First Day(s)

Well, the trip started out pretty well. Left Salem about 1:00. Then got stuck in a massive traffic jam on I-5. Apparently there had been an 8 car wreck that closed both north- and south-bound lanes just south of the Corvalis Exit at 12:30. They had the whole freeway detoured over to 99E for 8 miles, then back on the freeway. It ate up an hour or so, but I guess it could have been worse. After that I made good time; drove through the rest of Oregon without having to stop once. I ended up camping along Bear Creek, which is a tributary of the Klamath River. I forgot how beautiful the Siskiyous are. Rugged hills covered with Juniper and Jack pines, which look suspiciously like Ponderosas, except for their propensity to split into two or three crowns mid way up. No cell phone coverage out there, so sorry to those of you I was supposed to call.

Met an interesting guy at the campsite. From Coos Bay, his name was Tim and he had been staying at this place with his girlfriend for 5 or 6 days when I got there. He was a pretty friendly dude, and apparently an inventor as well. As he explained to me over a beer, he had applied for a patent on a sleeping bag with an integrated air mattress. He was shopping the idea around to a couple of companies including Coleman. It sounded like a pretty sweet idea, and I was pretty surprised nobody had thought of it before. He and his girlfriend planned on staying there for a while longer, then campsite hopping the Klamath all summer.

And of course, on the first night out, one of my tent poles snapped. It had been cracked for a while, and so I suppose this is what I get for not replacing it earlier. There is an REI in Sacramento, so I guess I’ll stop there today and see if I can get it fixed.

Up at 6:30 this morning and on the road by 7. I’m always amazed at how early I get up when camping. The excitement of traveling always seems to get me up and awake and out better than anything else. But as soon as I crossed out of the Siskiyous and into Shasta country is started raining. And raining. Of course, its probably beautiful weather in the NW. But, as consolation, it’s been about 90 degrees in Yosemite, which I am definitely looking forward to.

Right now I am in Redding, typing away at a Starbucks. Hopefully tonight I’ll be staying with a friend in Sacramento, then bum around somewhere tomorrow and Saturday, the Yosemite on Sunday. I’m pretty stoked.