Following the Sun

We have spent a lovely week touring up and down the California coast from Big Sur south and now find ourselves at our most southerly destination, Santa Barbara. While we have been here less than a day, really only long enough to clean ourselves up and look at bike gear, I'm beginning to think that the climate here is what I've been looking for my whole life. I'm guessing that due to an aberration in the coastal ocean currents and the terrain that shelters the area from the more intense interior influences, the climate stays relatively unchanged in this area year round. Long sunny days and moderate temperatures that range between 18-26C make this a place worth knowing. I haven't looked into the reasons for this micro climate...yet! Will have a better idea after the next 3 days. If all one needs to concern themselves with is the occasional earthquake, then it might be worth it to enjoy a winter or three here.

The coast line north of here exhibits some rare beauty. As we puttered along Pacific Highway 1 we were treated to fog sliding in and then retreating to just off shore. There were times when we would crest a high bluff and magically find the warm sun before again descending back into the grey mists. It was a great day which ended at a cool, foggy campsite on Pismo Beach where we were able to walk the hard, flat beach for miles:)

- Laura -
Sadly, Laura passed on this week...may her family and friends find peace from memories of their shared experiences.

It Takes About A Week

Have you ever noticed how it takes about a week to put all the pre-trip preparations, domestic ministrations, sleep deprivation and work stress behind you once you leave on a trip? It may happen sooner for some and I know it typically happens much quicker when we climb on an airplane and just leave…such a final departure that way. This trip, probably because it’s not so far away…but took far longer to get here, has taken me about a week to get into travel mode. Certainly there have been flashes of that blissful state along the way, but I can’t say that it has really happened until today. We are camped at Big Sur and its all we had expected. Our “home” is in a grove of giant red woods, its good biking territory and the hiking is very pleasant.

We spent the day walking a long, windy beach just north of home. There were few other wanderers on the beach, and a quick nod of the head was all the acknowledgement expected or given. Everyone was lost in their own experience as the wind howled in off the Pacific and the waves spun their rooster tails as they curled into shore. We sat for a time in the lee of a lump of grey, purple rock (I could tell you what it was, but you don’t need to know) and watched the waves abruptly stopped as they pounded into the sea stacks and rocky remnants. It was a one of those “good to be here and alive moments”.

I’m thinking that it took a good week to ‘arrive’ this trip because we ended up driving a bit more than expected since leaving Lassen Volcanoes. For some strange reason Yosemite didn’t work out this trip, and actually we never saw the sacred valley. We just couldn’t get past the 40 degree slope of our camp site! There were no other sites available and it looked like thunder storms were very possible…did I say anything about the ground in our campsite appearing to have been the recipient of prior extreme flood events? So we looked at each other and referencing that tried and true travel motto, “if it doesn’t feel right, then leave”, we departed. We did this as the sun set and drove that long and tortuous road in a 8,000’ decent into the very hot valley below where we found a reasonably cheap hotel for the night. We will travel back to Yosemite another time, likely in spring when there is water actually going over the falls and we can get a better place to camp. By the way, it was the right decision as it rained up there and we saved ourselves a very bad night or two!

All was not lost after Yosemite as we had some fun driving here and there (see prior post). We also spent a long, rewarding day working our way south along the Salinas Valley (more Steinbeck) and then deviating north along back roads to Pinnacles National Monument, before again turning south and driving a one lane road (and I do mean one lane!) for about 60 very long, hot kilometers along the Indian Valley Road to San Miguel…now that was fun!! The terrain was in a word…baked! However, there was beauty in abundance if you like that sort of thing. The area reminded us of south western Alberta along the foothills.

