The Open Road…out across the desert

August 28, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in Nevada, Road trip and tagged Forest, Great Basin | Leave a comment

August 19th, 2014

As I come down from Johnsville, on the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada, I’m already in the Great Basin. I leave behind the thick pine forests and the mountain meadows:

I encounter some plants that will be my faithful companions all across the desert:

The particularity of the Great Basin is this: all water that comes into the Great Basin stays in the Great Basin. All the rivers–the Truckee, the Humboldt, the Reese, the Sevier, the Jordan (yes, there is a Jordan River in the US, in Utah, of course), the Bear and others all flow into inland lakes such as Pyramid Lake, the Great Salt Lake, etc. No water flows to the sea.

To the east of the city of Reno the state of Nevada shows its true terrain…

…including its oases in the river valleys.

The open road shows its true face too:

On the other side of the town of Fallon (which calls itself the “oasis of Nevada”) the notion of distance becomes very clear:

(In miles, of course.)

The fabled US Highway 50…

…also known as “The Lonliest Road”:

It’s just you and me, Van…

…and the Nevada landscape:

The skyscapes can be as beautiful as the landscapes:

Nevada! Need I say anything more?

The road goes on, straight and narrow…

…into the town of Austin.

Austin, with 350 inhabitants, has 3 churches:

I believe that this last church is, in fact, closed, like half the stores along the main street.

Austin has a courthouse too, presented as a “historic” building :

Three churches and a courthouse, but no grocery store. That’s Austin. No problem, I shopped in Reno before venturing out here.

On I go, to the Bob Scott Campground in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest:

After the giant redwoods and the stately pines of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this forest demands yet another definition of the word “forest”.

The campground in the evening light:

I make a quick dinner of sautéed summer squash and bulgur wheat:

The campground in the morning light:

We’re in the Toiyabe Range here. Since Fallon we have gone over several ranges and crossed through several valleys. Nevada is like that, up and down, up and down.

My neighbors are from Holland:

Making breakfast:

Desert sage is rampant here, but I also notice this clump of desert grass:

And this little fella too:

29b_and this little fella

And now we’re off. And you’ll soon see why I stopped in Austin.

Johnsville

August 27, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Friends, Houses, Johnsville, Wildlife | 2 Comments

August 18th, 2014

I leave Redding this morning, heading east into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After getting back from the hot springs yesterday afternoon I did some shopping and a few other errands. Redding is the California town that, in fact, I now know the best. It’s where my mother lived for many years until her death in October of 2013. I would visit her here and spend days at a time in town and visiting the surrounding area.

I pass by my mother’s house on my way out of town. The new owners have, of course, changed it a bit. They have removed a large shade tree that was in front of the house, something I would not have done since summer temperatures here regularly reach 35 to 40 °C or higher. Here’s a picture of the house:

Van is ready to go:

And I arrive in the aptly named town of Johnsville around 2 in the afternoon, via the Feather River Canyon scenic route. I stop for a swim along the way, but take no pictures.

Here we are in the Sierra, in an old mining town, where a childhood friend of mine, Mark, and his wife Katie, have a house. We visit the old mine and its museum. Here’s Mark and Katie in front of the old asseyor’s office:

Here’s Mark:

The sign on the end of the trough says the we can pan for gold here all day for just 4$. We have other things to do.

The mine facilities, which finally closed during the first World War:

It hasn’t been maintained the way the Assay Office has, or the Blacksmith shop:

Johnsville is entirely surrounded by Plumas Eureka State Park, and the town itself is a Plumas County Historical Reserve. Houses must be restored or built respecting the styles of 1880. We take a long walk around the town.

Mark and Katie’s house:

Another house that was in Mark’s family for a long time:

There are many picturesque and attractive houses in town:

These more rustic ones:

These, either renovated or newly built in the style of the period:

This one is for sale:

Mark tells me that there are at least six houses for sale in Johnsville at the moment.

Then there is the old Johnsville Hotel:

Of course there are a few period structures too:

The one on the left was once the Johnsville Fire Department.

The Johnsville Historical Society occupies the old church:

Inside…

…there is a display of period kitchen wares…

23_display of period kitchen wares

…a period organ and piano:

After an excellent dinner we take a bumpy drive up the mountain to Eureka Lake for a swim:

The next morning I take a few pictures of the deer that come near the house. Mark has set out a salt lick for them on a tree stump:

They soon see me, but don’t seem too afraid:

The chipmunks, however, avoid my camera.

