives me two ticks on me and none on the dogs. I should be wearing a tick collar, too! Minnie bites and scratches herself but I've yet to see a tick on either dog.

I then continued the slow drive north, recognizing some old landmarks from two years ago. North of the Dunes are lighthouses, beaches and geological formations, all that require either a state park or federal pass to use. I bypassed all the places I explored two years ago, focusing instead on more remote areas where I could let the dogs out. After a short stop at Sealion Rocks and the Hecheta lighthouse, I drove up Cape Creek Road, a narrow road that meanders uphill on a steep grade. I stopped when the road got too steep and eroded, instead walking uphill. No one bothered us here. The vines were overgrown, there were plenty of hollyhocks and wild berries. Where does the road lead to? Two years ago I didn't quite make it up this far up the road, but it would be interesting to see if the road eventually leads back to Highway 101. IT's still a nice area to explore off the beaten path without driving too far off the beaten path. Two other cars were coming up the road as I was driving back to the highway. The dogs and I had now added another 2.1 miles to our daily tally.

The final stop today was Agate Beach, just north of the touristy town of Newport. Parking is free here and the beach is dog friendly! There were plenty of dogs here in all directions and my dogs stayed with me. I kept them away from the water and focused on a three-mile loop, to the cliffs and back, looking for agate but finding none and just giving the dogs some exercise. The added bonus to this beach is that there is a creek that flows into the ocean here, that paralles the ocean for a mile before turning into the Pacific. The dogs were thus able to drink fresh water at their leisure while I admired the wavy sand hills across the beach. This is definitely a beach to return to with dogs. We added another 2.86 miles here.

Now I was hungry and knew about the Rusty Truck brewing company in Lincoln City. I parked the van in the shade and had a quick pizza with two great beers before rejoining the dogs. After watching the sun set over the water, I opted to make Lincoln City my stop for the night. The dogs were treated to beef ribs from Safeway. Despite it being a Saturday night, all was quiet in this seaside town.



Friday, June 10, 2016

Day 7: Southeastern Oregon coastline: Gold Beach, the Rogue River

It was a quiet night in the RV lot yet I still was up early. It was 53F and my feet were cold! I quickly got the dogs ready and we resumed our northbound drive along the coast. By 6:30am I had entered Oregon. Redwoods lined both sides of the highway, keeping the sun out and the fog in. This is how I remember sun rises in Monterey years ago. While northern California has its beauty, making it to Oregon to me being closer to Washington state. This was the part of Oregon I by-passed two years ago on my Oregon road trip. I had no destination in mind today; I was going to stop, explore and hike the lesser-used trails.

There are many coastal access trails from Highway 101 down to the coast. The coastline here is rocky, shrouded in trees and a steep embankment to the coastline. I took one such trail. It was just past 7am and no one was around. The sun was trying hard to shine through the trees as I walked along this well-maintained access trail north of Brookings. The dogs were loving the coolness of this fern-lined trail. We did 35 minutes and 1.4 miles. I never did find a trail leading to the beach, but the day was young and there was so much to explore. I didn't want to be stuck on a rocky beach with no easy access back out for the dogs.

My goal for the morning was to get to Gold Beach early enough to enjoy the town. Kevin said he heard it was worth seeing, from some of our bar buddies who had vacationed here. The town is spread out along the shore with an inlet on the south and north end of town. An 1850s whaling ship lies moss-covered near the Patterson bridge. Mail boats are docked in the harbor. The volunteers at the visitors center were very helpful and recommended I see the state's oldest myrtle tree nearby: the trail is only a quarter-mile long and ten miles away. I figured why not? I wanted a more substantial hike, but I've learned that it's easy to add on mileage just by exploring. I had to drive ten miles east from town, first along the southern bank of the Rogue River on Jerry Flats Road, then off Forest Service Road 3533, a wide and well-graded dirt road that I learned would take me all the way to the town of Agness 12 miles away. The trail head was well-marked, no one was around (yay!) and again we walked the short out-and-back trail that ended at the state's largest myrtle tree. This was such a dense forest that I could feel the cooler temperature. Moss lined most of these trees trunks, and large ferns covered the forest floor. I expected fairies and gnomes to pop out at any time.

