Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 

 

 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

 

 

Crescent City to Elk Prairie Campground 49Miles

 

 

 

Crescent City was not a particularly nice place. I strolled around it to see if I had missed something. But no! I hadn’t. The motel was seedy and noisy, but it was comfortable. I did find a quite nice restaurant and had some lovely fresh fish and chips for dinner. Tasty! A couple of beers and a seafood chowder. Not quite in that order, but close!! Satisfied, I wandered back to the motel for the night.

I woke at 7am to get ready for the road. There is quite a lot to get ready. Because, as you all know by now, I can be quite disorganized at times and it had got to the stage where I wasn’t sure were things were and in which pannier bag. And that’s a recipe for frustration.

That ‘mother’ of a hill awaits me outside town. 

Out into the morning sun and it’s still cool. Although the weather seems to be improving. This was always my plan from the start. To head south in September. Planning for nice weather in Canada and heading south into warmer climates which would hopefully be getting cooler and still warm to me. If that makes sense!

No mist and damp around. Which I am grateful for. Hit the climb after about four miles and it is steep like I thought. It’s like four miles of 'Dolly’s Brea'. 

I’m out before a lot of the traffic so I get to suffer in peace. My knee is hurting again this morning but soon it burns off. It took me two hours for the first thirteen miles. But got easier as I moved into Giant Redwood territory.

There were some Redwoods on the climb, but I didn’t have time to really look at them. I had to watch the road. The cycle lane was narrow, and traffic was getting busier. But after the climb I could have a good look and..... WOW .... what Trees! 

The further down the road I got the bigger they got. Look at the pictures. These are awesome sights! Big, tall, old and proud as they stood close together reaching 100's of feet into the sky. I ran into Randy, a guy I camped with a week or so ago. He was with another guy from Alaska. I met them in a roadside cafe out in the wilds when I stopped for a bite. It’s amazing how I can keep meeting the same people all the way. We stopped along the road to get some photos and ended up in the camp together at Elk Prairie. This was a beautiful place too. Real wilderness.

 Entering the National Park we were warned by the Ranger to beware of Racoons and 'BLACK BEARS!!!' I said @WHAAAT'@@. He said, don’t worry black bears are fine. Its brown bears you have to worry about - black bears are OK. I rather tentatively asked him if the bear knew what colour he was, but he just laughed.

Each camp had a big steel box where you had to put your food. SCARY!!!!!. I pitched my tent and headed off to investigate the forest. There were some beautiful trails from the camp - I took the time to walk some of them into the giant redwoods. So peaceful. Makes you feel small in here with them. Saw some wild elk in the trees, along with this most beautiful big stag with 5 ft antlers on him. Wonderful!

 

 

 

When I got back to the campsite we had been joined by other guys who I had met some days back along the road. Two Guys from Australia who gave me some tips for servicing my bike on the go. Had a good chat and off to bed by 8.30. I was snugged up in my sleeping bag a while, when I suddenly realized I had a Granola bar in my bag 'IN THE TENT' AAAHHH!. So, I ate it. The bear can have the wrapper. Get to sleep before the bears and the racoons come for a visit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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