Green Wine Country, Deep Blue Ocean, and White Mountains: Adventures in Northern California

Ocean in view: Oh the Joy!

The morning after arriving at my Aunt and Uncle's house continued to be special. I was treated like a prince and it was as if my arrival made the world stand still and should have been called a national holiday! We had a wonderful breakfast, Luke skipped his first class at the High School , and I went with the four of them to drop both Luke and Hope off at school. Then I spent the morning with Craig fiddling with the lights on my pickup before scooting further north to see a good friend from College.

Lil' Champ and I rolled into Potter Valley feeling somewhat out of place. I  immediately felt like this sleepy little town was a place you could go to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, which might be a good description of what my friend Amanda had done. We met up at her house and scurried off to the foothills to ramble among the green grasses and damp earth of autumn in California. We followed truck trails, cow trails, deer trails, and no trails, climbing up to a gorgeous viewpoint of the town below, all the while having the kind of warm, friendly, and open conversation that I have come to crave from my friends. Amanda jumps up on this boulder at one point and declares to me and the world that she had planted a meadow full of wild flowers and hoped to see them sprout in the coming spring. She's so fun! After the "ramble," the rest of the evening with filled with lab puppies, wonderful homemade food and wine with Amanda's sister, and even deeper conversation.

The next morning, after some not-quite-tearful goodbyes, I continued my journey around the West by driving west to the coast. I wandered up the coastal highway through amazingly beautiful country, eventually finding my way to the Redwoods National Park (RNP), the 12th National Park of my trip. Earlier, in Southern California, I stopped by the Sequoia National Park and saw the biggest trees of my life. It is my understanding that Sequoias are an inland variation of the Coastal Redwoods found in Northern California in Humboldt State Park and the RNP. If the Sequoias are the largest trees in the world by shear bulk, the Redwoods certainly give any other species a run for their money in a "tallest tree" contest.

National Park number 12 of my trip: the Redwoods.

The woods of the RNP are almost rainforest-like compared to the forests back home in Montana. Green is the primary color with life exploding all around you in the form of grass, moss, ferns, and the like. And I even got to see wildlife. This trip coming on the tails of a somewhat frustrating archery season chasing elk, I have a mix of emotions seeing the wily wapiti in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton areas, and now in the Redwoods. It is a remarkably freeing feeling when I can witness elk in their native habitat and appreciate them for what they are: a beautiful creature of the forest, strong and powerful, and masters of survival, without the pressure of the harvest that hunting usually brings. It is definitely a different enjoyment, but one that I could come to appreciate.

That's me, and yes, I'm hugging a tree. A really big tree.

Evidently the elk are rather ferocious in Northern
California...and they know it! The sign says "Wild Elk:
Do not approach or Feed."

Epic self-timer photo. Took me a couple of takes. But
isn't that sunset beautiful?

If you continue through the Park toward Crescent City, you'll come to the ocean and I happened to do just that as the sun was setting. It was gorgeous! Being a mountain boy from land-locked Montana I don't get to see the ocean very much, which made this that much more enjoyable. There is something about the sea that sparks the imagination and gives joy to the spirit; a view to the horizon, a salty breeze, and foamy waves crashing on the shore makes one believe they can do anything.

I enjoyed the sunset until the light no longer painted the sky with color and drove North through Crescent City, "around the horn" through Grants Pass, Medford, and back down to visit my Auntie Ingrid and Uncle Mike. Once again, I cannot express the gratitude that I  have for such a wonderful loving family scattered across the country. My aunt and uncle welcomed me into their home with some great food and even better conversation. The only thing that ended our time together that first night was my "glazed look." I had been on the road all day and was falling asleep in my chair. I hope that Uncle Mike will find a way to forgive me; it was because I was tired and not because of his pontifications that were making my eyes droopy.

Looking up the standard climbers' route of Shasta with
the alpine climbers' cabin in the foreground. 

Yet another coincidence on my trip increased the enjoyment factor exponentially: Ingrid happened to have the day off of work the next day. She took me on a tour to see Mt. Shasta and hike around at its base. There was a lot of snow around and we had some fun route finding among the fresh smelling pine trees in the crisp autumn air of the volcanic highlands. There is something about fresh air, hiking and snacky-food that stimulates the mind, body, and spirit, but then again I just love being outside. She sent me off alone at one point to go see the climbers' cabin and race around the woods in the snow, then I met her back at the parking lot. We then went to a late lunch at a wonderful little cafe that was even on a little on the ritzy side. I felt honored to have such a treat, especially when the two of us just sauntered in dressed in our boots and hiking clothing!

Inside the climbers' cabin. It's something like Craig and
Luke's favorite vacation spot and a local to which I want
to return.

Photo with my wonderful Auntie Ingrid in front of
Mt. Shasts.

From girls to future goals and dreams our conversations covered a lot of miles. We also had a great time defining a new term: phisching (pronounced fish-king). A blending of the words phishing and scheming, it's a tool in the "scheming process", all about gathering information/data about other people's interests and schedules upon which to formulate a plan for an adventure involving said people. Among certain circles of friends I've come to be known as the "Scheming Monster," a title of which I am proud.  However, I was surprised to find how much of a Scheming Monster Ingrid is in her own right. Perhaps these tendencies in ourselves can be traced to influential people in both our lives, people with names like Ron, Ann, Tabitha, and Duane. I am proud of my heritage for sure.

I don't know if I had ever spent one-on-one time like that with my favorite Hansen auntie, and I will remember our time together forever.