Oregon's tallest myrtle tree is 88' tall, has a 70' canopy, but most impressive to me was its large trunk. A natural opening allowed both dogs to go inside the trunk, which they did, but then quickly exited. Myrtle trees can survive fires, and many trees here did show old burn marks, but the trees continue to grow and spread their canopies. It was a short hike worth doing just to be reminded of how small we humans are in relation to the rest of the world around us.

The trail head parking area was still quiet as we got back 45 minutes later. I could hear the Rogue river nearby and took the dogs on a well-trodden trail that I thought would take me to the river. Instead, I walked right into a squatter camp of a man and two women who were just finishing a sausage breakfast. They all looked like they have been at this spot for a while: covered in warm clothes and wearing hats to hide the oily hair, they didn't seem to be too bothered by my short presence. I wanted to give them their privacy, but the trail soon ended and I had to turn around, right through their campsite again. Sadie lunged for a sausage link still in the frying pan, which the two women found "cute" but I did not. To their credit the three people did not harass me for food or money. It's quite a haul to the closest town for any provisions, so how do these campers survive?

I like river walks and was determined to get to a trail head that would take us to the Rogue. The dirt road, also known as Silver Creek Road (FR3533) was well graded and I drove as far as I could. I eventually settled on what ended up being another short loop hike. I had no maps or literature for this area, and chastised myself for not doing my homework. The forest here is old growth and healthy, and despite the smaller roads coming off FR3533, sparsely visited. If I had gotten stranded here, I probably would not have been found right away. I parked at a noticeable trail head at a small meadow. The trail was marked here, and took us downhill through the thick forest.

The trail, however, did NOT take us to the river. I came to an intersection and took a left turn, as the right turn took us to Agness but that was too far away. My cell phone's GPS was running well and was able to form a circular loop that brought me back to the van on a parallel trail. This was another short hike for the dogs, and they were enjoying their adventure. Both stayed by my side the entire time.

I had the feeling I was going to spend the entire day here along the Rogue. This is my kind of wilderness: easy to get to and yet remote. But having a good map is definitely a requirement, as one can easily get lost here. History has proven that, as I kept thinking of the unfortunate California family, James and Kati Kim, who had driven to Seattle to visit friends and who were on their return drive to San Francisco. They thought taking a "short cut" through the Siskiyou National Forest in 2007 over Thanksgivings would get them to their destination, but they were going west when they should have been going south. They wanted to avoid the snow, but instead drove into it on a little-used logging road off Bear Camp Road. Instead, they were caught in a snow storm, got stranded, and the husband ended up dying from hypothermia trying to find help. The wife stayed in the van with her two children, keeping warm by burning the van tires and nursing her children. She and the children were rescued after three days, but the husband was found dead just a half-mile from the van. Such stories always strike me hard, as I know I can sometimes take the wrong turn at the wrong time. I don't even want to find myself in a situation as the Kims found themselves that fateful day. Bear Camp Road is on the other side of the forest, east of where I was, and my location gave me a good idea of what the Kims most likely faced: a well-graded wide road that then turned off but that wasn't well-marked and they ended up on a logging road. What a haunting memory that must be for Kati Kim now.

The trail head, however, is in a nice location. I would come back here and explore more, but only after doing some research.

I drove back out the same way I drove in, but this time I found a road that led to the Rogue river, a more narrow road that was still good enough for the van until I hit a muddy section. I parked off the road here, at another intersection, and walked on down, coming across another lone man camping with his little Maltipoo, who then barked at my dogs. I grabbed both dogs before they could ran after the dog, falling myself near the mud. The man was understanding, though, as he also wasn't expecting anyone here. While the three dogs calmed down and sniffed each other, I just wanted to give the man his privacy. The shaded road meandered down to the river 1/4 mile. There was one red car parked to the left off the trail. I chose the right again, staying on the river.

The Rogue river here is like the Eel river further south: shallow for the most part, wide but swift. The banks are filled with heavy volcanic rock, making laying here nearly impossible. But I took advantage of the water and washed my hair and washed up, hoping a log cabin I spotted across the river and high in the hills would not have a gawking home owner inside. In the moment here, it was just me, the two dogs and the rushing sounds of the river. I was in heaven and would have been happy ending my day here, but I knew I'd get hungry later and I had little food in the van (to discourage any bears breaking into the vehicle).

Minnie enjoyed fetching sticks and floating with the current, but I made sure I never threw the sticks so far into the rushing water that she would be carried away. A tour boat (!!!) unexpectedly roared by with a group of tourists who waved at me, then as the boat passed me, engulfed the dogs in a high wave that drenched both dogs.

