Crescent City

The woman who sold me the chair told of Lemon Bar ice cream at CC Diner (Facebook). She waxed eloquent extolling the virtues of their burgers and shakes.

The Oregon coast is beautiful but the mosquitoes are fierce. My thoughts returned to CC Diner (Crescent City is in California) and this evening, so did I. 

On top is Playdough, a blend of banana, blueberry and cherry. Underneath, tittering coquettishly, is Lemon Bar. A gripping moment came when we both, the server and I, gazed into the bucket of Lemon Bar and saw it empty. A compasionate child, she quickly assured me there was more and soon reappeared with a fresh one. It's Umpqua brand headquartered in Roseburg, Oregon.

She was generous but I was still taken aback by the $5.50 bill. It's a sign of age, so they say. I can only hope my diffident gesture toward the tip-jar when she mentioned change hid my surprise.

The Harbor

Palm Trees! (far right)

31.July.2023 Update.

Today I bought 1.5 qts from a grocery store for $4.49.

I'll be eternally grateful to CC Diner for introducing me to it.

Myrtle Creek

It needs 4wd at the beginning; a good suspension system helps too. It's among the narrowest and shortest, as in less tall, we've traversed in a while. At the tight spot it's straight down 150 feet or more to the creek.

The mosquitoes got me to dig out the Old Yukon remedy picked up in 2010 on my way to Palmer, Alaska. There's some mean satisfaction in seeing 'em disappear. And in an enclosed environ such as Phoebe, deet kills.

There were several sites each remarkably clean with only a couple of outlying fecal deposits. The lack of trash and detritus inspired me to don the purple latriles (exam gloves) and gather in the stray bits of t.p.

In a truly exemplary act, somebody'd removed a bunch of ash, leaving this patch of gray to, hopefully, motivate others.

There's a sweet trail down the cliff to the creek, but, rationing my energy, I chose to walk the remainder of the road, a fairly level stretch that I surmised wouldn't exact a dose of sublingual nitro in order to make it back.

We're -- that's the royale we of Phoebe and I -- inland enough that the day is bright and clear, a welcome respite from the mist and fog; we needed a day to dry out. Now, at nearly noon, the sun is hot.

My new chair...

Last Night at Forence Keller

Florence Keller is an easy six miles north of Crescent City. I stayed an extra day to collect myself.

Parting

We were tired from the previous day's revelry, but she had a destination not too far away.

Last Glimpse

We'd been to Gerlach, Nevada to see the playa when it got hot. She suggested going over to the coast; it was 104° the day we passed through Truckee.

We piddled our way around for a couple of weeks then spent a couple of days at Florence Keller County Park north of Crescent City, California.

We'd had seven good years, but my health was failing. I could no longer breathe at elevations above 6,000' and it was getting increasingly difficult to just get going each day. No longer able to amble about as I used to, I was gaining weight.

We thought maybe again someday, but the odds were slim. Sweet sorrow. 👑🪻🎩

State Park Availability & The Casino

Three squalling children moved in next door at Big Lagoon. Intending to move north but curious about availability at Sue-Meg State Park, we drove the four miles south. It was, of course, full and likely had been for months. Reservations can be made six months in advance and I've heard of people staying awake to reserve sites at a minute past midnight on the day reservations become available.

Nonetheless, we called to inquire about the availability of first-come-first-serve sites of which there were rumored to be a few. We were told they're held out of circulation for those times when someone needed to be moved from the site they were in.

At another park, we were invited to join a line that would, at 2 pm, have doled out any open sites. It was around 12:30 and if we went now, we'd be at the head of the line. We opted out.

Palmer's Point

As evening came on, we began the search for our next spot. It being a Friday didn't help. I was in the process of giving my credit card info for a $313.00 one-room cabin at Emerald Forest RV Park & Cabins, when She remembered there was R.V. parking at Che-ae casino. Truck-campers and SUVs don't qualify as R.V.s, but after reassuring them we're "self-contained," they made an exception. $20.00 for a place at the edge of a parking lot with a view of the ocean. We hope never to have to do it again.

To The Coast! - Surprise Valley

The plan was to go north on 34 from Gerlach stopping to see the Lund Petrified Forest. From there we'd top off our gas in Vya, check out the Sheldon Antelope Refuge, sashay through the ghost town of Adel, Oregon and resupply either in Lakeview (to the west), Plush (to the north) or Fields (to the east and toward Steens Mountain). But after a mile past Fly Geyser Ranch, where the pavement ends, we'd had enough of the washboarding.

We made camp early at The Cairns where the afternoon's lingering heat prompted a look at the weather ahead; it was forecast to hit 90.

The next morning it was already hot at 9 a.m. and after deploying the shade cloth we hunkered down for some serious discussion...and beer. After perusing various locations both near & far, we settled on a hell-bent-for-leather drive to The Coast. 

