July 1st, 2014
It was another early morning. The sun got me up as it did all throughout my trip, and I was up and out of the parking lot before civilization followed me. The streets were empty. I didn't want to stay so I drove northwest on CA267, a connector road that continued on CA89, a declared scenic drive in northern California. This is a mountainous byway through the more rural parts of the state. I had no rush today and wanted to enjoy the drive. CA89 is definitely a nice drive all along its route, with many hiking trail heads all along its distance. Most of CA89 traverses national forest land, interspersed with high meadow farms. Small towns along the way offer food and other amenities.
I stopped in Truckee, another town I had been in years before. The stores were still closed and by chance I found the trail head parking lot to the Truckee River Legacy Trail, a paved trail that follows the river. We parked behind a business at the trail head parking lot, crossed the foot bridge, and turned right (west) and stayed on this trail, passing the Truckee Regional Park. Dogs must be leashed. People were already cycling, jogging, running or walking their dogs on this trail. Sadie didn't like being on a leash but I had no option here. I wanted her to exercise and get some walking in before the drive. She relented.
I'm no fan of paved trails, but I understand the need for them, as paved trails are more accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. The Legacy trail was always in the shade and near the cascading river. I walked past the Truckee Regional Park to the terminus at the Riverview Sports Park, where there was even a disc golf course along the trail! I had never seen disc golf before, and there was even a young man throwing his disc at the first par. A Farmer's Market had various fruits for sale, but with Sadie with me, I couldn't enter the area.
We walked the Truckee River Legacy trail out and back for almost four miles. This was a very enjoyable break. The trail is being lengthened to connect with other area trails, proving Truckee residents more access to the outdoors. I am impressed with Truckee. I'm sure local taxes are high, but you get what you pay for. Truckee was worth stopping in for a bit, and I would have stayed open had the stores been open!
We then continued our scenic drive on CA89, enjoying the ascents and descents through forested stretches that meandered around stately farms. There were plenty of open camp sites along rushing creeks I could have camped at; that's a thought for next time. Terrain opened up at the small community of Sierraville, where I stopped for a bit to take in the views and then continued west on Main Street which was also CA89. There were so many lovely rural scenes here, from rusty vehicles in fields to farm machinery and roadside cafes for the travelers.
I stopped in the small lake town of Graeagle to let Sadie walk along the lakefront. She stayed close to me on a leash and dipped into the water to drink, but wanted nothing else. The Graeagle Cafe offered a strong WiFi connection which I got from the parking lot. I learned from checking my Facebook status that an old hiking friend of mine, with whom I started the John Muir Trail with back in 2010, was going to be in Old Station, CA for the day to relax and watch the US play Belgium in the World Cup. That gave me a goal to reach.
Families were canoeing in the lake at Graeagle, dogs were swimming nearby, and a small farmer's market was selling local goods. This little town was quite the happening place! I wanted to stay longer, but Sadie was restless. I am glad I listened to her,as our next stop was a lovely and unexpected stop along Lake Almanor. I needed to get out and walk again, as the heat was unbearable. Temperatures were in the low 90s!
We crossed the dam and I turned into the first road that led to the water. I saw no signs but came up to a large USFS camping area/day use area where I parked under tall pines to rest. We were now in the Lassen Natonal Forest. Camp sites were $18/day but day use was free. We had lunch here: I had a cheese tortilla and Sadie had her hotdogs. This was a busy place. After relaxing for lunch, we walked along the shore where I saw other people walking their dogs. The shore's beach was crowded with children and one loud, obnoxious barking dog. Non-motorized boats were all over the lake. We stayed away from the public, walked the pristine shoreline where I spotted a bald eagle, and when I came up to a paved section of the Lake Almanor Recreation Trail, walked that for almost two miles to where the trail starts at the Rocky Point Camp ground. This trail was away from the loud crowd, despite being along the shore. I let Sadie off leash here since we were out of site of any park rangers.
The Recreation Trail is almost ten miles long and follows along the southwestern portion of Lake Almanor. I could see Mount Lassen from a distance, although at the time I didn't realize it was Mount Lassen I was seeing through the trees. That mountain sticks out as a huge landmark from all directions here. Lake Almanor was another nice surprise. I appreciated the more quiet, serene setting here over the loud and crowded Lake Tahoe, where I could let Sadie off-leash (illegally!) for a walk at her own pace. Lake Almanor was a perfectly-timed rest area.