I leave Johnsville just after breakfast. And now, as promised, I am off on my true road trip, out across the desert.

Shasta County Days

August 27, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Beaches, Hot springs, Mendocino county, Shasta County | 2 Comments

August 16th, 2014

I leave Fort Bragg just after breakfast and drive north along the coast on California’s famous Highway 1:

You can see how the fog hangs over us…

…but it’s still a beautiful drive:

Soon the road turns inland and joins Highway 101 through the Eel River Valley. Here the road is known as the “Avenue of the Giants”, but I take no pictures. We’ve all had enough redwoods. It’s warm and sunny here and there are plenty of places to stop and swim, but I don’t stop yet. As we approach the coast and the town of Eureka it gets cool and grey again, but I turn east on California Highway 36 through the Van Duzen River Valley. It’s warm here and, lo and behold, I find the perfect place to swim (yet another one):

But I don’t stay long. I have a long drive ahead of me, over mountain ridges and through river canyons, where it will be increasingly hot. Thankfully, Van is well air conditioned. I arrive in Redding in the late afternoon and check into a motel I know, take a long nap and then go to a Japanese restaurant that I like.

August 17th, 2014

The next morning I get up early and head eastward to the tiny town of Big Bend near which there are some so-called “primitive” hot springs, which is to say undeveloped, not like Orr.

I go to the Kosk Creek hot springs, which are a ten minute walk from the main road, along this dirt road:

Somone has decided to point the way…

…down this trail where…

…blackberries are ripening:

These are primitive hot springs, but nevertheless with some restrictions:

I entirely agree .

And then, just over a rise…

…the first of several pools.

The first pool closer up:

Notice the convenient platform that someone has built. There are any number of improvements that have been made here over the years, such as the rock and cement soaking pools themselves.

Just above the pool is this convenient bench that someone has built:

One of the best things about Kosk Creek is this swimming hole just in front of the first pool:

Kosk Creek as it flows into the swimming hole:

And now looking downstream where there are two other spring-fed pools along the creek bank:

Here is the original spring that feeds the soaking pool:

The water is very hot, and the pool is very small. You can’t soak here.

So I soak and swim, and soak and swim, and chat with two other hot springs aficionados who are at the nearby springs downstream. Hot springs fans are a community unto themselves, sometimes rather marginal and eccentric, but ecologically aware and in search of peace and quiet. We exchange information about other springs that we know.

The swimming hole as seen from the pool:

My feet, as I soak in the first pool:

Downstream, near the other pools, someone has built these now-familiar rock structures:

But I want to go to another pool that I know, further downstream. These stairs lead the way:

And I follow this trail through the forest:

No redwoods here! This forest is typical of the interior regions of northern California: pine, spruce, bay and madrone.

After a few minutes walk I arrive at the lower pools. I came here last September with my friend Richard, aka “Captain”:

Someone has put up this canopy for protection against the afternoon sun. But this is mid morning, there is no escaping the sun.

The lower pool, up close:

And from a distance:

I have a soak, a swim and I take some pictures. And then I have a little mishap. I’m walking about, taking pictures. I think to put down my camera, but I forget that I’m wearing my glasses. I plunge into the water to swim and realize too late that I still have my glasses on. Of course I lose them in the swiftly flowing water. The water is clear and I try to find the glasses, but it’s no use.

This next picture was in fact taken last September by Captain. It’s me swimming, precisely where I lost my glasses.

Some of my friends at home in Besançon will remember that I lost those same glasses last winter. I waited, thinking they would turn up, but I finally had them replaced. Then I found the first pair and so, fortunately, I have an extra pair here with me.

I don’t think my lost glasses will make their way back to me this time.

On the Mendocino coast

August 25, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Food, Friends, Giant redwoods, Mendocino county, Wine | 2 Comments

August 13th, 2014

I leave Orr Hotsprings just after lunch and arrive in Fort Bragg at the end of the afternoon at the home of my longtime friend, Louise. The Mendocino coast in summer is a land of fog and cool temperatures, though a few miles inland Mendocino County is warm and sunny.

Here is Van parked in front of Louise’s house:

The house is set among redwoods just north of town:

In her garden out back Louise grows much of her own food. The area has a very long growing season:

Here’s Louise and her dog, Oso:

Dinner this evening is salmon poached with dill…

…with vegetables and salad from the garden:

Louise with her son Isaac:

The next day Louise and I drive inland to visit another redwood forest, Hendy Woods:

I’m not going to show you all of my photos; you’ve already seen plenty of redwoods, but a few of these are worthwhile to give you an idea of the size of these trees:

Here’s Louise standing inside one of the burnt-out trees:

…and on top of a fallen stump:

There are some interesting tree sculptures here too:

…and up close:

But we don’t only visit redwoods. We also go wine tasting at several of the area’s many wineries. Here’s just one of them, called “Toulouse”:

And some of our purchases:

Notice the goose on each label.