I had now spent the morning and mid afternoon in the Siskouye national forest. It was a nice (albeit scary at times) introduction to this part of Oregon. I've marked it as an area I'd want to come back and explore more, especially around Brookings and the area where a Japanese bomb had landed during WWII and killed a picnicking mother and her children. I even considered getting off US101 here and driving 60 miles through the forest to explore Grant's Pass and Medford, but decided to stick to my original plan. Grant's Pass will have to wait until my next road trip.

I continued north on US101 which now hugged the coast line. Traffic was steady, with lots of RVs moving in both directions. Redwoods were now replaced with even taller Sitka spruce trees. Town after small fishing town passed me by and not once did I feel like I was in a tourist trap. The towns were nicely laid out, with plenty of family diners (and a few casinos). I had no plans for the night but did make it to Coos Bay, a quaint inlet dotted with trees and a small marina. I got caught in a short but instense downpour as I got to the inlet, photographed a scene and then headed back into town.

I liked Coos Bay. Nestled on a hill surrounded by water, this place had character! US101 enters the town from a neighborhood called Bunker Hill, as the highway descends into town as it hugs the western shore of the inlet and commercial businesses reappear. I gassed up, or better yet, had a hulky loggerman-looking young man gas up my van since Oregon is now the only state that forbids gassing up one's own car. The price now was $2.54 with an additional ten cents more per gallon for using my credit card.

I wanted to stay in Coos Bay for the night, find a brew pub and relax. I never did locate a brew pub (7 Devils Brewing Company) but I did find a cozy beer bar, Walt's Pourhouse, that was just as nice for my needs. It had ample parking and was off a side street, one block west of US101. The dogs were resting in the van, there was a cool ocean breeze, and the day was ending. Walt's Pourhouse looked like a biker bar, and perhaps it can be, but when I walked inside I was accosted with dark wooden walls, wooden tables, and a loud, boisterous crowd that looked more like casino gowers than bikers. I sat at the bar, ordered a large burger and fries, and tried two local beers. Both the food and beer were excellent. The crowd never waned, another indication that this was a popular place.

When I pulled away from the parking lot, though, I drove right into the back left side of my van, denting the fender. ARGH! I will never be able to drive a vehicle without dented fenders! The light pole was in my blind spot, and I didn't bother to look at the rear camera when I pulled out. Now my van has a memory from this town.

I couldn't find an RV site nearby and drove up to the next town, Reedsport, where after cruising the main road a few times, opted to park right outside an RV park, in a autoshop parking lot. All was quiet here, I was near trees, and I would be up and gone before the business would open. Even the RV park was quiet.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16699185/ns/us_news-life/t/family-lost-oregon-tried-avoid-snow/



More later

Day 7: Southeastern Oregon coastline

It was a quiet night in the RV lot yet I still was up early. It was 53F and my feet were cold! I quickly got the dogs ready and we resumed our northbound drive along the coast. By 6:30am I had entered Oregon. Redwoods lined both sides of the highway, keeping the sun out and the fog in. This is how I remember sun rises in Monterey years ago.

There are many coastal access trails from Highway 101 down to the coast. I took one such trail. It was just past 7am and no one was around. The sun was trying hard to shine through. The dogs were loving the coolness of this fern-lined trail. We did 35 minutes and 1.4 miles. I never did find a trail leading to the beach, but the day was young and there was so much to explore.

My goal for the morning was to get to Gold Coast early enough to enjoy the town. Kevin said he heard it was worth seeing. The town is spread out along the shore with an inlet on the south and north end of town. An 1850s whaling ship lies moss-covered near the Patterson bridge. Mail boats are docked in the harbor. The volunteers at the visitors center were very helpful and recommended I see the state's oldest myrtle tree nearby: the trail is only a quarter-mile long and ten miles away. I figured why not?



More later

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Day 6: Avenue of Giants, redwoods, Eel River to Smith River near the Oregon border

It was a quiet, peaceful night. No winds shook the van and the dogs didn't bark. I was up by 6:30am to look around. Fog kept the sun from poking through all morning. It wasn't until I was out of the van that I realized that I was parked across from several tree-shrouded homes and along a river (The South Fork of the Eel River) and wanted to take the dogs down to the water. But how could I do that legally without trespassing on private property? There were no obvious trails to the river, nor trail heads.