Our next stop was the Mount Lassen National Park. Mount Lassen was my first peak I bagged that was over 10,000 feet. I hiked it over Labor Day weekend in 2000, after a freak snow storm hit the region. It's an easy peak to bag since the starting elevation is at over 8000 feet. I bought the annual National Parks Pass for $80, which proved to be a great purchase for the rest of the road trip, as all the scenic overlooks along the Oregon beaches are fee areas. Temperatures finally cooled down here as I got up in elevation, stopping at all the scenic pull-overs and taking photos. I didn't walk across the sulphuric hot springs, though. I didn't want to leave Sadie alone in the van. My last trip here, the hot springs were covered in snow (at least the ground AROUND the hot springs were!). This time I could see the area in its natural terrain, with rocks and mosses and tall trees around. The big attractions in Lassen National Park are the hot springs, where most of the tourists go, or they hike up the short three-mile r/t hike from Bumpass Hell trail. Bumpass Hell is the largest concentration of hydrothermal features in the park. This trail was named after an early settler who severely burned a leg after falling into a boiling pool. Fewer tourist take on the challenge of hiking up Lassen Peak.
The 29-mile park road passes the 5-mile r/t trail to Lassen Peak, but I didn't stop here. The road then hits the 8512-feet highest point on a road in the Cascades region before meandering back down and exiting the park on the north end. My stay at Lassen wasn't long, but it was a pleasant stop along the way. The cooler air was definitely worth it!
Back on US89, we only had downhill for the rest of the drive. The road leveled out, passing through high farmland. Old Station, CA, the goal for tonight (with a slim chance of meeting with Darlene since we didn't make finite plans) was one stop along this rural stretch of CA89. Old Station is a roadside community of around 50, with a gas station, an RV park (the Hat Creek Resort and RV Park) , and several homes tucked away from the road. One blink and you can miss the store. I stopped here to see if by chance I saw Darlene, resting from her Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) adventure.
I did not see Darlene anywhere. The blonde cashier said there were several hikers inside earlier watching the soccer game, but that they had left not too long ago. There were two other hikers up front, but they didn't know Darlene. Now what? I knew that meeting up with Darlene without wildly changing my plans would be next to impossible, but could she be in the area? Could she have shared a cabin with a few other hikers for the night? The clouds were looking stormy by now and I did hear some thunder. I was hoping for some rain as long as I was safely inside my van and not driving.
I never did find Darlene. Sadie and I walked a short trail across the road, crossing Hat Creek, to be near the river and get some more walking in. The immediate area was heavily overgrown, but at closer look one can see the lava and ash that came roaring down this creek during the last volcanic eruption in 1915. We were just outside the PCT but never saw any signs for it off the road; the trail runs behind the resort on a forest road. Other than the two backpackers outside the store, I saw no one. It was a disappointment not to see Darlene, but also not too much of a sense of failure since communications along the PCT are very difficult. Her recent PCT photos showed that she was not alone and in good company. It still would have been nice to rent a room in the hotel and share some trail talk with her. Darlene is a world traveler who has been around a bit.
Once the store closed at 6pm I knew that there were few options left. Darlene's name was not in the hotel ledger. I saw plenty of RVers outside and no one was Darlene. I opted then to just continue on to Shasta City. Shasta City was the most farthest north I got in California back in 2000. I completed a July 4th 5km run there that year, and admired Mount Shasta from a distance. At that time I never thought I'd bag a volcano. I still haven't, although now I know I could since I have the gear. But it's not something I'd do with a dog, or alone. Snow peaks require additional gear and expertise I don't have.
I was ready to stop in Shasta City. It's 140 miles from Lassen National Park and a nice stop-over. I remembered the old downtown area, even recognized the small town square where the 5km footrace ended. The town still has a family-friendly ambiance to it, and of course Mount Shasta continues its watch over the town.
The sun was setting low now and the shops in town were closed. I had little time to find a decent place to crash for the night. I also had to eat as I hadn't eaten since lunch at Lake Almanor. I settled for Taco Bell, where a bean burrito was $1.49. The cashier was dumbfounded at my surprise, until I told her that in southern Arizona the standard price for a bean burrito is 99 cents. The cashier, an older woman perhaps my age, had spent all her life in the Mount Shasta area. I can't say that that's a terrible thing at all.
I walked Sadie around a small strip mall, where she peed in the treeline before wanting to nap again in the van. That van was her safety zone all throughout this trip. We were near the I-5 exchange and behind a big hotel, but once we settled down it was a very comfortable sleep...again!
It was another day of 300 miles, about the most I prefer to do when there are things to see and do.
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