Steve – Page 787 – Steve and Judy's Travels!

June 2, 2015October 21, 2019

A winding road to the west

Highway 44 past Mount Lassen.

Across the High Sierras. Downhill to Redding at the top of that huge central California valley called the San Joaquin Valley to the south and the Sacramento Valley to the north. JGW RV Park on the Sacramento River.

2015 summer trip map

June 1, 2015October 21, 2019

It’s amazing

…that campfires are allowed here in California.

It has been so dry, and the fire ring is surrounded by kindling.

We use the pine needles and pinecones to ignite the firewood. The fire ring is well designed; double walled and not very hot to the touch on the outside.

Still scary though. Anyway, it’s still beautiful here.

Good place for a nice long weekend walk.

May 31, 2015October 21, 2019

Eagle Lake

We spotted a guy fishing…

…and catching.

Lake Trout.

Pygmy nuthatch, tree swallow, and mountain bluebird.

The pinecones look like Christmas.

The wilderness camping continues.

May 30, 2015October 21, 2019

Annie hasn’t adjusted to the time change

She went off at 5:45 so Judy could take her out for her morning constitutional. Henry goes where Annie goes. A long level drive from Winnemucca to Sparks. We didn’t have to downshift out of 5th gear or use the exhaust brake even once. That is level driving for sure. Not so from Sparks to Susanville. Lots of ups and downs. When we cross into California the speed limit sign says 65mph. The next speed limit sign says 55mph for trucks or any vehicle towing. The highway goes to two lanes. That’s an interesting set-up. They tell all the cars to go 65mph and all the trucks to go 55mph. What could possibly go wrong with that plan? I set the cruise on 60. Check this out. We found a forest service campground that is big-rig friendly with 50 amp full hook-ups. We’re parked in a pine forest.

Merrill Campground on Eagle Lake north of Susanville.

Golden mantled ground squirrels and white-headed woodpeckers.

2015 summer trip map We seem to finally be out of miller time.

May 29, 2015October 21, 2019

Leaving the rugged snow-capped mountains of Utah behind,

…we head west on Interstate 80, past wind-blown mudflats, then the Great Salt Lake. Ring-billed gulls and California gulls. American avocets and black-necked stilts. Cormorants. Saltair Pavilion perched precariously at the edge of the water. It has seen better days. A marina and a boatyard. Mallards. White pelicans. Teal. Great egrets. Crows and ravens. Railroad tracks alongside the highway. Gleaming white mountains of harvested salt. The construction truck with a sign on the back that says “We don’t pay for windshield chips. Stay back 150 feet.” passes on the left then cuts back close in front of us. I punch off cruise control and coast until he is safely ahead. Annie on Judy’s lap. The road rises over rolling hills and leaves the lake behind. We descend to the flats that go on for another 50 miles. It appears there will be no racing today on the Bonneville Salt Flats. They’re submerged under standing water.

We reach Wendover, Nevada at 10:30am. Then we cross into the Pacific Time Zone, making it 9:30am. We’re making great time. Crossing sky-islands of north/south ridges all across Nevada, we come to the rugged snow-capped mountains south of Wells.

This is where the himalayan snowcocks were released in the 1960s for hunting. They proved too difficult as a game bird, and the isolated flock persists. We won’t see any from where we are. We end the day at the New Frontier RV Park in Winnemucca. Sunny and warm. We’ve done it. We’ve left the cold wet weather behind. 2015 summer trip map