I decided to sleep in today. Back in Portland, at a beguilingly large bookstore, I picked up a copy of Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea Quartet. I started on that, listened to a couple podcasts, and rested my eyes in the comfort of my sleeping bag. But all beautiful things must fade—in this case, my stillness gradually gave way to a natural urge that cannot be resolved in the comfort of a sleeping bag. I grumpily resolved that concern and drove on.
Northeastern California is a patchwork of deserts and pine forests. Neither has more vegetation than the other; the deserts are chock-full of short, hardy plants. My favorite is brittlebush; it grows in dense clusters and adds a welcome splash of green and yellow to what is frequently a true sepia landscape. The desert was dominant as I closed in on Alturas, until a signed popped up: STATE INSPECTION, ALL VEHICLES. Most Western states have boat inspections to curb the spread of invasive species, but this was a new one. I pulled into the shack, where the attendant informed me that my fruits and vegetables were being inspected. He pleasantly but firmly confiscated my mandarins, as only Californian citrus is allowed in the state.
Weighing a little less, I turned to the southwest, where Mount Shasta imposed itself upon my vision. I couldn’t get a good picture, but so far, only Mount Rainier can rival its stateliness. I stopped for supplies in Burney, then took the south road to the Lassen National Forest, where evidence of the nearby Lassen Volcano is on full display. I took a self-guided stroll through the Subway Lava Tube, which swallowed up my measly flashlight illumination and was, quite possibly, my first experience with true darkness.
There are plenty of places to camp here, and it’s about time I snapped one of them up. I haven’t seen serious tourist congestion since I left Montana, but it’s starting to pick back up. We’ll see if that trend continues as I keep moving south.
Ah, yes! “California — the land of nuts and fruits!” doesn’t want anyone importing any more “nuts and fruits” than they already have!
Tell you what your great-grandfather did when he went out to California in the 1930s: This was before FDR got elected. He and his friends went to visit one of his aunts living in San Diego at the time. Being so close to Mexico, they decided to cross the border, where they found oranges being sold for 6 cents a crate (about a gross). They bought 3 of them. Then the custom guards told them they couldn’t bring any fruit into California. This was the height of the Great Depression, and food was in short supply and not to be wasted. So, they pulled over to the side of the road and ate ALL their oranges!
That considerably delayed their journey back to the east since they all had the runs for three days!
Have fun in “the land of nuts and fruits!”
That lava tube looks like fun. Good that you had a flash light along! Marc and I went climbing up a hill in the Mammoth CA area to find lava tubes. There was a sign pointing the way. Looked like a short climb up a hill. But at the top of that hill was another hill. We climbed that one, also. Not sure if we climbed the next one or not. But eventually we gave up and went back down the hills. The one you saw sounds like it must have been much more accesable! Thanks to your picture, now I know what one looks like on the outside. Love, Grandma