Day 193 - 199, Crescent City to Fairfield

Day  193, 110 km

In Crescent City I found a big visitor center specially for all Redwoods. 

Although they opened first at 9:00 and it was only 8:30 when I passed, I decided to wait. They gave me maps were I could find the most beautiful parts, the highest trees and all trees which were possible to drive through with a car (actually there are three different trees with a tunnel through).

Soon the road left the coast and went up on a hill covered with a large Redwood forest. See how small the car appears in next to the big trees!

 At a place called Mysterious trees I found a "Family Tree" which seemed to carry about six younger trees on its branches.

 Redwoods can grow very close to each other so it was quite dark.

 At one place nine big trees formed almost a circle, like a cathedral. Actually there was a sign that many wedding were hold in this cathedral.

 I stepped inside, laid the camera on the ground behind the desk for the priest and took this picture:

 Outside this park with Mysterious Trees there were huge concrete sculptures and giant two wheeled car that was used at the time when the cut down most of the redwoods.

The weather seems to be unpredictable in California. It begun to rain and it rained all day long.
In Klamath I found one of the trees where it was possible to drive through with a car.

 I rode through many more Redwoods. Here I tried to show that even a big "Quadvan" seems tiny beside these trees,

 Late in the evening I came to Trinidad, were I was invited by a teacher and warmshower member named Carol. It was really good to sleep in a house that day because all me clothes were completely wet.

Day 194, 70 km

It was a sunny day. At a view point I stopped and watched some people down at the beach. They did something around the small ponds between the dunes. I never listed out what but I made a nice picture.

 This is at the same place with wide-angle.

 I made a long lunch stop in the sun and arrived in Ferndale when it became dark (5:00 pm). There I decided to spend the evening in a pub. Then I went up on the very small coastal way towards Petrolia. I only started the steep hill until I found a good place for my tent.

Day 195, 70 km

I started early in the morning. It was cold and frosty, but the sun came  and it was a very beautiful day.

 Soon I came above the clouds which were covering the valleys.

 When I came over the pass of about 550 m, I could see the ocean far down.

 The road down was also very steep. Then it went up on the next hill, which was not so high but even steeper. I had to use my brakes a lot that day. Several times my rims became so hot that I could not touch them.

 Here you see the second hill from behind. Later I learned to know that bicyclers call it "The Wall"

 The road along the ocean was extremely beautiful. Although I had to force two mountains to see it, it really was worth it!

 At five, when it became dark, a man called Tim stopped with his pickup and invited me to stay at his house.

 He lived in the middle of nowhere without an electric landline connection or telephone. Instead he had solar power and (occasionally) a generator. Television and phone he got via satellite.

 I really enjoyed to stay in his house and after I had played with his grandchildren for some hours I almost felt as a part of his family.

Day 196, 105 km

Next day Tim had to visit his doctor in Garberville, so he drove me there. The road had many more ups and downs with wonderful sights above the clouds. But it would have taken me many hours to force them!

 I had told for Tim that I became fascinated of Geology 1980 when Mt St Helens had his eruption. He told me that he was also fascinated when everything was covered with a layer of ashes. He did not know why he collected some of it, but he still had it in a jar and thought I could get a little of it. So he donated me a bag of ashes.
It is quite heavy and I decided to put this bag into my backpack. Whenever I stop to eat something I take about one teaspoon and spread it in the air. The very last teaspoon I will bring to my home in Stockholm.

It was much easier to ride in the big route 101 but soon my rear tire exploded. I was happy to have a spare tire! About ten kilometers after I had changed it, another spoke on my rear wheel broke...
I passed even more redwoods this day. Since it was not raining I had more time to take pictures with self-timer. I put the camera on the seat of my bike and succeeded to run to the tee within ten seconds.

can you see me?

 In the afternoon I left route 101 and took route 1 which was closer to the scenic coast. Again I had to go over a steep hill and I arrived the coast before sunset.

 I slept on a Camping site near Fort Bragg.

Day 197, 80 km

When I left the Camping early in the morning for some minutes the sky flashed up in red colors.

 But then it begun to rain again and it rained almost all day. There was also a hard headwind so I decided to take a shortcut in route 128 towards Fairfield, where I had to pick up a letter with a new credit card. So I went through the Anderson Valley, where the wind was not so strong. Actually there were Redwooods near the coast.

 In this trunk I found some shelter for the rain.

Then I stopped at a place called "Rock Stop". I was tempted to buy a lot of nice stones but I decided to just take pictures, which were not so heavy. The owner told me that he had found a lot of very rare Jade which he had sold and exchanged all over the world.

 When I came longer into the valley there were many vineyards and wineries. I also saw a lot of sheep.

 When it became dark I stopped at a grocery store. There I again a man stopped with his pickup and asked me where I planned to stay for the night. Since I had no plans he invited me to his house, although his wife had a bad toothache.

 They had a lot of buildings on their property and I spent the night in their library.

 Since his wife used to be a teacher and both liked reading, they had a lot of interesting books!

Day 198, 120 km

The rain begun only some minutes after I left the library and continued all day. If somebody asks me what season I have here I would say autumn. Many trees have red and yellow leaves. But next to them I can see more and more palms and trees that do not change their leaves.

 In the middle of the day I decided to stop at a pizzeria. The Pizzas were not cheap but I right when I wanted to order one a guy asked me if he could invite me. He had seen me coming on my bike and was curious to hear my story. He also worked as a teacher and before that he had worked for 17 years at a Kindergarten!

 After that I continued until 6 pm, than I went to a bar and drank a beer while I tried to dry all my wet clothes. Then I continued some more kilometers until I found a good place for my tent. It rained all night long.

Day 199, 50 km

I rode down the Napa Valley. There were vineyards everywhere and even beautiful trees.

 When I came to Napa I turned left over a rocky hill. One of the rocks looked like a face!

 Already in the middle of the day I arrived in Fairfield, at an address I got from a mother in the waldorf school in Beijing! My credit card was already here before me, but not the battery to my laptop which I ordered last week.I think it will come tomorrow.
Now I stay in this beautiful big house with a wonderful view over Fairfield.