Feb 13- Still wet

Location: Paynes Creek, California

It still rained in the morning but eventually it eased off so we packed up and thanked Dick for his hospitality. He insisted we take the rest of the Gin with us to boost us up the hills and if the weather gets worse, just come back.

THANKS DICK FOR THE WARM, DRY PLACE TO SLEEP. IT WAS GREAT TO MEET YOU!

The rest of the day was gray and drizzly but the lush, wet woods and misty valleys made this weather quite beautiful and dreamy, in a visual way. In Chester we got on Hwy 36 towards Red Bluff. On the long descent down to Paynes Creek the rain and fog really picked up and we got totally soaked. A lady stopped to offer us a ride to Red Bluff but that was not on our route so no thank you but thank you for the kind offer. Paynes Creek was a bit of a sketchy little town. A bit of a drug dealing town we found out which explained the skeptical looks a few people gave us. We were so cold and wet that camping was not really an option so we asked a guy if we could sleep in his garage. His wife was not too keen on this because we must have made a bit of a rough first impression but the guy was okay with helping us out. It was not the warmest place but at least it was dry. So happy! Thank you so much! We hung up our wet clothes, changed into a dry set and curled up in our sleeping bags. Tomorrow at this time we should be at my sister’s place in Redding with a hot shower and a washing machine and dryer! Yay, cannot wait!

 

Feb 12- Dickadoodledoo

Location: Lake Almanor, California

Lloyd and Pat invited us to stay another night but we had lost several days at Lake Tahoe and felt we should push on. In Quincy we had a very successful dumpster dive!

The ride today took us through some nice, open areas as well as narrow, forested valleys. Very beautiful. Once we reached Lake Almanor it was time to start looking for a sheltered spot to pitch the tent because there was rain in the forecast. We checked out a closed Scouts camp and a picnic site but there was no good shelter anywhere. So we just kept riding. It was a long straight road with some small hills, tall woods on both sides. No houses or anything. The light kept fading and we decided to just set up in the woods if nothing better comes up within the next ten minutes. Not long after a road joined the highway from the right and we assumed it led down to the lake front. There must be some buildings down there! Yes there were and we also saw a sign for another camp. They would probably be closed for the season but perhaps there would be a little covered deck we could camp on. At the camp there was a house which looked very much lived in and before we even got off our bikes its quirky inhabitant came out with a big smile, welcomed us to his place, thanked us for swinging by, introduced himself as Dick the camp manager and asked what could he do for us. We told him we just wanted to pitch our tent somewhere, preferably in a sheltered spot so it would not get drenched at night. He said he has just the place for us. He waved at us to follow him and led us over to a smaller house. During camping season it serves as some kind of staff accommodation but now nobody was in it and Dick said we are welcome to set up in here. He turned to power back on, brought us a heater, a bowl of drinking water, several cups (one filled with candies) and then asked if we liked Gin and Tonics. Well yes we do. He disappeared again and returned with a large, half full bottle of Gin and a bottle of Tonic water. We thanked him very much and invited him to have a drink with us. He declined and with a funny smirk replied that the Olympics were on TV right now and he could at no cost miss them. Good night. Call if you need anything.

Hahaha. What a funny guy.

Needless to say we were so very grateful for this cute house. It was so cozy. We had just prayed for a sheltered place to sleep but we got this wonderful cabin and a very funny next door neighbour. Thank you Lord for looking after us. We had a very nice evening and a warm, dry night while it poured buckets outside and the wind blew like mad. Our tent would not have coped well with all this. So happy to be inside!

 

Feb 11- Graeagle

Location: Graeagle, California

Sierraville

Hwy 89 became significantly quieter north of Truckee. It was a beautiful day and fantastic forests. Since leaving North America in 2012 we had not spent much time in forests so today was such a treat. The woods smelled so fresh and sweet. We came through some beautiful farmland around Sierraville. Most of the houses were older, picturesque and stylish buildings. We made it all the way to Graeagle (say “Gray Eagle”) where we were supposed to stay with another cyclists, Daniel, but since he was still out of town he had arranged for us to stay with his friends Lloyd and Pat. Fortunately Daniel came by before our departure next morning so we got to meet him too. We had a very nice evening with our hosts and Lloyd entertained us with stories from his many years of surveying for the Department of Transportation. Lloyd had also hiked a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), which runs close to Graeagle, and he and Pat are active trail angels, who are volunteers who support PCT hikers by offering food, shelter, shower etc. Hearing all these stories almost maked me want to go hiking, if it wasn’t for the heavy pack I would have to carry. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH DANIEL, LLOYD AND PAT FOR THE LOVELY HOSPITALITY AND ALL THE GOOD CONVERSATIONS. IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU AND WE HOPE OUR PATHS WILL CROSS AGAIN SOMEDAY.