Monday, November 5th: We had spent the night in our friend’s, Derek and Rachael’s, driveway. Once up, we went into their house for some coffee and to check on our laundry that was in the dryer overnight. Since our clothes weren’t fully dry, we brought in supplies for breakfast, not wanting to endure the morning chill in the camper. Shortly after we were ready to hit the road, but before we did, expressed our gratitude to our newly made friends. Crater Lake, an hour and a half drive from Bend, was our first stop. With depths greater than 1900ft, it is America’s deepest lake and composed of electric blue water. While seated on a short retaining wall surrounding the lake, Tom and I made veggie sandwiches and took in it’s gorgeous enormity. As if the moment couldn’t be anymore serene, petite snowflakes started gently falling around us. Although we have seen many a lake throughout our travels, each one has offered a unique opportunity to slow down and match it’s stillness. Cold and content, we hopped in the truck with the intention of putting some miles underneath us. That night, we crossed over into California and spent the night next to Patrick Creek.
On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of waking up to the sound of the creek’s light dribble. Both of us resisted getting out of bed due to the calm setting and chilly morning air. Once up, the first order of business was firing up the stove to warm the camper. With our water for coffee just reaching a boil and our potatoes nearly raw, the propane tank coughed it’s final flame. Although inconvenienced, we weren’t totally without. Tom whipped out the JetBoil, which slowly finished the job. The moment itself was frustrating, but hindsight illuminate it’s humor. After our marathon breakfast, we headed towards the Redwood Forest. I went for a long trail run during which I was continually awed by the unimaginable size of the old-growth, conifers. Tom and I met on the other side; first driving through another portion of the forest, then going for a walk along one of the stretches of beach. The coarse sand was abrasive under our bare feet while the fresh, ocean air cleansed our lungs and stuck to our skin. As we walked, we talked about our expectations of the trip versus the reality of it. We both agreed that it has been so much more than we could have ever imagined and irreversibly broadened our visions of the future. The evening involved more driving, landing us at a climbing area inland from Eureka, CA.
We climbed at Land of the Lost on Wednesday, a recently pioneered area with unique rock. Since the forest road that lead to the area was closed, we decided to bike it’s steep hill both ways to speed up our travel time. At the end of our enjoyable day of climbing, we began our drive to Fort Bragg, CA. Although we pulled into our oceanside campsite just after dinner time, the night sky made it feel much later. Instead of making a meal, we popped popcorn and played cribbage before going to bed.
We woke up on Thursday to the calming cadence of ocean waves meeting the shore. Since the area that we had parked was without bathrooms and tables, we started driving down the coast in search of the perfect breakfast spot. Once parked off the water, Tom spotted surfacing whales, which we further investigated with binoculars. This mystifying site kept our attention for the remainder of our meal and a while after. That afternoon, Tom worked on various camper projects while I went for an 18 mile run. Both Havila and Josh, a climbing friend, had committed to running the Grand Canyon with me which meant that I had some training to do. When I returned, Tom had successfully sealed multiple leaking crevices and secured our weakening exterior. These projects have highlighted his understanding and experience in performing repairs, which have greatly benefitted us while living on the road. As we prepared dinner and wrapped up our things, we watched as a thick, purple cloud began creeping in overhead. Tom and I initially assumed it to be either smog or impending weather but were later made aware of the developing fires in Butte County. As we drove away from the coast and moved east, we became increasingly enveloped in a distorting fog. Being so close to the blaze was both sobering and hard to believe. We witnessed mass migrations fleeing the burning towns where cars and homes were at risk of being swallowed. It was an eerie, apocalyptic scene that felt stagnant and bleak. When we stepped out of the truck in Muir Woods, where our friend’s Katie and Paul live, there was a noticeable improvement in the air quality. We spent some time catching up with Katie that night, before heading to bed.
Katie, Paul, Tom and I made a full breakfast spread before Katie had to leave for the surgery center. She is in medical school and is currently observing and involved in vascular surgeries. After Katie left, Paul took us for a walk around Muir Woods where he works as a park ranger. Both Tom and I appreciated the chance to get to know Paul better, while admiring the secluded Redwoods. That afternoon, we climbed “the egg” which is a large slab of rock that is fixed on a nearby beach. Climbing so close to the ocean was a unique experience in an attractive setting. Lynn and Ryan were landing in San Fransisco that evening, causing us to pack up early in order to meet them in the city. The reunion between the four of us had been long anticipated and was well enjoyed. We walked to a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner and caught up over a few beers. After leaving Lynn and Ryan in their hotel room, Tom and I made a pit stop at the Final Final, a neighborhood dive bar. During the hour that we spent there, we took advantage of the free popcorn and battled a fellow Minnesotan in darts.
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