Heading North
We had a couple of false starts with a few technical difficulties, but finally we were on the road on July 2nd. First stop, Lake Isabella in Kern County. The location was not very scenic, however, very friendly locals came to greet us and checked out BAT; they even offered for us to camp in front of their properties if needed. We met an adorable young family with three kids, who were on summer vacation from Flagstaff. The oldest one was 5 years old, who took an extreme interest in BAT as he walked around it and pointed out the winch and it’s functions, etc. He was quite inquisitive and very smart for a 5 year old. I was truly impressed. I didn’t stay outdoor long because there was a lot of bugs and mosquitoes as we were practically a few feet from the water. And by the way, the local temperature was 93 degrees, hot, hot, hot! I became a night warrior, killing off hundreds of bugs that invaded our camper that night.
Fri 7/3 – heading to Sequoia national park. Hwy 155 is quite scenic at higher elevation, then the landscape dramatically changed as we dropped down into the valleys with miles of golden meadows. Different scenery but also beautiful in its simplicity. Lots of good potential picture-perfect spots but BAT was too big to pull over on the side of the road.
I have a thing for the “lonely tree” type of landscape.
(Hwy 180, Sanger, CA)
We finally reached Sequoia National Park (SNQ) in the early evenings. Found a remote campsite right outside of the Park. It’s a nicely wooded area with very pleasant temperature around 60F in the evenings. I’m loving it here already. I was exhausted by 8pm, got in bed by 9:30 which is unheard of for me as I’m a night owl and usually up until 1 – 2 a.m. at home.
Sat 7/4 – Happy 4th of July everyone! We had a nice pancake breakfast and went for a long hike, checking out the area for a better campsite. The Ranger at the gate suggested we check out Big Meadow for a campsite. After walking 3 miles in the sun, we decided to turn around (6 miles round trip) and explore in BAT in case we found a good spot, we could just camp there. The Big Meadow turned out to be selection of paid campsites, and didn’t offer any better views than where we were, so we decided to pick another spot to remote camp near where we were the previous night. We had no cell/internet signal here so It’s hard to stay connected to friends and family. We resort to exchanging a couple of messages on our Garmin InReach to check on the family etc.
After dinner, we decided to watch a movie on DVD – SWAT. It was quite enjoyable with our surround sound, but of course Paul can never watch any movies to the end; he always zonks out half way through…
Tomorrow we plan to explore some of the famous sites inside the park.
Su 7/5/20 – We visited the Giant Forest inside the SQP. The trail is a beautiful paved path, easy to get to, very pleasant day for an easy stroll to enjoy the land of the giant trees. The most notable site in the Giant Forest is the General Sherman Tree, which stands 275 ft tall, trunk weights ~1,385 tons, and circumference at the base is nearly 103 ft. You can’t appreciate the size from the stats until you stand next to it and realize the grandeur of nature. Makes me realize that we are just a fragment of the earth, yet, probably the most destructive living element.
Below is an extraction from the Sequoia & Kings Canyon pamphlet:
“When I entered this sublime wilderness the day was nearly done, the trees with rosy, glowing countenances seemed to be hushed and thoughtful, as if waiting in conscious religious dependence on the sun, and one naturally walked softly and awestricken among them.” May you follow in Muir’s footsteps.
And that’s exactly how I felt, just can’t put it into words the way John Muir did above.
We made our way to the Crystal Cave, however, this section of the park was closed due to covid-19. Bummer!
We headed towards Hume Lake, never heard of this lake before until now – Paul’s neighbor recommended it. As we descended from SNP 7000 ft elevation, we can see the outline of Lake Hume with emerald water, surrounded by the evergreens, under the bright blue sky, I can feel a sense of tranquil emerging. What a wonderful feeling. I couldn’t wait to explore the lake and capture some pictures.