Anyway, we will hang out at Big Sur for the next 3-4 days before once again driving the beautiful coast road back south and onwards to Santa Barbara to see Erin. This time we will be on the seaward side and can stop to take in the views!! Ok…now back to enjoying ourselves…a cold bottle of pinot gris waiting in the cooler after I post this:)

Its Safer in the Car

We continue to drive and camp and drive. And then when we can't stand it any more we check into a hotel...get showers, a good meal out and sleep in a real bed. Tonight is one of those nights....a hotel night that is, in San Luis Obispo about 90 miles north of Santa Barbara. We finished two days of camping high in the coastal range an hour south of Carmel/Monteray and Clint Eastwood's ranch. It was a beautiful, if rustic camp site operated by a nice couple from somewhere out of the 60's. We had an opportunity to talk with these folks as we were pretty much the only people there on Thursday night...oh, except for about a million flies and numerous camp gophers who lounged around everywhere. As we set up camp the flies did their best to torment us to the point where we sat with an insect coil in one hand and a cold beer in the other trying to out-survive these preditors! By 7:15 the sun was well on the way down and the flies were off to bed...finally!! So we made dinner in the dark and sat around the camp fire without a fire (too hot) and drank a very nice bottle of cold white wine...yumm!

Of course there was no way we could spend our planned down-day at the camp site, so by 7 am we were up and on our way to Monteray and Carmel where it was much cooler. We walked as much as we could and enjoyed everything Steinbeck (one of my favorite writers). Cannery Row is no longer what it once was as presented by Steinbeck...however that's happened in many places in the world. At least when I re-read his book this winter I'll have a general image in my mind's eye outside the present use of the wharves. The huge sea lions were pretty impressive as were the sea otters in the harbour.

In Carmel we walked the streets and also along the white sand beach below Pebble Beach Golf Club. Honestly, it wasn't much different than walking in Oak Bay, Victoria...all the same elements. The same except they charge you a handfully of money to drive the 17 mile coast road through the golf courses. While many happily paid, we thought this was pretty dumb and went and enjoyed a hot drink with a cookie in a bakery dating back to the early 1900's!

A long drive back through the old Carmel Road which is often one lane through the remote hills south of Carmel took us home. A very neat drive with few cars along the way. When we arrived back at camp we found it almost full (Friday night)...and the flies were having a great time tormenting the new arrivals. Being now experienced in these matters, we hid in our car for 45 minutes until the sun went down and the flies wandered off to bed! Our evening was again spent much like the night before, looking at the amazing stars and this time watching an equally amazing light show from a dry lightning storm to the south. However...a different bottle of wine:)

Earthquake!!

…at least on my side of the tent. I woke this morning to the ground shaking, but Annemarie swears she didn’t feel it. So what’s the truth? We are camped on a volcano that last erupted less than 100 years ago so I think it was an earthquake…but I’m still not sure??

Today was a lovely day. We woke early and drove down to the shower rooms…yes, we drove…it was only 5C!! It did however get up to 24C today and was much warmer on the volcano as we took a good long hike to see King’s Creek Falls and then onwards for a lunch break at Sifford Lake further up the volcanic slopes.

It was a typical mountain tarn, however this one was really a small caldera. We had the small lake to ourselves and it was probably the high-lite of the day. We both found our hiking legs today and are becoming more adjusted to the elevation. We hiked at 7,200’+ range for about 4 hours and managed to cover about 12ks including water stops and shade stops on the steep parts. We both enjoyed the experience and the views were excellent. Needless to say, the photography was pretty easy. The break from our usual lives is good for the soul and tells us that we need to spend more time doing this type of thing. Of course there is really only one way to do this…

Tomorrow we will be on the road for much of the day as we head south to Yosemite for a couple of nights. Our helpful neighborhood tent types advise that we will need more time there to hike once we have seen the overly crowded central valley. We are considering this advice and may take a day trip over the Sierras to see Mono Lake and stay in Yosemite for a couple of extra days before moving across to the coast. The weather on the Nevada side of the range is not very warm and we really only want to camp in cold weather if there is no other choice. In the case of June Lakes there is another choice…don’t go there this trip! Will see where we end up.

