I leave Redding via Highway 299, and oh, my, what a ride! It is a gorgeous highway that mostly follows the Trinity River through a heavily wooded canyon, but what an exhausting drive! One hundred forty miles of ups and downs, and an excellent opportunity to check the status of the Tracker, as I can practically see it out the window on the continuous sharp turns! Continue reading
Halfway between two of our National Parks, Lassen Volcanic and Redwoods, it is now time to stop for the work week again. I have come from the south entrance of Lassen Volcanic, so it is just another 50 miles down Highway 36 to Red Bluff, California. I have found a campground on my Allstays app that looks to be in a large “green space” along the Sacramento River, yet it appears to be in a coverage area. Sycamore Grove is a National Forest Service campground just two miles outside of town along the Sacramento River. Continue reading
My journey up Scenic Highway 395 ends at Susanville, as I turn west on Highway 36 to pick up the Tracker at the bike trailhead on the way to visit another of our National Parks, Lassen Volcanic. I have read that the road through the park and over the pass is still closed due to snow, but it is possible to enter into the park a few miles from both the north and the south entrance (think of the letter “C”) to see some of the geothermal activity, as well as the historical impact. Continue reading
Having lived in Atlanta for eight years, I came to appreciate my first Rail Trail. The Silver Comet Trail runs for 61 miles from the suburbs of Atlanta all the way to the Alabama border, then becomes the Chief Ladiga Trail for another 30 miles. I rode this trail often when I lived in Atlanta, and learned to appreciate the history and conservation efforts of these old abandoned rail lines. Continue reading
My whirlwind of a three day weekend, where I climbed from below sea level in one National Park to almost 10,000 feet in another was now over. I had crammed into three days what felt like a week of jaw-dropping sights and extreme experiences. It was time to go back to work… Continue reading
My National Geographic guide to the National Parks tells a story about a ranger who when asked by a visitor in Yosemite “What would you do if you only had a day to see Yosemite?,” his answer was, “I’d weep.” Imagine what he would say if he knew I only spent half a day… Continue reading
My new best friend at the Mammoth Lakes Visitor Center suggests that I camp at the Lower Lee Vinings Campground just outside of the small town of Lee Vinings along Hwy 395. He says this will be the perfect place for me to go from “furnace to forest” after two nights in Death Valley, while also offering a convenient location to explore Mono Lake. Continue reading
Having left Furnace Creek before sun-up, it is early when I reach the junction with California Scenic Highway 395. I am relishing in the cool air coming through my open windows, the sight of the snow-capped Sierra Mountains on my left, and wildflowers blooming alongside the road. I have Joni Mitchell’s “California” blaring over the speakers: Continue reading
I set my alarm for 4:30am. I must get up and get out before first light, before I reach that danger zone again. At 5:00am, it is still 85 degrees out. I hitch up in the dark, and take off toward Stovepipe Wells. I don’t want to go, but I don’t want to put any of the “TTTH Team” through another 110 degree day, either. Continue reading
After driving the nine mile Artist Drive loop, it is probably around 11:00am, and the temperature remarkably still feels comfortable to me. (“It’s a dry heat,” I know, I know.) So I figure, I am feeling good, I am going to keep going! Continue reading