On the way home we find a perfect place on the Navarro River for a swim:

But it’s getting late:

The next day Louise and I take a long walk in the morning, and in the afternoon we go for a bike ride along the Navarro River:

Notice the fog. We’re at the mouth of the river, just a few steps from the beach.

Louise, after an hour’s pedaling:

And me, looking fat and out of breath:

By now the sun has appeared and it’s getting warm.

The road goes on…

…with its share of wildflowers…

…and the ever-present poison oak:

At some point we get side tracked onto this trail while looking for a place to swim:

But it’s getting late and we have to turn around. We must have done about 15 miles.

Evening comes and Isaac makes us an excellent dinner; some friends of his come over, Michael and Alexandra. Unfortunately, I forget to get out my camera. The following morning I leave Fort Bragg, heading north again, but first we go out for breakfast.

Louise and Isaac at the restaurant:

It has been a wonderful few days on the Mendocino coast.

In Montgomery Woods (2)

August 18, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Giant redwoods, Mendocino county | 6 Comments

Just moments after leaving the site of my previous post I did indeed find the official entrance to Montgomery Woods, with a proper sign, a parking lot, restrooms, etc. Bicycles aren’t allowed here, so I leave the bike and head out along the loop trail. The trail goes up and up. I couldn’t have biked it.

But the trail finally levels off and we enter the forest of old-growth redwoods:

Sunlight shines down from on high:

We see traces of the forest fire of 2008:

And here we arrive in one of the best preserved parts of the grove. No wonder they call redwood groves “nature’s cathedrals”:

Further along the trail I come upon a fallen tree:

But, of course, redwoods are not alone here. Ferns flood the forest floor in some places:

Clover too:

And California’s ever present poison oak:

Further along there is more and more evidence of the fire. This tree has its trunk totally burnt out, and yet it still lives:

This one is badly burnt too, and no longer lives:

More traces of the fire:

And much burn debris scattered about:

But we learn from the different information signs that forest fires are in fact good for the redwoods. Their bark is resistant to the flames and fires cleanse the forest floor and allow the undergrowth to renew itself.

Here, a fallen tree serves as a stairway and a walkway:

The trail meanders through a meadow of ferns:

And a stream, though dry in this season, runs through it all:

Far back in the canyon, I come upon this makeshift memorial:

Notice the bouquet of roses. If you zoom in you can see a photo of a young man on the left, and you can make out the details of many of these small piles of stones. I decide that I’ll leave something in memoriam too.

I quickly gather a few stones:

From this collection I select a few. Six will do. And I make the following pile which I show here from four different angles:

And I dedicate this to the memory of my parents, Phillip Eugene and Jean Darlene, the father and mother of Tim, Larry and John.

Dad died many years ago, Mom remarried and moved to Redding with her new husband. But today Phil and Jean are together again here, in a cemetery in Petaluma:

It’s getting late now, and I take another trail back down the canyon:

Along the way, I see these deer. I’ve seen quite a few of them, but they don’t like to be photographed:

When I get back to the parking lot I come across this duo:

I have no idea what they’re doing here, or where they come from. This will be one of the many little mysteries of my journey.

In Montgomery Woods (1)

August 15, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Giant redwoods, Mendocino county | 4 Comments

I got on my bike my first morning at Orr and rode two miles to Montgomery Woods, hoping to have a nice long ride among the redwoods. Everything started out just fine. The trail was pretty:

I quickly encountered a few giant redwoods:

To give you a better idea of their size, here’s a picture of the bike leaning against a stump:

I soon encountered a few funny sights, like this small tree bent over the trail:

But the next sight was a bit disconcerting at first. My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, and I came to an abrupt halt when I saw this:

No problem, though, and so I went on my way. But the trail soon got narrower:

And the forest got thinner:

Obstacles soon appeared:

I decided to leave the bike and continue on foot. Here’s the bike looking forlorn and fearful where I chained it to a tree:

By now I was starting to think that I had make a mistake and that this place couldn’t be the real Montgomery State Reserve. And then I came upon this friendly sign, and another sign on the other side of the very same tree:

Notice the grafitti: “Walk along creek to parking lot”. So I turned back, picked up the bike and made my back to the road where I realized that I should have payed attention to some signals. This trashed and abandoned camper:

And this tacky sign:

Notice the name of then-governor Arnold Schwarzenneger. I’ve lived abroad so long that I sometimes forget that Schwarzenegger was actually California’s governor for a number of years, the state’s chief executive. The “governator”, as he was known.

