| June 25, 2007 - Redding, CA to Redwoods National Forest |
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Ok, ok, so I had a lot to do with the gargantuan luggage since she brought my heavier gear
so I could exchang my mesh gear for her to return to the Valley of the Sun. Being able
to depart the desert on Wednesday with my mesh gear and cooling vest made a huge difference;
I can't imagine having to ride through the inferno in non-mesh gear. It would definitely
have made for a different (um, miserable!) experience.
As I was leaving SanFran and stopped at a crosswalk, I noticed this rather interesting sign on the sidewalk:
I enjoyed a spirited ride out of San Fran, across the Oakland Bay Bridge, and about 225 miles
north on I-5 to Redding, CA. My plan was to not only get out of the city before the commuter
hell commenced Monday morning but also to get through the inland agricultural area which offers
blazing daytime temperatures (though not quite as intense as the AZ blaze yet still too hot for
this snowbird!). When I pulled into the motel in Redding last night I was greeted by several
other motorcyclists who were very much enjoying their friends Jose and Jack (that'd be tequila and
whiskey). I don't know if that explains one rider's chosen method for securing his Harley or
not, but I have to say it's the first time I've seen such a sight:
While packing up my gear on the Strom this morning the maid walked by and noticed the “Alaska Bound”
sign and remarked “Oh my god, are you really going to Alaska??”. I didn't even have a chance to
reply before the late 20's woman started relating things like how she “couldn't imagine having the
courage to do such an adventure.” She continued on for several minutes, at one point becoming
almost tearful, and ended by saying “I don't even know you but you make me want to do something different
in my life.” I was completely taken back. The only words I said to her were “Thank you, best
wishes to you, ma'am” then I put on my helmet and rolled on. Hard to explain, but for some reason I
felt like it was a moment that could only be her's. When Kobi brought the “Alaska Bound!” sign to
SanFran this weekend I debated whether or not I wanted to actually put it on the bike since I'm not one
to draw attention to myself. We both experienced multiple incidences with people involving the sign,
some of which were downright hilarious, and I was encouraged to leave it on for a while. After the
interaction with the woman this morning I've decided it will stay for the remainder of the journey. If
a simple piece of plastic can change someone's life then who am I to simply remove it. One might think
that such interactions would make a person full of pride and boastful, the big headed
you-think-you're-way-better type attitude, but that couldn't be further from the case with me. I left
that parking lot with more humility than when I entered it the night before.
Heading west from Redding on Hwy 299 I quickly came across the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It's
got a lake and it's also got a National Park Passport stamp...woo-hoo! (if you have no idea what this “Stamp”
thing is about click: HERE).
Even though the lake is indeed beautiful it's hard for someone who has called Lake Tahoe home for most
of the last decade to put it in context to “a beautiful lake.” My favorite part of Whiskeytown
happens to be the road that runs through it – Hwy 299 – as it's a motorcyclists dream of tight twisties
and wonderful scenery, thanks to the paralleling Trinity River. The road travels through the
Shasta-Trinity National Forest and is a designated Scenic Byway:
Here are some photos along 299 and of the Trinity River:
I stopped and picked up something to eat then continued on until I found a peaceful place to eat. Not
a bad place to eat lunch, huh?:
While I was buying lunch I met “Tom” who, after noting my AK intentions, approached me and related several
rather wild experiences during his 15 years of living in “the bush” of AK. Most of the stories
involved Grizzly bears so I'll refrain from repeating them in the best interest of my 84 year old family
Matriarch's anxiety level! Here's Tom:
The weather was a perfect 75 degrees and about the only thing not so perfect was several areas of one-lane
“follow-me” Pilot Car road construction. I actually didn't mind the delays as I took the opportunity
to stretch my legs and meet some of the locals who were wandering around in the road as well (yeah, kinda
long delays). I told each person I talked to that I was heading to the Redwoods and hoped to see a
Roosevelt Elk, and asked if they had any suggestions about where the best place to do so might be. One
guy said “you sound like you're on a elk hunt”, which I thought was quite fitting.
Highway 299 runs into Highway 101, the road that runs along the Pacific Coast from Washington to Southern
California. It's the same road I hit the first day of this journey down by Malibu. Towns are rural
and nature dominates this NorCal version of 101 versus the heavy populated areas of the 101 in SoCal. This
was the area just before 101 off CA-299 where I did a little exploring on foot:
My GPS said there was one place to get gas when I decided it was time to refuel and this was the place...yikes:
At a rest area on US-101 there was a sign with facts about the Roosevelt Elk, which only fueled my elk
hunt energy!
About a half hour after entering US-101 I crossed the southern entrance of the Redwood National and State Parks:
I stopped at the Visitor Center and when I pulled into the parking lot the lone vehicle had a big
orange “VOLS” decal on the door and a Tennessee license plate! I pulled up and said “Howdy,
I've found my Southern people!”
