Tsunami Warnings!
It is rather daunting to drive along the Oregon/California coast and read signs pointing out tsunami escape routes. We began viewing the ocean with suspicion. On the coast from Gold Beach to just north of Crescent City the highway is bordered by the dramatic ocean on the west and a dense redwood forest on the east.
Susceptible to tsunamis, Crescent City has experienced tidal wave conditions 17 times between 1943 and 1994. On March 27, 1964 the Good Friday Earthquake off Anchorage, Alaska set in motion local landslide tsunamis, one that sped down the West Coast to the state of Washington killing 12 people.
Tsunami-ready today, Crescent City experienced a 7.0 earthquake in 2005 ninety miles offshore. Much of the city was evacuated in a matter of 20 minutes with the tsunami warning sounded. Fortunately no tidal wave occurred.
Thankfully our campsite, just a few miles into California, was a bit inland, shaded by lovely redwood trees and graced with sun. In the morning we drove back into Oregon a short distance, over Grey Back Pass and south into the little California town of Happy Camp.
Referred to as “The Heart of the Klamath,” Happy Camp straddles the Klamath River on Highway 96 between Yreka on the east and Eureka on the west. It is the ancestral home of the Karuk Tribe and hang out for Bigfoot. Rafters ride the rapids of the Klamath while, until a recent change of law, gold seekers set up dredges.
DOUBLE D RANCH
Here in this little town, prosperous before the moratorium on old growth logging, families struggle to survive. We stayed at the Double D Ranch owned by my sister and her husband. Their 150 acres are bordered by a small lake, the old growth forest and the Klamath River. At dinner time my sister gathers vegetables from the garden. Unfortunately we were too early for corn, apples and pears, but on time for fresh whole and cherry tomatoes, lettuces, peppers, zucchini, eggplant and melons. Blackberries, plump and sweet, are ready for plucking. Colorful flowers bloom everywhere and grace the ranch house in vases. A city girl, I am always awed observing the cows, horses, goats and chickens. Vegetables straight from the garden are a treat, and eggs fresh from the chicken coop are thick and bright in color.
On a trip to the chicken coop to gather eggs, my sister Karen gave me a broom stick to protect myself if the rooster attacked me. I think she was just trying to pay me back for picking on her when she was a kid, but I held onto the stick just in case. Our reward was two brown eggs.
George is a master at the BBQ.
The three boston terriers are a constant form of entertainment.
My sister Casey, still a child in my eyes, is superintendent of the school district and principal of the elementary school. She treats us like royalty as does her husband. My sister Karen and brother Chris also live in the compound so it was a mini-family reunion.
Indian Creek, South Fork
With an ice chest, chairs, our noodles and two Boston terriers, we hopped in my brother’s truck and headed to his “secret spot.” After about 40 minutes on mountain roads that turned into a gravel road, we found ourselves at a rocky beach at the creek. About 50 feet across and below a tumbling little rapid is a jade green pool which takes away your breath at first dip. It was a heavenly afternoon.
With leaf-hats, we were back to our childhood days!
The three sisters floating with a blue noodle!
Sadly we said our goodbyes and embarked on the last leg of this monumental journey that took us from California to Chicago via Route 66, to the Black Hills of South Dakota, the geologic wonders of Yellowstone, the big skies of Montana and Idaho, the Columbia Gorge of Washington, and the dramatic Oregon Coast.
With all of above in our rear view mirror, we headed for Lava Beds National Monument.