Rambles along rivers

July 6, 2018 a-roving the birds and the trees

It had been months since Craig and I had gotten out in the camper, not since we blew out its transmission coming back from Death Valley on New Year’s Eve. Though the camper had long since been repaired, we still had not managed to get away — and Craig was getting antsy. The summer’s almost half over! he wailed, as the solstice approached. So we made a plan to go camping over the long 4th of July weekend.

But where to go? We love the Sierra Nevada, but so does everyone else these days (that darned internet!) — which means it can be unpleasantly crowded up there. We opted instead to head back up to northern California, where we had spent the holiday last year and found, to our amazement, that we had little company.

On the road

On Saturday night we headed north. First to Redding (overnight at Motel 6). The next morning, west on Route 299 past Whiskeytown Lake, along the Trinity River through Weaverville and out to Willow Creek. There we turned onto Route 96, which follows the Trinity as it heads north. Across the Hoopa Valley Reservation to Weitchpec, where the Trinity joins the Klamath, and then into Six Rivers National Forest.

Armed with Craig’s well-thumbed copy of Tom Stienstra’s usually-reliable guide to California Camping, we started looking for somewhere to camp around Orleans. The most appealing of the several campgrounds in that area, however, had long been closed. Looking for our second choice led us several miles down a gravel road, where we found new vineyards but no campsites. That was when we thought to check the copyright date of the guidebook: 1998. Yup — that might have been the problem.

NOTE TO SELF: Order the latest editions of Tom Stienstra’s camping and hiking guides!

Camping by the creek

Undaunted, we continued up Route 96 through Somes Bar, where the Salmon joins the Klamath. We stopped at Marble Mountain Ranch — they no longer offer camping — and finally pushed on to Dillon Creek campground, in Klamath National Forest just south of Cottage Grove. Success at last! Small, quiet, fairly shady and with spaces available: it was perfect. Well, almost perfect — there was no running water. But we carry plenty in the camper, so that wasn’t a problem.

From our campsite, it was a very short walk down to the swimming hole on Dillon Creek — the water brisk but very swimmable — and we enjoyed a refreshing dip before dinner. Then we settled in, which mostly meant popping up the camper’s top and setting up the lounge chairs — oh, and getting out our bathrobes and uncorking a bottle of wine. A Windy Oaks pinot noir, homemade guacamole and chips made for a simple but satisfying meal.

The rest of the evening was devoted to cribbage, a game we only play when we’re camping. Craig has much better card sense than I do and beats me consistently. I haven’t given up hope of one day besting him, but so far this year he’s won best of three… Well, okay, he’s won all of three — but now we’re going best of seven!

Unusually for us, we stayed for two nights at Dillon Creek, spending the long leisurely day swimming and reading — for me, Jessica Bruder’s Nomadland, which somehow managed to be at once depressing and hopeful; for Craig, the operating manual for his Mooney (did I mention he’s a private pilot?).

The downside for me: mosquitoes! Several days later, I’m still frantically scratching at my hands and feet, where those little demons left itchy red welts. It simply isn’t fair that I should be so much more toothsome than Craig, who typically comes off unscathed whenever I’m there to draw the bloodsuckers away. It turns out that — in addition to a variety of chemical factors over which I have no control — dark colors (like my perennial black) draw mosquitoes. Who knew?

NOTE TO SELF: Update camping wardrobe with clothing less appealing to those pesky vampires — and buy more insect repellent!

Homeward bound

We headed out Tuesday morning, back down Route 96, making a quick stop at the Salmon River Outpost in Somes Bar for an excellent hot chocolate and caffe breve and another for sparklers and diesel (diesel fuel, corrects Craig — my elision niggles) in Hoopa. Then west on Route 299 to the coast. Crab and shrimp sandwiches for lunch at Gill’s by the Bay in Eureka, then another camping stop — this time at Richardson Grove State Park. Rather miraculously, they had sites available, so we spent the tail end of the afternoon in our lounge chairs sitting in (me) or beside (Craig) the Eel River. Then a flavorful stir-fry with pork tenderloin and lots of veggies, another cribbage defeat (me again), and bed. Wednesday morning we got up early and headed home, an easy drive down 101 and back to the East Bay in plenty of time for a 4th-of-July barbecue!

Same place next year? Sounds like a tradition to me!

With gratitude for the camper,
which makes getting away to the woods simple and comfortable,
and especially for Craig, who makes these trips easy for me
by taking such excellent care of the camper!

Connections
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Morning on the Klamath River

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1 thought on “Rambles along rivers”
  1. Linda Horn

    I had such fun reading about where you explored! Wade and I are getting ready to purchase a trailer, so we can start our adventure. (Not sure where we’re going…feeling like we want to be a couple of old hippies…haha!)

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