Byways

Although highways get you there faster, taking the scenic route can be so much more enjoyable. We've been following the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, which got me wondering about our National Scenic Byways - is there a list somewhere and is this something else for me to "collect" on our travels? Well, there is a list, well a website you can use to find these Scenic Byways. Just some more fun stuff to share...

100th National Park

Every year I need to check the National Park Website to see if they've added new parks. This time I went a step further to actually update my "2005 Owner Manual" to include the parks I was missing. While doing this I realized that they weren't listing all of the National Scenic/Historic Trails. So I had to go back and update my records to reflect the trails or parks that we've been to that I didn't have in my original book. After recounting, and adding Lava Beds, I realized we have reached our 100th National Park! Yeah! Only 291 to go...

Tionesta, CA - Glass, Lava, & Lake

What else did we do in this area? One day we took a drive to Glass Mountain. Someone told us about this mountain of obsidian glass. For some crazy reason, I was picturing a solid block of this black rock...
But not so, it was a mountain of volcanic rocks (possibly a lava flow? sometimes we don't have a lot of information available) with a high quantity of the rocks being obsidian. Here's a picture of the edge of the flow where the volcanic rocks meet the forest. While walking along the trails here on Glass Mountain you can see much of it glistening in the sun with all of the black glass.
After that we drove over to Medicine Lake and just sat on the rocky beach, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the calm. When we got too hot, we attempted to go in the lake but could only get in up to our knees. These crater lakes are just icy cold.

Another day we drove up to the north end of Lava Beds. We got to see Tule Lake. Much of the lake has been drained and the land converted to agriculture lots. The contrast of green farms against desert bluffs and sagebush is mind boggling. Some of the area has been preserved as a National Wildlife Refuge.
We also visited Captain Jack's Stronghold. This is the area where 60 Modoc Indians held off 600 Calvary for five months. With natural rock walls and caves, you could see how they could do it. But what a harsh environment to live in.
And, of course, we squeezed in some more caving. By the end of the week we had explored all but three of the open 'developed' caves. Four were closed for bats and the other three were in more remote areas of the park. Experienced cavers are invited to walk the park and drop into any hole they can find, but we found these 'developed' ones were plenty of fun for us.

We really enjoyed our time here, but as many RVers - there's always a time when you're ready to move on...

Tionesta, CA - Eagles Nest

I just wanted to share a sunset photo with you. They have been stunning here at our campground. We're staying in a small park called Eagle's Nest RV park. We've practically had it to ourselves. It's quiet and peaceful and a great place to work for a week. We're just 14 miles to Lava Beds Visitor Center and a short drive to other scenic spots in Modoc National Forest. It's on the Pacific Flyway, but it has a lot of birds that are here now: hummingbirds, nighthawks, swallows, bluebirds, robins, and more. The RV park owners were also kind enough to lend us the caving helmets we're using - which have saved us more times than we can count.

After some satellite issues I've been having - I need "serenity now!" - which, thankfully, this park has.

Tionesta, CA - Lava Beds Nat'l Monument

It has amazed us how few people seem to know about Lassen and Lava Beds. This region of our country is beautiful high desert with volcanic mountains and crater lakes. In addition to all of its unique characteristics, this area is just downright fun!

Lava Beds National Monument has over 300 known caves. And here is the incredible part - you can explore all of them on your own. It's like being on your own private Wild Cave tour. They just recommend helmets, long sleeves, and flashlights. We'd add: redundant flashlights, gloves, and, what we are deeply missing, knee pads and elbow pads. You can buy a book of cave maps, but we found after doing a couple of caves, that it is quite fun not knowing what to expect. Sure, we might be missing a tunnel or so, but the unknown is exciting enough for us on our first visit.