It was very quiet in the town of Phillipsville, the southern terminus of the Avenue of Giants on CA 254, a parallel road to Highway 101 with lots of carved redwood statues and groves off the road where one can park and walk around. This was the most northern part I have been to in California up to today. I had run the Avenue of the Giants Marathon back in 1999 in the nearby state park, but I didn't recognize anything. I only remember the tall, dense trees and the deep shade of the trees.

Dogs are not allowed on any of the trails into the redwoods east of the river, but they are allowed on trails that lead to the river. I found one such pull-off, and even though signs said the trails open at 8am, I started off at 7:20am to give the dogs an early start.

Once again I walked past a man in a sleeping bag behind a redwood, tenting in a small depression hidden by a berm and shrubs. A motorbike was parked nearby. I only saw him because his unleashed pitbull barked at my dogs, and to quickly divert any potential aggression, lured the dogs quickly to the river. The short trail was well-trodden. The river wasn't very high, but there were large rocks all along the shore, and clay rocks that looked like rocks but which crumbled to the touch. The river was wide but shallow, with some swift currents. This was a playground for the dogs. I let them play, threw sticks for them, and wandered along the river. I was on the Redwood Highway, with busy US101 on the other side. The trees as as dense as they are tall, letting very little light in and coming right up to the highway. One has to pay attention here. How many fatal accidents have happened on this narrow, twisting road?

Once the dogs had their fun, I resumed my drive north on the Redwood Highway. The speed limit here is a comfortable 45 mph, fast enough to gain mileage, but not too fast to be able to stop and look around. The small fishing town of Weotts was my next stop, a village that was ravaged in December 1964 when a winter storm brought a killer flood through the area. The high water mark is posted on a power pole: at a height much taller than my van. There isn't much evidence at this historical marker of any semblance of town,as everything was wiped away and survivors moved uphill. Brittle remnants of asphalt run into the overgrown shrubs, but that is all. Dead ends are common on back roads. There was no other sign of Weott life.

The redwood highway ends at Myer's Flat, where I decided to take another break and have my morning cappuccino. There's not much in this town but a lodge, a convenience store, a post office and a coffee shop called the Daily Grind, advertising the best organic coffee in California. The place looked inviting, with a bench outside (from which to watch the dogs in the van) and chat with the few locals. The coffee shop was guarded by a mellow border collie who roamed freely inside and out. The inside was decorated with old wood furniture and cute sayings on wooden frames about the virtues of coffee.

I sat outside to make sure Sadie wouldn't get loose. I must have accidentally opened the van door as she came toward the coffee shop, getting the guard dog quite upset. Next to my van was a pallet full of bags of ice which a young man was slowly bringing inside the store next door. He saw my dog mask in the passenger head rest, thought it was a real dog but then quickly realized it was a mask, "But then it started barking at me!" he laughingly told me. That mask has already been a conversation piece.

Myer's Flat was a nice break. I got to see a few locals that looked like they were loggers, scruffy men in dark, stained clothing and long, thick beards. Young and old men here wear beards. People came and went inside the Daily Grind to chat with the young woman, who at one point left her store unattended to walk into the store. There aren't too many other jobs in this part of Humboldt County, so far away from larger towns and cities. The pace here seems so mellow.

I continued my drive north on US101, passing more small towns, more redwoods. Humboldt Bay and Eureka were now only 40 miles away, new terrain for me. I stopped in both areas. Humboldt Bay, the southern part of Eureka, looked like an algae-infested, dried-up marsh. Tide was low and the mucky shore was visible. Old boats needing dire repairs were docked nearby, stray cats sauntered around the small coastal wooden houses, and I felt like everyone was watching me. I stopped at the McDonald's in town for lunch, some soda refills, and some journal blogging; I spent more time there than I should but was never told to leave.

Traffic was getting more congested as I enter my first big town in northern California. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Eureka in the end also looked abandoned, rusty and wet. While the historic downtown had some flair, with its murals and wooden lampposts, I found no where where I could park and just walk around, so I drove on. US101 is now along the coast, with shallow dunes off Samoa beach which I wanted to explore. It was the only area where dogs were allowed, as a few small islands outside of Eureka, like Woodley island and the marina, are off limits to dogs because of the wildlife sanctuaries. I turned toward the ocean on CA255 and the peninsula. This was a nice decision because again I had some distance for the dogs to explore.

