I have so much to tell you guys, Im not really sure where to start! Okay... Lets start from the beginning! Almost 2 weeks ago now, on the 14th, I flew into Reno. It was a VERY early flight with a connection in Houston TX. I wont bore you with flight details, other than, all in all, it was a fine flight, and I had the great pleasure of using the bathroom in the great nation of Texas.
When I landed in Reno, I was greeted by Heathers smile and COLD weather. It was so strange to me to take off in 70 degree weather, fly into 80+ in Houston and land in the high desert, in the 40's. After getting my bags, Heather took me on a quickie tour of Reno then to Michaels Deli in Reno for a sandwich and chips, then off to the the house she was house sitting. It was a good day until I started to feel a bit sick. My stomach was upset for about 24 hours or so, then all was well. Not sure why I wasn't feeling well... probably airport and airplane germs...
Over the course of the couple days after I landed, we planned and prepared for a tip to the coast. The plan was to head west to the Kings Range Nation Conservatory Area, and hike the Black Sands of the Lost Coast Trail, then head north and back home... over the course of about a week. Easy Enough! The Kings Range area requires Bear Cannisters for backcountry backpacking so, we headed to REI, rented a cannister and hit the road the following morning! Heres some photos from our prep and our drive!
Prepping Food
The Bear Vault Bear Cannister... all in all, pretty tough, Hard to open and WAY to heavy.
anyone who says you cant backpack under 20 lbs... here you go... GO CUT YOUR WEIGHT NOW, THANK ME LATER!
The Sutter Buttes near Yuba City. Fammed for being the Smallest Mountain Range in the World.
Here is one of the several orchards we passed along the way west. We also passed several cranberry marshes as well as a few vineyards! I wish we could have been able to stop and sample wines!... next time for sure!
Before I proceed any further and lead to to believe this trip was all fish and chips (which it was at 1 point!.. you'll see.) I should tell you about the rain. As soon as we cleared the valley between the Sierra Nevadas and the coast, we hit some rain...okay it was A LOT of rain... and it didn't let up for a couple days. So here are some pics closer to the coast, with the beginning of clouds and rain... not to worry, it didn't slow us down one bit!
What you talking about Willits! We got shafted on gas here... dont stop at the first gas station in town... its about 10 cents more expensive there than every where else in Willits.
Famous Highways 1 and 101
Heather Standing in a Redwood
Adding my initials to the TAR in the redwood. Dont worry... I didnt cut into the woods at all... the whole entire tunnel was covered in black tar.
The Bear totem pole on Confusion Hill of 101... what an odd place... spot the tiny bear cannister!
Rain
Rain... and clouds/fog
One of the Many Bigfoot supported areas of northern Cal.
After getting off the 101 in Redway/Briceland, we headed down some pretty narrow, windy mountain roads... just the way I like them... just like WV. Here is a temporary repair done to a washed out section of road.
And finally we made it!!
Some nice folks we met at the trail head. For Heather and I, the people we meet along the way is just as fun and as important as the places we go and the things we see. I didn't get any pictures with the other to couples we met, but one couple (from Reno) Doug and Sandy where really great people and chatted with us for some time after we bumped into them on the cove as well as a nice couple from Denmark named Marianne and Erik. They are a retired couple traveling the world in there Mercedes Sprinter. SUPER COOL. They had some very cool stories for us as well as suggestions. Heres a LINK! to there website.
Marianne and Erik
After getting to Shelter Cover in the dark, we set up camp. Id also like to take a minute to add, neither of us slept well that first night. The immanent threat of bears and wet gear kept us up most of the night. Here are some of the things we woke up too, and saw over the next couple days of hiking and camping on the beach.
Clouds or Ocean?... You decide what it is.
So after a failed attempt to hike a SUPER STEEP, rainy, very cold trail without enough water and me feeling like hammered dog crap after running back to the trail head to double check the poorly marked route, we decided to just camp and enjoy the beach... in perfect time because the next day the sun was out!
Building a fire in the rain.
Maybe sun on the horizon?!
I opened the tent the next day to THIS!! SUN! (Actually, Heather may have been the one that opened it)
Drying out wet gear!
Heather Writing in here journal, while I walked around for my photo journal.
The beach was drying out too!
Because you HAVE to write in the sand on the beach! It's in the rules.