These caves are lava tubes. So it is fascinating to look for the flow pattern of the lava. So instead of looking for stalagmites and stalactites, we were looking for lavacicles (where the lava dripped off the ceiling), lava drips (where you could see the lava hardened on the sides of the walls as it dripped down), lava benches, and so many different formations than we've seen in other caves.
Here's Andy choosing the lower tube of a "tube-on-tube". Here's the entrance to a cave called "Labyrinth".
Here you can almost see where the river of lava thinned out and hardened, creating the floor of the tube. It almost looks like a walkway.
Here I was contemplating whether to keep going...if only I had elbow pads I would have. Lava rock is not the most forgiving rock. Trying to carry your body weight on your elbows without padding can be quite uncomfortable.Each cave we've been in so far have been very different from eachother. Different colors, different formations, some wetter than others, etc. So far we've seen a cave cricket, a millipede and two bats. Andy was crawling around in a small alcove when the first bat flew out right behind him. I immediately squealed "Bat!" and then bit my lip. Andy had specifically told me he did not want bats flying around him when he is in tight quarters. This critter could've touched Andy's butt with his wings, he flew that close. I refused to tell Andy the details until he crawled back out of the alcove. This was a big bat with big ears...like the ones you see in the old Vampire movies. The second one we saw was no bigger than the palm of my hand.

Old Station, CA - Burney Falls SP

Burney Falls is one of the prettiest waterfalls. It is wider than it is tall. The water from the stream above soaks down through the holes and cracks of the volcanic rock created "mini-waterfalls". The water temperature is a constant 46-48 degrees which keeps the area around the pool at around 65 degrees.
After sitting by the pool for awhile we decided to hike the Falls Loop Trail and then the Headwaters Trail. Apparently the stream will disappear underground at certain times of the year. We found the Headwaters Pool, but couldn't tell for certain if it truly disappeared. But part of this trail used the Pacific Crest Trail - so now we can officially say we hiked the PCT!
I know I mentioned the PCT before, but if you haven't looked at a map of this trail, please do so. And just imagine: 2,600 miles, several months of hiking, crossing mountain tops and high deserts, hiking through snow and 100-degree temperatures. I don't know about you, but I sure can't see myself tackling an endeavor like that. But I'm sure it would be beautiful the entire way considering all of the public lands it crosses. Maybe someday I would try a segment...hhmmm...

Friends of Friends Make New Friends

Some of my best friends started out as a friend of a friend. There is something comfortable about meeting someone for the first time, but already feeling like you know them. That's how it was yesterday when we went to visit Lynne and John. They're fellow RVers who have known our friends, Jim and Chris, for several years now. We've heard lots of stories and seen many pictures, so when we went to see them it was odd to keep reminding ourselves that this was the *first* time we actually met.

They are in the Burney area helping friends build a new house. Here's a picture of the four of us in front of their current project. You can visit their weblog, too. They have a separate blog for their work projects.
We're hoping to catch up with them again in the future. But our travel patterns are quite different. Since they travel from job to job, they sometimes have to cross the country in just days. So we know they can catch us (since we travel at a snail's pace in comparison), but can they slow down long enough to say "Hi"?! We hope so!

Old Station, CA - Searching for ET

The Hat Creek Valley apparently is a very special place. Anything can happen here. And has. Our campground is on the site occupied by the 20th Calvary. We were warned that some have seen their ghosts in camp. And, at night we have heard taps being played...several times. We've met a gentleman who claims he has been abducted twice (from this valley). And hikers coming off of the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail (which runs alongside the campground) have had strange stories to share as well. So when we heard that the Hat Creek Radio Observatory had a SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Life Institute) program, we thought it might all be true.

We went and took a tour of the observatory. They currently have 42 Allen Telescope Arrays, and will eventually have 320. They can use these radio telescopes to create images from radio waves. The telescopes can be used individually or as a group to get the information they are looking for.
Most of the discussions revolved around what new data they've acquired on the galaxies. They didn't talk to much about any conversations they have/have not had with ET. But Hat Creek Valley was chosen because all of the volcanic rock eliminates radio interference from terrestrials, giving them a better opportunity to reach the extraterrestrials. No wonder no cell phones work in our campground.