Once inside the Visitor Center, I explained to the Ranger I was on a Roosevelt Elk hunt and would he
assist in directing me to where I might find the lovely creatures. “Jim” laughed and told me
about another area but that I'd need to hike in, so I put that on my list for tomorrow. He was
a wealth of information about the redwood trees:
The most interesting fact to me was the size of the cones from the world's tallest trees:
My favorite pine cone (you have a favorite don't you?) can be found on the west shore of Lake Tahoe,
CA and is called the Sugar pine cone.... it's the mother of all pine cones. It just so happened
that Ranger Jim had a Sugar Pine cone too:
More facts about the redwoods:
I left Ranger Jim and headed further north thinking about how crazy my elk hunt idea probably was....
until I looked to my right in a field just off the road:
YEE-HAW!!! An entire herd resting,
including babies!!
I have to say it's quite odd to see these big game, antlered animals on one side of the road and the
ocean on the other... it's simply an amazing sight with the elk, the trees, and the beach.
About 10 miles later as I was basking in the success of my elk hunt, I pulled off on a side road to
take a detour to one of the places the locals back on Hwy 299 had suggested as being scenic. After
rounding a corner, here's what I saw:
I couldn't believe it!! I glanced off to the right side and thought I saw a puppy in the
brush. Then I thought I saw a litter of puppies......
.... then I realized what I was seeing wasn't puppies but baby elk!! WA-HOO!!!! Just as
my brain processed what I was looking at, out popped mama cow from the brush:
I noticed a worn path in the direction she was walking so I could only assume that was where
they were headed. I got off the bike, got my camera ready, only to hear a motorcycle
engine from behind me. I motioned for the rider to slow down and pointed in the
bushes. He indeed pulled over... in fact, he pulled right in front of me!
I enjoyed the experience but could have done without that rider's self-absorption. That's
ok though, I got to see the Roosevelt Elk and their velvet racks, baby elk, and get a photo of
all of them in the field:
... and including a photo of me with the Roosevelt Elk thanks to a guy in a nearby RV:
I might add that after taking my photo the guy said: “If I were you I would have knocked that guy
off his bike for pulling in front of you.” Honestly, I was too jacked up from seeing the elk
to let someone take away that moment. Besides, maybe he was on an elk hunt too and was so
taken back by them that he temporarily lost his sense of respect.
I feel very lucky to have seen the calves since Ranger Jim told me they are born “scentless” in
mid to late May and are kept very hidden for the first month. Being this is the end of June,
the timing is perfect.
I continued on up Hwy 101 then took a slight detour on the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway:
Scenic road indeed! As a lover of trees and big game animals I was in paradise at this
point! Here on the Drury Pkwy is where I saw the redwood trees up close:
Once back on US-101 and approaching Crescent City, CA the view went from thick redwoods like this:
To this view of Crescent City...
...and riding right along the ocean once approaching the small city:
I'm camping at Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park for 2 nights. The park is the preferred
spot in the redwoods and reservations are almost a must. It's located about 6 miles from
Crescent City, CA. Here is a map of the area to better clarify these places for the geographically challenged:
I stopped in Crescent City to go into a grocery store. I noticed a man sitting in a truck and
asked him if he would mind keeping an eye on my bike while I quickly ran into the store. He
bounded out of his truck and said he would be glad to watch the bike. I gathered from his
intensity that he was also a rider, and indeed I was correct. He raised his right hand and
swore “nothing will happen to your motorcycle, ma'am”... so I asked him if he could do that swearing
thing again so I could take a picture:
The Jedediah Smith campground is about 6 miles northwest of Crescent City and just off US-199, which
happens to be another incredibly beautiful and twisty road called the “Smith River National Forest Scenic Byway”:
Made it to camp just in time to set up before sunset:
There is no way for me to accurately describe today. It certainly ranks near the very top for
days I've had involving scenery, wildlife, and simply grand “tarmac-licious” (ok, so I made that word
up) motorcycle roads. Damn, it's good to be alive! Today's final GPS:
AGirl
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After spending the last 3 days in San Francisco, late yesterday afternoon (Sun, 6/20/07)
I bid farewell to the Bay Area and also to Kobi, who flew back to Phoenix. Check out
the luggage she brought for the weekend:
My plan leading up to today was to leave Redding and head east for Lassen National Park, bag another
National Park Passport Stamp, then backtrack through Redding and across the awesome and scenic Hwy
299. However, when I woke up today I decided to re-route (imagine that!) for two reasons. One,
I could still feel the lingering effects from an, um, ah, “intense” past weekend spent in San
Francisco. Secondly, I hoped that by foregoing Lassen it would allow more time in the Redwoods
thereby increasing my chances of seeing an animal I have been wanting to see ever since I saw a photograph
of it in a National Park brochure last year: the Roosevelt Elk. Anyone who was around me leading up
to my departure for this journey knows how much I've talked about hoping to see a Roosevelt Elk. In
fact, when someone asked me what wildlife I most hoped to see on this journey to Alaska, my answer was the
Roosevelt Elk in the Redwoods. Perhaps not the answer most expected, but true indeed.
They live about 15 minutes from my home in Nashville...small world indeed:
He blocked my camera's clear view of the elk crossing that was obviously imminent:
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