We found a camp site, Hume Lake campground ($31/day) so we can hang out for a couple of days and relax a bit. Once situated in the campsite, we took our UBCO bikes back into town and around the lake. Having only rode this electric bike once on our last trip in Stanley, ID, I have to learn how to ride this bike all over again. It was stressful for me as I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before since the electric bike throttle can really take off with our without you if you’re not careful. I still remember a 4×6″ bruise from the last time I rode this bike.
The ride around town was very pleasant, the lake was beautiful with people are hanging out on the lawn, on the beach, enjoying the sunshine, canoeing in the lake, paddle boat, fishing, swimming, etc. Life seems so normal despite all that’s happening in the major cities across the USA. We made several stops around the lake to take pictures and call it a day since we both were quite exhausted, probably sun beaten from the hike in the Giant Forest and then the bike around town.
Had an easy dinner, relax a bit and hit the bed around 10:00 p.m. That’s the second day in a row for me, going to bed so early. Is this what happens when you don’t have cell/wifi signal so you can’t browse your email and watch Netflix at night? Having said that, it is quite nice to unplug from the daily media with constant broadcast of Covid-19 and BLM protests. This trip was very much needed to reset our mind and rejuvenate with the beauty of nature. As we drove around the Sequoia National Forest, I remember smiling and thinking to myself “this is so beautiful and relaxing…” Can’t believe we’re so lucky to be living in CA and be surrounded by beaches, mountains, lakes, national parks, and all that nature has to offer with reasonable weather year round. Um…um…um…. Life is worth living, and I thank God that I’m so lucky to be able to retire early and enjoy these road trips.
7/7 on the way out of Hume Lake, we passed through Kings Canyon National Park and stopped by General Grant tree which was equally inspiring. Another amazing site to visit.
Camped at Betable RV site that night, which was an hour from Felton.
7/8 – Fenton, CA – We visited with Brett, Paul’s friend who lives deep in the woods (no, not really). It was quite a challenge to squeeze BAT into his parking lot since it is surrounded by a collection of ~40-50 year old Land Rovers. Brett is a Landy enthusiast and quite a mechanic! I thought I counted 8 Landies, but Paul pointed me to another lot, so there’s a total of 15 Landies there. Brett checked out BAT from head to toe, to side ways, pointing out the various bells and whistles beneath the truck. I mentioned to Brett that when Paul wants to take BAT to other exotic locales beyond my comfort zone, he’s welcome to join Paul on these journeys. He was sold on the idea without any hesitation.
Scotts valley, Ca – We had a lovely visit with one of Paul’s long term friends from the United Kingdom: Joanna, Steve, Nicole, Emily. Joanna treated us with an array of snacks, various cheese & crackers, chips, dips, grapes, etc. Joanna’s family and her neighbors, Judy & Gregory came out to check out the BAT. They gave us some sightseeing tips further up north. It was a fun visit.
We camped at Davenport, Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn’s parking lot overnight after having dinner there. We made our way across the street to revisit one of my failed attempt of this overly photographed spot by famous photographers that I dubbed it looks like “gateway to heaven,” but in reality it is the remains of once a pipeline to the local oil refinery. However, this time we got lucky with a beautiful sunset to make up for the last disappointed visit. Yay!
7/9/20 – Highway 1 stretched along the CA coastline with pristine beaches, sea cliffs, light house. Still in its native landscape, not overdeveloped with hotels, restaurants and resorts. Cold air, light wind, overcast. It must have been over 30 years since I’ve been on this road.
We drove through downtown San Francisco to cross the famous Golden Gate bridge. Downtown San Francisco seems deserted due to Covid19. The once hustle bustle of SanFran appears to have been stripped of its life-support as though a major storm swept through the area. While not in ruin, it just seems a little lifeless. After the long awaited crossing of the Golden Gate bridge, we stopped by the Golden Gate vista point. What an awesome view of the Golden Gate Bridge casting it’s shadow on the skyline of SanFran while big and small sail boats glide across the water in the warm sunlight. This area and view reassured me that San Fran remains beautiful, charming and mighty regardless of the covid-19 storm. And this too shall pass…
7/10/20 Driving through Napa Valley, we spotted several wineries with popular brands that are sold practically everywhere. They all look so inviting with beautiful vineyards. This is one of those places where you need to spend a week to hit all the wineries. Paul indicated that the Wine Train usually runs up and down the main strip for visitors to do wine tasting without having to drive. Not sure if they are no longer operable, or temporarily shut down due to covid 19 but the train was not running when we visited the area.