Backtracking to within a few hundred feet of Gerlach, we took highway 447 toward Cedarville. On the first day, my true love said to me: "This is WAY too far to go in one day."

So we made camp on a high promontory overlooking Surprise valley.

Dawn - Mono Lake

 

It's All Too Much

The elevation, the excitement the FOOD! It was all too much. With a nod to Yoko & John, we took to bed with strawberries and brie.

Lake Sabrina

Lake Sabrina is at an elevation of around 8,600'. 

It being all I could do to remain upright, we brought out the table and chairs and enjoyed bread from Erick Shat's bakery with butter.

People from everywhere stopped to chat. There was an especially lovely Asian woman from Los Angeles wearing only shorts and a t-shirt...at 40° fahrenheit.

In anticipation of Spring thaw and anticipating the need of storage to avoid downstream flooding, they'd let the water out of the lake.

This pond is near the lake outlet.

19 Miles to Bishop

Several years ago, after I plucked her business card from a laundromat bulletin board, I met the most creative dresser in Albuquerque. Xannibelle, Xannie for short, is a trained garment maker and makes her own clothes. 

She recently made a mattress cover that she mailed care-of general delivery to Lee Vining.

Due to a shortage of employees, the Lee Vining P.O. was only open from 10 am - 1 pm. Continuing toward Bishop where we planned to meet, I found a pleasant campsite within commuting range.

These two were having a great time!

Somebody in Lee Vining didn't like the elementary school's mascot. A young man (30-something?) who was going into the post office suggested the weight of the snow did it. (Guys! Why do I bother?)

The female student I asked said it happened a few years ago and is a mystery. 

Sierras

The pass is a tad over 7200' (2200m). I came up from 5,000' noticing frequent twinges, a symptom that's an unknown as to how to guage. Camp is at 6500'.

Interestingly, yesterday's microdose of LSD obviated all issues. Are they all in my (alleged) mind?!

This is why I'm out here; this and the quiet; minimal flyover.

Mono Basin Ntl Forest Scenic Area

It's 800 miles from Sahuarita, Arizona. And that's going the fast way. No one'd ever accuse me of it...piddling along at a stately 35 mph yesterday on highway 359/167. I keep my flashers on; I've had the experience of coming up on a codger and it can be intense. Over the three hours I spent going the 44 miles from Hawthorne, there were, maybe, five vehicles.

Wildlife!

Comin' full circle.

Tap the image

She-of-the-Capri will soon be on her way to join me. I'm scouting for campsites.

Benton Station

Coming from the east, Boundary Peak can be, by me at least, mistaken for the Sierras.

Boundary Peak East

Boundary Peak West

LATER

The pies were baked by the Paiute women on the nearby Reservation. They made Benton Station a destination. This time, the store was closed and didn't look as if it was going to reopen.

The gas pumps were on...$6.85/gal for regular and $7.08 for premium. Water came from the spigot in front just like the olde days.

Highway 120 was closed at Benton Hot Springs. There was nothing to do but go back to Nevada.

Lite On the Mtn Camp

She arrived a little after dark. The fire was going nicely and served as a beacon. She said she wasn't sure 'til the suspenders gleamed against the white shirt.

The moon was full, or perhaps a hair's-breadth under. But the night was tender as we sat, hand-in-hand admiring the embers and enjoying the pleasure of rejoinment. 

The wind started up during the night and by morning the air was so full of dust the mountains had disappeared. While waiting it out, we alternated the day with visits, breaks for rest and meals. Then, with the moon in affirmed tumescence, we set out. I haven't the stamina and though her mind was willing, I've taken a stern stance with "Her Ferretness." She denies the incursions of age and cites Sophia Loren's advice to not grunt when getting up, but she does anyway. So, though it's difficult, I force limitations...and rest.

This morning, aside from the cloud hovering o'er the length of the distant freeway, it's a bright, sunshiney day.

Photo courtesy of iPhone. I have a 'droid.

Big Maria Camp - North of Blythe

Off Midland Rd on the west side of the Big Maria Mountains Wilderness.

Big Maria Mountains Wilderness

While I do like to buy local, the selection in Quartzsite is limited, so I went to Blythe. I got everything on my list except beer. In lieu thereof, I chose a Kung Fu Girl (2019, the best!) riesling.

Unfamiliar with the Blythe environs, I pulled a blindfold from my BDSM collection, brought up the Garmin map and threw darts. We came up the west side of the Big Maria Mountains Wilderness. Splendid!

Ascending the bajada, the vegetation thins to ocotillo with occasional creosote. 

There're what appear to be volcanic "bombs" lying about. I'm not sure what was happening between these two, but it looked traumatic.

 

I needed some exercise so took advantage of the opportunity. This time I pocketed my nitro, and, of course, didn't need it.

Broken Member

En Garde!

Leave-taking

 

Alabama Hills - Cacti & Clouds

 

Alabama Hills

Early Light

 

Sunset