Old Station, CA - Caving Lassen USFS

Our first cave was the giant Subway Cave. Its smooth walls and curved ceilings make you think you're in a subway, not a cave. It's an old lava tube. We took a tour with the USFS Rangers. Later we went back and revisited it on our own so we could play around more without our lights on. We asked the Rangers to tell us what other caves or lava tubes we could explore on our own, but they're no longer permitted to reveal the locations. She gave us two big hints though - she showed us where the lava flow existed and she told us that the mountain mahogany trees lived on top of lava tubes. So it was up to us to hike through the valley searching for openings. And we found some, too! There's the signature mahogany sitting on top of this opening...

Look closely and you'll see my cherubic face in this hole! Ha! Ok, I didn't crawl in or out this hole, it was just a viewing portal as I crawled through the tube and out the other end.
The mountain mahogany were in bloom at this time of year. Their fuzzy, spiraling blooms were helpful in identifying this tree.

Old Station, CA - Lassen Peak

There are four types of volcanoes, and Lassen contains each of these four types. One of my ideas was to hike each type of volcano since Lassen NP is one of the only places that has all four. Cinder Cone is a cinder cone; Prospect Peak is a shield volcano; Brokeoff Mountain is a composite volcano; and Lassen Peak is a plug dome. But we didn't have enough time to do this *and* do some of the other things in the area. So we chose Cinder Cone and Lassen Peak.

Lassen Peak was a 2,000' elevation gain in 2 1/2 miles to the top. The temperature was around 55 degrees when we started, and dropped to 45 degrees at the 10,457' summit. With the wind chill, it might've been a little cooler. But you have gorgeous views along the way...
And, if you're lucky, you might have snow in July...
And the views at the top included Mt Shasta. You could spend quite a bit of time exploring the summit of Lassen. Plug domes are compared to squeezing a tube of toothpaste and how it oozes out. So at the summit's crater you'll find a jumbled mess of boulders that you can explore and scramble around.
And you could get a much greater sense of the number of volcanoes that dot the landscape. There were cones of all shapes and sizes that could be seen for miles.

Old Station, CA - Lassen's Cinder Cone

The hike to Cinder Cones was bad enough. It was like walking a mile on the beach. But these were cinders we were walking on, not sand. We were walking along the edge of the lava bed. See those black rocks in the picture above? They're black volcanic rocks piled 15-20' high. Ahead was our destination - the Cinder Cone. There's the trail below - that curved line up the right side. There was no mercy by offering switchbacks. It was 750' (vertical) up to the top of the cone. And walking on cinders is no easy task - one step up, half-step slide back. Repeat that for every step. The cone is 35-degree "angle of repose" - meaning that it is just shallow enough so nothing will roll off to maintain its form. Believe me, I wanted to be "in repose" after the first 30 feet up this trail.
But it was worth it. The cinder cone was in perfect shape at the top with a trail around the rim and down into the cone itself.
And you could see views of two lakes that were separated by a great lava bed. Near the edge of the cone was the Painted Dunes that separated our little volcano from the black, chunky lava beds. Beauty in contrast.

Old Station, CA - Lassen's Bumpass Hell

Bumpass used to guide people around, what is now, the park's largest hydrothermal area. But one misstep was "a quick step to hell". His foot broke through the thin layer of crust , which is how this area got it's name. Pictures don't do this area justice because there is more to experience than just the sights. You have to smell the sulphur and hear the hissing of the steam vents and pulsing of the mud pots to get a sense of this incredible place.The steam vent here is the largest in the world for a non-erupting volcano. The sound was comparable to a jet engine. We could hear and smell Bumpass Hell before we had crested over the ridge on the 1.5-mile hike to reach it.
The boardwalk takes you right up to the edges of boiling mud pots, springs, fumaroles, and steam vents. Part of the boardwalk was taken down - I'm not sure if they are in the process of moving it because of new vents opening (Yellowstone has to do this I remember).
There are these wonderful trees that grew at this elevation. They might be mountain hemlocks, but I'm not a 100%. But I loved them because when they are young they grow in tight bunches of five or more saplings, and then as they grow big their trunks grow together in these great formations.