We booked a tour/wine tasting at the Castello di Amorosa (Castle of Love) winery. Due to covid-19, entry was by reservation only, and we can only be seated outside on the patio. They actually checked our temperature before being admitted. It is a very lovely castle, Tuscany style, completely resembled the medieval castle with a moat, drawbridge, five towers, courtyard, great hall, chapel, etc. We had a personal tour of the main court yard, and enjoyed 6 tastings from both Reserve and Premium wine, plus two complementary tastings on the house.
I was so buzzed, I can hardly walk afterward. This is the first time I am actually drunk silly. Then the local temperature skyrocketed to 99 degree F, oh dear, I rushed back to the BAT and passed out on the bed. Paul had to turn on the AC, and even then, I had to put a wet towel on my forehead and neck to cool down. I guess the combination of alcohol and high tempt did me in! Don’t think I’ll ever do this again. I was passed out until 6 pm before I can get up to have dinner. We came back to the Skyline Wilderness Park to camp again since the tempt was so much cooler, over 20 degree difference with only 36 miles out in Napa Valley.
7/11/20 –Headed back to the coastline on Hwy 1 today to cool off. We passed through Bodega Bay, rugged but quaint beach town. People are out and about lining up at small restaurants & shops enjoying the weekend. Along the road, cars are lining up on the water edge to take in the view and hiked down to the various beaches. What a beautiful day with extraordinary sites.
The iOverlander app got us to this incredible spot by the Russian River, where the river meets the Pacific ocean (Jenner Belvedere Sea Lion Rest Place on Hwy 1). It is an absolutely breathtaking view with crystal clear blue river water separated by a narrow channel with dark sand beaches and the river snakes into the oceans where the sea lions sunbathe without a care in the world. We’re going to camp here overnight so we can wake up to a magnificent view.
We had a late lunch, bread, cheese, wine & grapes. Perfect for a late afternoon, and then sat outside enjoying the view. Paul had his binocular out surveying the area. The binoculars belongs to Paul’s father and were gifted to him when his father passed away. He brings them with him on all his trips. We were hoping to catch an amazing sunset but after a long wait, it wasn’t as dramatic as we had hoped so we came inside and enjoyed Kung Pao Chicken and rice for dinner.
7/12/20 – Continue on Hwy 1, very twisty, narrow around the mountain, hugging the coast line. Stopped by Timber Cove, beautiful lodge overlooking the ocean with rugged beach, a picturesque spot.
We camped at Glass Beach dead end road in Ft Bragg. It has a nice long walking trail along the beach. Weather was just perfect for the stroll.
7/13/20 – We then headed to Usal Beach, the long awaited destination for Paul based on his YouTube research. The moment we turned left onto Usal road, I knew it was going to be an unpleasant experience. The road was windy, narrow, uphill, rough dirt road. We were heading into the woods, thicken with trees heavily dusted by the wind and vehicles passing through. It looks as though we were about to enter into a horror movie where Jason is gonna jump out in front of us with a hacksaw! As we climbed uphill, there were cars coming down, and car/truck vs BAT in both directions came to a screeching halt as either party was willing to back up, while Paul insisted on his right of way since he’s going uphill. Ten miles of tension, it’s like a bad roller coaster ride that won’t end. No paradise in the world is worth it for me to endure this type of road! Even worse, I know that this is the only way out so I will have to endure this nightmare the second time! Sadly (for me), when we finally reached the beach, it wasn’t even exotic or as pretty as other beaches we’ve been to in CA. I was not a happy camper, figuratively and literally.
Endless Trail Expeditions 