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. 👑🪻🎩

Pre-parting

Perhaps it was knowing we'd run out of time. Maybe it was, as it felt, as if we'd finally gotten enough rest. The day went by quickly with naught but a pause for lunch. In the evening we went into Crescent City.

All photos are hers.

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.

Arcata

We camped above the last campground in the National Forest and in the morning made our way to Arcata. There we spent the day enjoying the holiday festivities. Walking toward the park, we met Kirsten Peterson (in hat), a former rancher from Surprise Valley, Nevada. 

Puppies

When does the beginning begin? Northbound, following, or so we thought, The Spring, the heat had, in the space of two days, become intolerable; the "window" of mild weather had closed. Asserting the nomadic prerogative, we made a ninety-degree turn toward The Coast.

Still process-oriented and thinking we might find a camp with an option for swimming, we went up the east side of the Pit River toward what looked, on the map, to be a promising location on Britton Lake.

The road narrowed, grew a central mound bounded by ruts and at a sign at a boat launch we learned the area was "sensitive" and no overnight camping was allowed.

Back at the beginning, we found a campable area but the river and lake were way far away. It was oppressively hot and being still early in the evening, we went on.

The next likely was a campground. Though it *was* the holiday weekend, we thought its remote location might hold some potential. But it was cheek-by-jowl with lots of alcohol and a surreal scene centered around a six-foot diameter target at which a group were whacking golfballs from about 10 feet away.

We eventually located a remote site atop a mountain with a splendid view overlooking a small dam and its lake. Anticipating a quiet evening enjoying the sunset o'er the lake, we began unloading. Suddenly, from the nearby woods, a herd of yapping puppies came bounding toward us with a mixture of aggression and fear. We soon reassured them and spent the next couple of hours meting out portions calculated to not cause vomiting. 

Full Tummies

By the end of breakfast, everyone was feeling rambunctious; we wondered what to do. Phoebe's interior was more easily puppy-proofed and after creating a barrier to make sure they stayed in back we set off to find an animal shelter.

In need of water, we stopped at an RV Park where we were offered the use of a spigot in front of the house next door. After filling my jugs I parked in the street while She-of-the-Capri had her turn. With the back door open, I was petting and scratching behind everyone's ears when two Suburban-esque vehicles came toward. As they neared, I stepped aside and gesticulated toward the puppies. As they pulled alongside I said "Puppies!" He asked "Free?" and when I assented both vehicles came to a stop and disgorged almost a dozen teenagers. 

Within seconds a melee of cuddling and cooing ensued and within minutes the adoptions were complete. Plans for visits to the vet, shots etc. were being bandied about and a general air of magical delight spread its sparkle over the group. 

With numerous "Thank yous," a "This is a blessed day" and a parting "Have a blessed day," we surmised they must've been christians. Had they been cats, we might've had concerns, but dawgs being dawgs, we knew they'd likely not take issue with the childrens' beliefs.

With hearts full and tears of happiness streaming, we sat for a bit, pondering the series of circumstances that brought about this beautiful vignette.

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.