Now I realize that I definitely made some mistake. There must be another entrance somewhere. So on I go, looking for the right place.

At Orr Hot Springs

August 15, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Hot springs, Mendocino county | 2 Comments

I’ve long been a fan of hot springs. With friends, back in our university days I used to go to a place called The Geysers, an old hot springs resort, now no longer in operation. In recent years, in California, I’ve spent time at Wilbur Hot Springs. I like to soak in warm and relaxing mineral waters. It’s good for skin problems and for stress. A few days at such a place is a pause in time, a visit to another space. This was my first time at Orr.

Northwest of Ukiah, in Mendocino County, the site and grounds are located in an isolated and forested canyon.

I parked Van in their car-camping area.

I would have liked to have a little more space around me, personal space for a real campsite, but Orr is so calm and quiet that this was just fine. I had access to the communal kitchen to prepare my meals and soI still haven’t used Van’s kitchen.

My bedroom in Van:

One morning I realized that there had been visitors during the night:

There is a lot of wildlife here. Squirrels, of course, but I didn’t manage to get a picture. And deer wander the grounds freely:

And these cheeky creatures too, especially near the kitchen:

Orr has many little bungalows to rent, like this one:

But the main attraction is the baths:

Further along there’s a another warm pool, a cold swimming pool, a sauna and steam bath.

Here I am, having a soak:

One of the best things about Orr is that it’s is very near Montgomery State Nature Reserve where you can walk among groves of old-growth redwoods. More on than later.

Heading north today

August 11, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Mendocino county | Leave a comment

I’m heading north to Medocino County today, to Orr Hot Springs to be exact. I’ll be camping at a hot springs resort for a few days, my first experience actually camping with Van.

Here’s a picture of me that my brother Larry took as I left Davis, a little over a week ago, the official beginning of my road trip:

Notice my mountain bike, a Diamond Back that I bought in Redding back in 2010 while visiting my mother who still lived there then (she has since passed away). The bike is coming along with us on this trip and I plan to ride it a lot, especially in the national and state parks I’ll visit.

Here I am with the bike out back at the Flying Rock Ranch:

Now it’s time for me to pack up Van. I won’t have any internet access for the next few days, but I’ll post again as soon as I return to civilization.

To those of you back home in France, I hope your weather is good.

Sonoma County days…

August 10, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Sonoma County | 3 Comments

I’m still visiting friends. Yesterday I met up with some of my fellow students from my university days. We had a good time and a good lunch. Here they are, from left to right: Mark, Janet, Ranger and Diana.

And today Mark and I went on an eight-mile hike along the Kortum Trail in the Sonoma Coast State Beaches park. Here we are with the rock-lined coast in the background:

To give you a better idea of this rugged coastline:

August is hardly the month for wildflowers, but along the way we did see quite a few:

And some that may not qualify as wild, but there they were:

The days go by and I’m anxious to get out on the road, but first I still have more friends to see and places to visit here in California. And I have work to do, too. Yes, I’ve brought articles to translate and papers to correct. More about that later, much later. One more day here in Sonoma and then I’m off to Mendocino.

These last few days…

August 9, 2014 by jolsenontheroad2014 in California, Road trip and tagged Family, Friends, Sonoma County | 1 Comment

I’ve been staying here at the Flying Rock Ranch near Santa Rosa, California:

My quarters are in the barn, above the garage.

My friends Debbie and Cheryl:

And last Sunday my brother Tim and his wife Ann-Marie had a party for their 25th wedding anniversary. On this occasion they renewed their vows.

My nephew Isaak introduces his parents:

The vows:

Tim and Ann-Marie the next day, standing in front of Van as we parted company:

The real road trip is coming soon folks, but for the moment I’m visiting family and friends. That’s important.

	jolsenontheroad2014 on Besançon…the ramparts
	shannon on Besançon…the ramparts
	jolsenontheroad2014 on Besançon…the district of…
	Ranger on Besançon…the district of…
	jolsenontheroad2014 on Besançon…the district of…

The Olsen Road – a travel blog

My travels here and there, at different points in place and time

Monthly Archives: August 2014