From here we packed up camp and headed to Shelter Cover for the morning, then planned to head north to Redwood. Shelter cover is a nice, small town with an airfield in the middle that planes buzzed in and out of most of the day, taking full advantage of the fine weather. Aside from being close to absolutely nothing, it would be a fine place to live. For example... we stopped at a place called Vern's in SC that is obviously, based on the prices of everything, the only place to pick up odds and ends as well as some random groceries, to ask about a map... his instructions where, "Just head back over the hill to the ranger station, just before the Post Office"... Folks... let me tell you, the next day we went "over the hill" for a map... and it was about a 30 mile round trip through the mountains. At any rate, here are some pics of the sea around Shelter Cover in NORCAL.
Pretty girl on the rocks! Watch out!
USGS Survey Marker... I LOVE finding these... if you look through some of my older photos on facebook, you'll see that I have Photo'd several of them.
Sea Lions
Baby Sea Lion
This is a Coast Guard Plaque at the Shelter Cover Lighthouse. I took this pic for my good friend Glenn Sutton, back in WV.
Tide Pool Hermit Crab
SO!!! thats not even half of the pictures! haha. After leaving shelter cover, we headed north to find The Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka.
Lost Coast Brewery (Resteraunt, the actual Brewery is up the road) This place was a funny experience and pretty cool. When Heather and I first walked in, we where blown away by how loud it was... let me add, it is no louder than any other pub... its just that when you have been in the wilderness for a few days, the sounds of people and busyness are almost all new. We shared some FISH AND CHIPS (told you I would come back to it) and had a couple local beers, bought some pint glasses and got back on the road. We stopped at a gas station up the road where I met a nice guy picking through some trash cans... all through our travels in northern California we saw dozens of homeless people and hitchhiking hippies. It was sad to see how many people where homeless and just looking for food. Humbodlt Country California was so bitter sweet. Beautiful country with such a poor people inhabiting its lands.
WE MADE IT!!! REDWOODS!!
Redwood Campgrounds entrance (the effect was intentional)
Redwood Camp
FIRE! in a Fire Ring! I Decided, any backpacking trip I go on, from now on... I will spend the last day or two in a campground. Its a great opportunity to let things air out, dry out and to relax, regroup and reflect. It was beautiful. Heather did a Great job this entire trip backpacking and living out of here backpack! I was impressed since this was her first time living this way.
Exploring
Bouldering on wood? Yes we where.
The road signs in Redwood are very entertaining.
The Massive Redwoods... I cant begin to explain how huge they are. One of the most amazing trees I have ever seen in my life.
After a bit of wondering around Redwood, we decided to find a beach... all I can say is TIGER BLOOD WINNING! We couldn't have stumbled on to a more perfect beach if we tried. This beach near Klammath California was located on a tiny Indian Reservation and went for miles in both directions without a soul in sight. We really saw maybe 3 people the entire time we where there and when we left there was just a handful of people down the beach barely visible. I would love to go back again someday and take my own family there to visit the sea.
Heather running from the sea.... it was very scary... haha. Actually the breakers where around 10-15 feet and VERY unpredictable.... and the water is COLD!!!!
This next set of pics is a series... of me almost being washed out to sea... check it out. Good work getting these pics Heather.
Here you can see me applauding the oceans attempts to take me from my well chosen perch among the rock outcroppings that skirts its edges.
Stacking Rocks for the Hippes!
Here is the Seas Crashing into the a rock... I spent several days trying to think of a way to describe the sound this almost biblical event made. The only thing I can liken it too would be, to have you imagine your self on a beach paradise, with the sun shining and the waves crashing just to hear the battle of gods in the distance as the thunderous crack of Thor's hammer strikes his enemy dead where he stands and the sounds of the impact pierce your soul like a ray of bright light that reminds you of the power of the sea and of the beauty of Gods creation.
The drive home was relatively uneventful. Heather and I just chatted and enjoyed the sites and each others company. We stopped for Mexican food in Reading and drove through the beautiful highland forests surround Mt. Shasta. It was so nice to drive in the warm sun with the windows down and with great company.
Shasta in the distance
Mexican in Reading
Speaks for itself.
Pshew! Long post eh? And thats not even all of it. Some things I have to keep for myself. A ton has happened since our trip even, so I have a lot of catching up to do! Id just like to close with this: Every day you wake up, remember that there is beauty in th world somewhere. Though you might not always be able to see it, it is there. Your life is a journey, and which ever direction you choose to travel, remember the simple truths; God loves you, creation is beautiful and the people you share your memories with will be the most important people in your life. I have to tell you, I couldn't have had a better person to travel and see all these things with than Heather,.. definitely a real blessing. I had a great time on this trip and cant wait for the next adventure to begin.
Miss you Hippies!
Levi
dig the bigfoot buddy!
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