Stopped in Shasta City for latte and muffins at a cafe - $15 to support the cooperative! Classes in forgiveness and reconciliation alongside crystals set the scene. Met a Brit who had an epiphany while living in SF and settled in Shasta city with a smaller family footprint. Made friends with Sharon, a lovely lady with eye patch, and whimsically decorated bicycle, and chewed the fat about the brakes on her Harley sportster. She gave us an apple and cycled off.
We took a detour to the McArthur-Burney falls state park and stretched our legs with a walk to the falls (Burney was killed by 'Indians' so the tale goes) then set up camp at Manzanita Lake camp site in Lassen National Forest, the least visited park in the USA! Peter finds the best places. With the 10,457' snow-covered MT Lassen as backdrop, the lake was picture-perfect. (Christie and Stu we had 'your' cabin picked out.) A red-winged blackbird hitched a ride aboard a canada goose, and fly fishermen cast their lines.
The only thing wrong with this picture was the dinner: we scrambled together some ingredients from the park store and ate corn tortillas with retried beans and guacamole. Probably our worst meal yet. But we had a laugh heaving huge rocks into place around the fire in the absence of lawn chairs, and washed it down with beers, which always helps. Camping by motorbike is an exercise in minimalism.
Day 5 Lassen to Lk Tahoe 355 km
After a dawn walk around the lake (Peter) and some lakeside stretching and reading (Jayne) we braced ourselves for a ride alongside high snow banks through this volcanic park. it was rider's (not a passenger's) descent through about 5,000 ft with twists and turns and hairpins that leave you breathless. Stops today included freshly baked bear claws and coffee at Carl's Bakery, a 100-yr-old concern, where we met 2 chatty cyclists, and a chocolate malt at a bustling store in Greagle. Every town in this county, Sierra, was called ville - Sierraville, Susanville, endlessly. Then to Truckee - an old railroad junction done up for visitors with snazzy gift shops and cafes. Watched an Amtrak pull in, very stately, and load passengers bound for Colorado.
Next stop Lake Tahoe, Mediterranean-style lakeside towns built high up on the mountainside overlooking the turquoise lake strewn with Crisscross Craft and fancy motor boats. Another pretty campsite beside the lake where swimming is de rigeur altho chilly until the sun bursts out. At 6,400 ft the nights are star-filled and cool, the days are baking.
day 6 - Lake Tahoe - Eagle Lake hike
Relaxing day of hiking, swimming, soaking up the sun and not riding the bike. On that subject, for the first 2 days my backside was crying out for a stretch after every hour of riding. By day 3 our 'butts' seemed to embrace the saddle and there is no more pain!
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