Old Station, CA - Lassen Volcanic Nat'l Park

You could see Lassen Peak from many places around the Hat Creek Valley before even entering Lassen Volcanic N.P. It towers above many of the other volcanoes in the area. Lassen last erupted in 1915, so it's relatively young. It has the most seismic activity in the Ring of Fire. A large portion of the valley is the old lava bed which is now dotted with low-lying manzanita bushes and blooming mountain mahogany trees. But other areas are covered with towering pine trees.

Helen's Lake sits on the south side of Lassen at an elevation around 8,500'. It's blue-green color was vibrant. There were many small lakes around the park.From other areas in the valley, you could see all the way to Mt Shasta. What a sight.

Susanville, CA

I wanted to add that unfortunately we never got to Eagle Lake outside Susanville. Our friend Glenn told us how when he was a young boy his grandparents taught him to fish up at this lake. He spent many summers there with his grandparents. It is wonderful to hear heartwarming stories like his when you are in a unfamiliar place. But between work and the afternoon heat hitting 100 degrees + and the smoke in the air, we just found ourselves doing nothing in the afternoons. He told us that there is a special trout that lives in the lake, and since then we've learned it's the 2nd largest natural lake in CA and there are biking trails. So, we'll just keep it on our list for another visit.

Susanville, CA - Bizz Johnson Trail

The main reason we came to this town was because of the Bizz Johnson Trail. We just love these Rail-to-Trails. Especially when we hear they include old rail bridges and tunnels. With the trails following alongside a river, you're almost guaranteed beautiful scenery.
We weren't disappointed. It was a great ride. The trail is 30 miles long. We biked west of Susanville to mile marker 15 before turning around. The grade going out was a gradual incline (possibly 3%), so we weren't expecting it to be such an easy ride coming back down. Oh, you still have to pedal, but it was so much easier on the return trip. We cut our return time in half and that still included picture taking and rest stops.
We had gotten an early start this morning (we were on the trail by 7am) because the temperature was expected to go over 100 degrees again. The other bonus to beating the heat was that we had the trail completely to ourselves for the first 3 1/2 hours of riding. We couldn't believe it!

Susanville, CA

After getting settled in at camp last night, we decided to head over to Susanville Ranch Park for a stroll. What we didn't expect was to find was a special event. The "Cost of Freedom" exhibit was being presented. This is the traveling Vietnam Wall Memorial. We weren't prepared for the sadness these types of memorials evoke. One ballfield was covered in small flags symbolizing the soldiers lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. Next to them were the state's flags and a listing of all of the soldier's names by state. Another field held the Vietnam Wall Memorial.

There were several displays on the different wars, the number of wounded, MIA, and lives lost. But the saddest moment is when you see a name you recognize. It causes instant tears. This came to me at the 9-11 memorial when I saw Laura's name. There is just something so finite, so permanent to see a name in print.

We tried to shake off some of the sadness and the thoughts of war, terrorism, and lives cut short by taking the walk we had come to do. Susanville Ranch Park is just on the outskirts of the city and offers about 8 miles of trails. We walked around the meadow and enjoyed the serenity of this park. In the picture below you can see the smoke from the Antelope Lake Forest Fire. We had to drive through that on our way into town. In the sunset it looked pretty in pink, but when we drove through it it was an eerie brownish-yellow color.

We were thankful yesterday that Susanville was not smothered in the smoke we drove through. It was sunny and bright, but you could see the smoke billowing over the mountains and blowing across the region southeast of us. It is all up to the winds, and today the smoke blew into town.

Minden, NV

We really enjoyed our stay in Minden. It's a lovely little town. We did get out for one more road bike ride during the week and a couple of visits to the local Swim Center for some laps. Unfortunately, we were here for a whole week and only had one short visit to Lake Tahoe. We drove over for a scenic drive one afternoon. Our intention was to go back yesterday and bike or hike part of the Rim Trail and visit Lake Tahoe State Park. But, we had some worries with our car that kept us off the road. We got Ele into a dealership this morning and everything was fine - great news, but we feel like we were robbed of our opportunity to see more of Lake Tahoe. Taking care of our vehicles, however, has to take priority.

