June 17, 2011 Friday Klamath, CA<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 7 AM & I\u2019m sitting in the clubhouse of the CG, looking out at the Klamath River.\u00a0 There\u2019s a heavy blanket of fog wetting the world; it has warmed up to 48 degrees.\u00a0 I have a hot cup of coffee, compliments of my Jet Boil.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I slept in the tent & tested the temperature range of my down sleeping bag; after I put on almost everything I brought with me, including a hat, I slept well.\u00a0 Around 5:30 I heard four hooves run by; not a frightening sound, more like \u2013 wow!\u00a0 What was that?\u00a0 But I can\u2019t see out of my tent so I\u2019m left to guessing \u2013 it wasn\u2019t huge-sounding, so it was likely a deer rather than an elk.<\/p>\n
And back to where I left off \u2013 after my day with the Shriners, I spent Tuesday night with Helen, the soon-to-be-90 year mother of a close friend.\u00a0 Helen lives in the independent section of a facility that provides a wide range of services to the elderly. It was a fascinating juxtaposition \u2013 the elderly clinging tenaciously to life, as do the children at the Shriners Hospital.\u00a0\u00a0 With the old, it\u2019s easy to trace the choices of attitude they\u2019ve made in response to the cards dealt to them by life.\u00a0 The young, though perhaps guarded, remain playful and hopeful.\u00a0\u00a0 It was shortly after 8 pm when I realized I\u2019d left something on the bike.\u00a0 I went down, retrieved the item, and found the doors had locked me out.\u00a0 No one was in sight.\u00a0 I had my cell phone but not Helen\u2019s number.\u00a0 I called her daughter in Tennessee for help, and as we talked the doors flew open.\u00a0 There sat Helen on her electric scooter, grinning like a little kid, \u201cI figured you couldn\u2019t get back in, so I came down.\u00a0 I used this thing, rather than my walker, so I could get here quick.\u201d<\/p>\n
I left Helen\u2019s early on Wednesday and headed east on Hwy 50 to Lake Tahoe \u2013 a beautiful place I visited 15 years ago.\u00a0 The traffic was heavy, and most of the roads were under major construction.\u00a0 In spite of man\u2019s efforts to the contrary, Lake Tahoe itself is beautiful.\u00a0 From the lake I headed north on Hwy 89\/70, aiming at Lassen Volcanic National Park.\u00a0 The road construction intensified and I spent a lot of time waiting for a \u201cfollow me\u201d truck.\u00a0 I rode miles \u2013 literally \u2013 at 3 \u2013 5 MPH, in what bikers call a slow race.\u00a0 At one point, when I was tempted to whine about all the foot-dragging, I looked up and saw a mature bald eagle, looping above the trees.\u00a0 The roads varied \u2013 twisties (30 MPH at most), & sweepers, with much change in altitude, as they followed fast moving rivers and climbed mountains.\u00a0 The mountain sides were decorated with orange poppies, fir, and lilac.\u00a0 Later the roads improved \u2013 new construction, so fresh asphalt with some scatterings of gravel, no shoulders or side markers, and no center line but those L shaped yellow markers.\u00a0 I was having fun, very focused on the riding.\u00a0 Each time I saw a warning about deer, I perked up even more.\u00a0\u00a0 And I was getting tired, for though fun, this wasn\u2019t as easy as Interstate travel. I began to wonder why it was taking so long; quick glances at my GPS said she was still happy with my route, calling it Hwy 70.\u00a0 That was OK because the road was 89\/70. When I realized I was going SOUTH I knew something was wrong.\u00a0 I pulled off of Hwy 70, with the GPS still goading me onward \u2013 and I was in Oroville, CA, only 68 miles north of Sacramento, but 302 miles on my bike and butt.\u00a0 Good thing I\u2019m not on a tight schedule!!!\u00a0 After fussing myself, I stopped for the night at a campground with lots of mosquitoes.\u00a0 Thursday morning, I enjoyed a huge breakfast and carefully headed north.\u00a0 I stopped in Redding and bought myself a tank bag that holds a MAP.\u00a0 I\u2019ve always used one, but the gas tank on the Wing is made out of Tupperware, so the good, magnetic ones won\u2019t adhere.\u00a0 In the parking lot of the bike shop, I read the instructions that said simply, \u201cremove the seat.\u201d\u00a0 Oh no.\u00a0 So I stuffed the new \u201csolution\u201d to my being directionally challenged under a bungee cord and rode west on Hwy 299.\u00a0 Hwy 299 follows the Trinity River and is magnificent.\u00a0 There are many quaint villages and much unencumbered nature.\u00a0 The poppies were yellow and orange; the river was often raging; the lilac was everywhere.\u00a0 I stooped for a late lunch (fish tacos) and watched a biker peel over a multitude of layers, including a fleece pull over and leather jacket.\u00a0 I wondered why, for it wasn\u2019t that cold.\u00a0 When I topped the last hill to face the Pacific, I quickly understood why all the clothes.\u00a0 I was freezing!\u00a0 But there it was \u2013 the Pacific crashing in, the heavy mist, building-sized boulders standing in the surf.\u00a0 I am so grateful to be able to experience the diversity of our country!!<\/p>\n
I rode north on Hwy 101 up through a section of the Redwood National Park.\u00a0 Unlike the Sequoia NP, the people-energy of this park is gentle and quiet.\u00a0 It is much easier to enjoy the magnificence of the gentle giants \u2013 the roads are good and sparsely traveled, you can stop at many places and be alone.\u00a0 And the answer is \u2013 Redwoods & Sequoias are part of the same sub-family; the Redwoods are taller and the Sequoias larger around.\u00a0 Incredibly, the Redwoods can grow a burl, something like an enormous wart or lump at the base.\u00a0 The burl just sits there, until the mature tree begins to die.\u00a0 Then the chemical brakes are released, and the burl begins to grow into a tree, using the life and roots of its dying clone.<\/p>\n
I stopped Thursday night at a private campground on the Klamath River (it costs $35 to throw a tent on the ground in the Redwood NP!!!).\u00a0 After setting up the tent, I decided to \u201cremove the seat\u201d from my bike.\u00a0 Of course, nothing in my owner\u2019s manual tells me how to do this small task.\u00a0 After much time, I got out a Goldwing owners directory and called Roy in Redding, or somewhere.\u00a0 He talked me though it \u2013 remove both handles and the backrest for starters.\u00a0 After much longer than you could believe, I got the seat off, the tank bag installed, and the seat with back rest back where they belong \u2013 with no pieces left over.\u00a0 It may have been easier to remove both tires & the engine.<\/p>\n
This is good space for me.\u00a0 I used my jet boil for the 1st<\/sup> time this morning & sit with a cup of coffee.\u00a0 My air card and cell phone don\u2019t work here, so I\u2019ll send this out later.<\/p>\n I have pictures to upload & will let you know when I get that done.\u00a0 I\u2019m surprised at how busy I stay \u2013 how much time it takes me each day to load up, ride, unpack, write, talk to people about the ride, etc.\u00a0 Throw in several hours being lost, or reassembling my bike, & soon the day is over \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" June 17, 2011 Friday Klamath, CA It\u2019s 7 AM & I\u2019m sitting in the clubhouse of the CG, looking out at the Klamath River.\u00a0 There\u2019s a heavy blanket of fog wetting the world; it has warmed up to 48 degrees.\u00a0 … Continue reading