The roads were still very narrow all the way with many blind corners with trucks screaming around them some almost skidding around just touching the middle line. It makes for some tense driving and its surprising just how many trucks there are on these narrow roads. Anyway. We headed into Lassen National Park - it was beautiful and lush green in a really lovely forest. Unfortunately there was not electricity or water on the sites and we really needed to charge up all our electronic goodies after a night out on the road - I had forgotten to do this during the past two days and everything was running low. So after taking some lovely photos of the beautiful green moss on the trees, the ice on the volcano, we moves on over Eskimo HIll Summit of 5993 feet, right near Lassen. The forests were really lovely and easy to see inbetween - it looked as if the logging was only done on every second tree - leaving a full forest, a really beautiful one too. We were driving with the windows open, feet on the dash, classical music playing, smelling that glorious smell of the tall slender pine trees and admiring the blue skies...... simply and rottenly spoiled and absolutely wonderful!
We drove through Susanville, California, towards Reno, Nevada. (Will keep KK from Janesville, Calif in my heart) The scenery changed - no trees, barren ground or very small little scrub shrubs and a very low lying lake that reflected the clear hot sky. This scenery went on for miles intermittently dotted with fire burned areas with blackened trees standing like ghosts all over the place. At times the smell of sage was strong and those plants became more as we got closer to the Nevada line. The traffic was insane, everyone seemingly in a hurry and most of them really pushy. We had cars and truckers honking their horns at us and waving, giving the thumbsup as they drove past. At the first honk, we both automatically look behind us to see if the bakkie is still with us and then relax and wave back at them.
There was a tremendous amount of road works going on all along the way both yesterday and today - and at times we followed rows of orange barrels that looked like long snakes for many, many miles before coming across yet more road repair of some kind. And then we found ourselves on "The Loneliest Road in the World" where we passed the loneliest telephone on a pole in the middle of nowhere. This is highway 50 across Nevada. Why did we pick this road to drive? Yes, Wendy - because it was there! The hills were mustard color, barren with small tight scrub and then suddenly everything changes and a lush greeness appears - no trees but a gently grass type of greenery. Blink and its barren again! At times it looked as if we could be on the moon and it was easy to understand why this is called the Loneliest Road!
The sun started setting when we went through this strange little town with the most incredible uphills and tight curves. We decided that that was enough for the day, found a good an level spot at some or other summit and stopped for the night. The problem was simply that this was the top of a hill, a serious hill on both sides of the top. And all trucks going on this road had to stop and do a brake check before heading down the hill - either way! We had many, many trucks stopping all night long. Well at least we stopped being lonely on this road! The wind came up and there was this little weather station with solar panels and a little thingy with three small cup-like things on it that spun around with the wind. This one needed balancing. Badly. It rattled around its centerpoint making sure we knew it was there. The trucks huffed up the hill, screached to a stop, the drivers checked the tires with their hammers - thud, thud, thud - at least 10 times per truck and then headed downhill using their airbrakes. Great entertainment all night long. At first when we stopped there, I was a little uncomfortable at the remoteness of the place - after the 10th truck I realised that no one would mess with us - there was simply too much company! We just had to laugh and actually slept surprisingly well and it was lovely to listen to the coyotes howling all night long.
This morning at around 7.30am - I only discovered that it was this early once it was too late to do anything about it - the wheels were turning already and the camera was in my hand when I looked in horror at the time! Frank snuck that one in on me really quietly - his grin told all....... The scenery did not change much at all and it looked a bit like Death Valley at 6000 feet up! The mountains were laryered with different shades in an enormous circle around us - strange how this did not seem to change no matter how far we drove - the mountains were always all around us. We drove over and through the Toiyabe National Forest and could find no tree higher than 2 foot. The scenery changed between that short, tight scrub and green grass with the ever present bright yellow bush on the side of the roads. Once or twice beautiful fields of yellow appeared and then somehow they were gone again and the scrub was back. Very odd. We went up one mountain to the summit, down the other side, across a valley, up the next mountain range, to the summit and down across a valley again and again and again. It seemed as if we were forever caught in a pattern and just not actually getting anywhere. A few good spooky stories were born along that road......
Then we took the 93 south right after Ely, Nevada. Going through Reno had been very easy, thankfully and Ely did not really feature as a problem at all. Except for the storms we hit around that ears. The lightening zapped down around us and one strike made a really bright red burning spot on a hill really close by. We did not really want to become a hotspot in this way at all and had really no option but to keep on going. I have to admit to closing my eyes and just leaving it all up to Frank. I was quite happy to try to capture the lightening on camera when it was a fair distance away, but when it crowded my space, I just closed my eyes and thought of Florida! It worked and a few minutes later we were cruising between two different storms watching each side light up but no rain on us. It was quite a sight.
In the early afternoon we crossed into Utah - nothing much changed except the quality of the roads - they got worse and the farm equipement traffic picked up. I really hate passing other vehicles on these little roads but had no option other than creeping along. The wind had been blowing badly all day and Frank was tired from wrestling with the wheel for hours and hours. A humongous truck decided to try and pass us on the right in a short turning lane - all Frank saw was the truck disappearing and presumed that it had turned as that was a turn-only lane! Next thing I knew, this big red monster was breathing in my side of the RV! It was a close call and that driver really lit our fuse - mostly we were glad that we had not connected - he was really pushing his speed and that would have been a nasty picture.. Finally we connected with the Interstate 15 South and to Zion National Park. We found a really lovely, clean park - immediately headed off for much needed showers and hairwash - even before checking my email!
Tomorrow promises lovely weather, beautiful views and happily clicking cameras. We will be here for a few days, maybe moving into the campgrounds inside the park for an extra few days - who knows. We are planning at least one good hike through the park and have already loaded the refridgerator with bottles of cold water. Now to get the hiking boots out again.
The past few days have been a mad dash across a good few states and now we are both needing a good few days to slow down again. This is a really good place to do so.
Love and Light to you all
Especially Penny
and U3, of course!
Annie and Frank
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