We're now in Susanville, CA heading towards Lassen Volcanic Nat'l Park and Lava Beds Nat'l Monument before heading into Oregon. Lucky for us, we learned of this wonderful Rail-to-Trail here in Susanville called the Bizz Johnson Trail. Our plan is to ride it tomorrow.

Minden, NV - Touring on Two Wheels

We *finally* got out our road bikes today. What a joy! We only went about 24 miles, but we thought that was pretty good for the first day out in months. Carson Valley, which includes Minden, Gardnerville, Genoa, and Carson City, resides between two lines of foothills. Along the western range is a road called Jacks Valley Road/Foothill Road. It's a designated bike route. There's no bike lane, and the speed limit is still 55mph, but there's reduced traffic. Rolling hills take you along the foothills and past cow pastures and horse ranches. We rode directly from the Carson Valley RV Resort, in downtown Minden, out to Foothill Road. We rode south til we hit Hwy 88 and then came back through the towns of Gardnerville and Minden. It's always interesting to check out the neighborhoods, but if we do it again we'll backtrack on Foothill because it was a calmer ride.

There was a bike event going on today, too. We had read about it, but felt at $45/head for a 12/24/44-mile ride that that was kinda steep. We love doing these events, but it's hard to pay that kind of a price for a short ride.

There are also some areas in the Valley that offer mountain biking and hiking. We hope to fit that in during the week after work.

While in Yosemite Valley, a fellow-camper recommended a website called Routeslip. We'll have to check that out more often. Nothing was listed for Minden, but it could prove useful when looking for biking routes during our travels.

Escapees

Andy was working on our budget today and our future travel plans. We've been finding that a lot of the RV parks in California/Nevada are quite pricey and we can't find enough Passport Americas (discount club) in this region to help us stay within our budget. We've heard about the Escapees Club for years, but it wasn't til now that we saw a need. There are a couple of these RV Parks along our potential route. They offer either 15% discount or a flat reduced rate. We found that with Passport it paid for itself almost immediately. We believe that Escapees will offer the same return.

To give you an idea, we have budgeted $25/night for RV Parks/campgrounds. In Lake Tahoe the nightly rate averages around $50/night. That could cut our trip in half if we paid those kinds of fees. That's also why we're staying in Minden, NV - 15 miles away - and not on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Actually, Minden is a great place to stay: cute town, pretty scenery, good proximity to hit Carson City and Lake Tahoe. We're glad we're here and hope to take advantage of some of the local biking and trails.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Yes, finally! It seems that we have been without dependable phone service since we were in Vegas in May. We hate to spend money on our monthly bill when we can't use our phones. In Bridgeport we were able to get enough of a signal when we were connected to our external antennae or in other areas we would have to drive miles to find a place where we could get a connection. Most of the time we were in Yosemite area we only had two bars on analog roam. If you tried to make a phone call with that, you would just get some nasty beeping sounds to tell you "sorry".

We have Sprint. It always seemed to be good enough in years past, but I think it's because we never stayed in a regional area long enough to worry about it. Sprint works fine in the east, but not so good out here in California.

We started to check into our options:
1. Cancel one of the phones and switch it to Verizon. This would give us greater coverage, but no more free Diane-to-Andy phone calls.

2. Skype. Skype is free Skype-to-Skype and is used through your internet service. This would help us out when we have internet and no phone service. They also have a pay-for service to call land lines or cell phones. This is an option.

3. Windows Live Messenger. We use this for IMing and just learned that there is a phone service available. We can call land lines and cell phones through the internet at 1.9 cents per minute. You prepay like a calling card. This might be our first choice the next time we need it, because we'll only use it periodically. My favorite Geeks brought this to our attention.

I'm just curious if anyone else had any ideas or experiences?