The peninsula and Samoa Beach are a natural barrier to the ocean. Navy Base Road travels a north-south direction, with a large lumber processing yard nearby. I pulled into one beach and got lucky, as only a few other people were there, including a fishing family and a girl looking for Sea dollars. There were quite a few intact ones here, but many more lay around, the beginning of new white particles to fill in the sand.

The fog had finally lifted now, but there wasn't much to see off the ocean. Just the endless waves, with blue skies meeting dark blue ocean. The dogs enjoyed the romp, but this time I made sure they stayed away from the ocean. Their sea salt adventure from last year in San Diego taught them well!

The coastline became more scenic north of Eureka. I was now leaving the fishing-lumber town and entering a more upscale residential area that even I was impressed with: the shoreline off Trinidad, with its rugged rocky coastline very common also along the Oregon coast. Flat, Carnal and Cap Rock sit out in the ocean. The hardest thing for me was finding a place to park, as the scenic drive is flanked by private property.

The highway was now getting congested with tourist traffic. The Redwoods National Park is north of here, but I was so busy watching traffic, watching for elk that graze right off the highway, that I completely missed the entrance to the national park. That was no big deal for me since dogs are not welcome in our national parks, but to completely miss the sign for it also surprised me. I would have only been allowed to drive around the park with the dogs in the van, something I'd been doing all day anyway. No big loss.

I was now losing day light and needed a place to camp. I didn't see any practical campgrounds, and I had also driven past a Jedediah State Park campground as well, which was off the highway and on a county road I didn't want to drive on. I wanted to make Crescent City my stop for the night, but the town seemed also forelorn and uninviting, but driving in the dark is not something I do on road trips because you can't see anything! My only option now was a KOA campsite north of town. It was 10pm.

Sadie whined because she needed to get out to pee, and I let both dogs pee on the grass in front of the registration office. But as soon as I let the dogs out, Minnie barked at a woman coming around the corner, and she wouldn't stop. Then the campsite owner came right up to me, angry at me for letting the dogs off leash, and told me sternly "Put the dogs in the car right now!" He was tall with white hair and meant business. I wanted to just leave at this point, knowing I wasn't welcome with a barking dog, but the man wanted to engage me. "Imagine if a five-year-old child had walked here," (rather than an adult woman) and is frightened by that dog?" he reprimanded me. I knew I was wrong for not leashing the dogs first before letting them out, but I also wasn't expecting a busy campsite at 10pm. There were three tent sites still available (at $32!) but I drove off instead. I didn't want to give the man my business and then feel unwelcome on top of that. Despondent, I was also upset with Minnie and her barking. I wasn't expecting her to be so aggressive toward others on this trip.

I eventually found a quiet spot behind the Lucky 7 casino in Smith River, a small community just a few miles from the Oregon border. I parked in a dark corner, marked by an overhead lamp post that emitted strong enough light to read by, but I was too tired to read. It had been a long, arduous day and the aggressive tone of the KOA owner bothered me well into my sleep. I had driven just under 200 miles, a perfect distance for a road trip, with several nice walks along the ocean and Eel river








More later

Monday, June 6, 2016

Road trip 2016: Days 1 and 2; Fairfield/Vacaville California

I didn't leave the house until 8pm on June 4th. I only took Sadie and Minnie, leaving Zeke behind simply because while he's great onleash and with other dogs, he does chase wildlife and I don't want him chasing bears in the wilderness. Maybe in a few years he will calm down and heel for me 100% of the time.

It had reached 100F in Hereford during the day, and even at night the drive through Tucson and then Phoenix on I-10 was hot. Traffic was good and I drove until I felt tired, right outside Buckeye on the west side of Phoenix. I pulled into a vast and well-lighted parking lot to a Holiday Inn Express and rested for four hours, getting up again at 4am when the temperatures had cooled down (!) to 88F. Minnie never stopped panting and looked uncomfortable.

I hate driving in the desert in the summer. I-10 through Arizona and eastern California can get very uncomfortable! The van just doesn't get cool enough when it's 100F outside and the AC is set to high. Minnie never stopped panting and my goal was to drive as far north toward Travis AFB, where Eric is now stationed. All the hillsides were dry and a light brown. Even the cows grazing on the hills off I-5 didn't look happy. "Happy Cows," going on an old ad slodan for California cheeses, "are California cows" but happy cows also prefer to munch on green grass and not dead grass.