Its time to feed and test another wine, then will pack-up as much of the gear as possible tonight so we can make a quick exit in the morning. We really like travel days because we stop for breakfast somewhere along the way!

Another Volcano…Yawn!

Well…after a few hours of driving we find ourselves at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Yes, there are indeed volcanoes here…lots of them!

One finds all four types of volcanoes here, one of the few places in the world where this occurs. Think about it. In Hawaii, you have shield cones, ash cones and composite cones, but not usually all in one place (usually the first two). In Italy you find just composite and ash cones. In New Zealand you have plug cones, composite and ash cones. You get the point…here they have provided all four types for viewing enjoyment. So really one could travel less and just come here if all they wanted to see were the four volcanic types! Actually this one is still active and right under our campsite…no wonder there are so few people here (we have wondered about this). Of course it could be the cold nights. We have been enjoying this cool little radio that Kathy and Bob gave us to take on our trip…it has a temperature gage which keeps us happily entertained as we huddle around the fire…watching the temperature drop…60…55…49…45…then its time to go to bed! Thankfully I figured that as we are camping in the south Cascade Range at about 5,000’ it was going to be cold at night! So put in the down bags. The cool air flows down off the 8,500’ volcano that sits just behind us…the snow is only a few hundred feet above us…so of course that cold dense air has no choice…gravity takes over and it flows downhill at night…in a rush I might add!! I brought a touque…Annemarie didn’t and by her own admission, she’s under prepared. She thought we were going to the California that was much warmer! The good news is that the wine stays cold without the cooler! The better news is that the temp gets up to 24C during the day…it was 100F in Redding today…1 hour away, just down the hill. The news gets better. We go from here to the high Sierras to camp in Yosemite. I’m sure it will be warmer there, but that camp-site is at 7,500' (I haven't told Annemarie yet). It is further south...

We drove across the park and went on a couple of brilliant hikes today. The first was a very volcanic, scenic hike with an amusing name, ‘Bumpass Hell’! It was a pretty cool place (in a manner of speaking)with steam vents, bubbling mud holes and a lovely sulfur aroma wafting across the valley. Actually pretty amazing site as it’s home to the largest steam vents in the world…I found this hard to believe, I guess its true cause they tell you it is. Named after a poor Dane who was walking across the site and fell through the thin crust. One leg was cooked off before he could be pulled to safety by his mates. The 165C water and lava are just below the surface so they have built a walk way across the most dangerous parts and advertize that people get injured each year…they also advertize bears and provide food lockers, but I’ve seen no bear sign yet.

Time for dinner…tuna steaks and salad with cheap California wine. After a cold night, we plan to take a couple of hikes tomorrow then find the showers!! Oh, one last item…they actually encourage you to take wind fall wood from anywhere in the park as Lassen is so high and the warm season so short (park didn’t open this year until the end of June) the wood doesn’t rot very quickly.

One More Week!

Finally...just one week to go until its time to get out of the office, escape the daily routine and move on to something new! This time we head south through Washington and Oregon and into California where we will spend most of the 3 weeks. We haven't booked very much and expect to camp our way through Lassen Volcanic National Park, Yosemite and over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Mono Lake and the June Lakes area on the Nevada border. From there we hope to traverse westward to the Pacific coast at Monterrey to see the aquarium and then camp at Big Sur before wandering down the coast highway to visit our daughter at Santa Barbara. Will finish the trip by working our way north through John Steinbeck country (have read all his books...now I get to visit!) and into the Sonoma Valley for some cycling and wine tasting. Yes, we are going to take our bikes with us. I understand that there is good riding at Yosemite, June Lakes, Santa Barbara and around the Sonoma Valley. We need to put in a few more miles this year to work towards our cycling goals for the season. June and early July were not the best for riding this year where we live, so hope to spend a number of days enjoying the scenery while hanging onto our handlebars! A great way to enjoy the last of summer as we transition towards fall.