There were also lots of signs about water use for agriculture, in light of Governor Brown's water rationing in this year's drought. Agriculture is California's #1 money maker and farmers need water, but apparently citizens who have their water rationed are complaining. Meanwhile, Trumps says California does not have a drought, but I see the dead grass everywhere. Normally the months of September and October are the dead grass months but now it's even earlier.

The interstate is very scenic once one gets past Desert Center, CA. The burned palm trees that once lined the edge of town have now all been topped clear and are mere stumps now. I stopped at Chiraco Summit, east of Indio, to walk around the outside of the General PAtton Desert Museum, where Patton trained US troops during the early start of WWII to get ready for our landing in North Africa in 1943. Old era tanks lay outside, there's a statue of Patton and his terrier dog up front (the dog has anatomically-correct testicles and an anus!) and much to my surprise, there's a free dry campground behind this museum; first-come, first served. I'll be using that site in future drives to CA as the site is 425 miles from Hereford and a nice way to break up the 1000-mile drive. I took the dogs out on a short romp in the desert to pee before resuming the hot drive west on I-10 and then north on I-5. The hills around us looked parched.

Temperatures never got cool. I could have taken the coastal route 101 but that is known to jam up on weekends. I kept the van cool like an ice truck, stopped at most rest areas to let the dogs pee, but even then we'd get slammed with that heat radiating off the asphalt and burning the dogs' paws. We made it to the Travis AFB area just shortly after 6pm, later than I had planned. After having to pull over to search for my wallet which had fallen behind some "stuff" in the van, (I had to take my wallet out to pay a $5 bridge fee crossing the Sacramento River while following the backroads route my GPS gave me off I-5)I was ready to enter the air base and meet Eric at the BX parking lot. (There's a Starbucks next to the BX main entrance with free wifi).

Minnie was excited to see Eric again. After a decent burger meal in town at the Monsoon burger place, we played fetch with the dogs in an empty lot before I dropped him back off at his new blue Honda Civic and departing for the night.

Strangely right after sun set, the winds set in and it got cool. I walked the dogs a bit near the RV park off the main gate entrance, but only walked half a mile. It was in the 60s and too cold for me, after several days of high 90s. I'm a wimp! I'll resume my standard four-mile walks once we get to the coast and start hiking for real. These next few days I'm just going to chill here in the area and enjoy Califorrnia. The state primary is tomorrow and it's going to be a close race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Thompson saddle hike (3.1m)

I had been wanting to lead this hike with the meetup group and finally did so! Weather was predicted to be in the low 80s with some cloud cover, just what one needs ascending an exposed northwestern slope. I posted the hike only 24 hours before hosting it and Bille, Jay and Holly signed up. They are all known fast hikers. In fact, today I held up the rear. I took all three hiking dogs with me: Sadie, Minnie and Zeke. Since this trail is a well-known smuggling route, I brought all three of them for protection. It's the first time in over a year that I brought all three dogs on a group hike.
We met in Hunter Canyon's parking lot and car pooled the four miles to the trail head, since the parking area safely only holds three cars and USBP like to park here. We started at 5:46pm and quickly hit the sunshine before reaching the mile mark at 26 minutes. I really felt slower than 26 minutes, and the other three were all ahead of me. Even here the small oak trees are turning yellow from lack of water.
Sadie and Minnie were up front with the others but Zeke stayed by my side the entire time. None of the others had been up this trail, and it was a pleasure to show them the views. We meandered up the steep grade (an elevation gain of 1100' in 1.55 miles) and while Bill and I rested at the saddle, Jay and Holly explored the trail a bit farther uphill. Here's where I gave the dogs their waterbreak. Minnie was panting the entire time and hogged most of the water, but this time I brought extra knowing she'd claim it all.
The sun was ready to sink behind Miller Peak when we arrived at the saddle, but low-lying clouds concealed the sun sooner, making this potentially hot ascent much cooler. We all appreciated that! By Thursday we'll be in a heavy heat wave, with highs on Saturday to reach 97F!!!

We saw black smoke coming from a small fire in Sonora.

We were on the saddle for about 15 minutes and then descended. We were back at the cars in 1:27 hours, just before dusk and everyone agreed this was a steep but scenic hike. I really need to do this hike more often as I should not be struggling uphill, not with all the hiking I've been doing lately. Bill said he wants to do this quick hike more often, and I agree.