Date: 2014-05-14
From: Elkton, VA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Monday, 12 May 2014From the Idyllwild Inn to Best Western in Santa Nella, CA. I picked up my crocheting through the Central Valley drive. The Best Western is right next door to Andersen Pea Soup Restaurant, which has been advertised for miles now. We walked there for dinner. The pea soup is vegetarian! You don't often find that. But I am amazed that their whole marketing is based on pea soup!Tuesday, 13 May 2014From the Best Western at Santa Nella, CA to La Quinta in Ashland, OR. We munched through the northern end of the Central Valley, first stopping at a Starbucks, then eating up a container of pistashios, cut apples and sectioned oranges, a sandwich wrap and a soda. The valley started to narrow and the mountains lay in the distance, with the temperature reaching 93 degrees. Fortunately there was a breeze, but still.... A snowcapped mountain lay to the east - Mt. Lassen. Then, to the north, another snow-capped mountain peeked over the foothills - Mt. Shasta. We started climbing, and Mt. Shasta grew in grandeur. And the temperature dropped 10+ degrees. We're in the Siskiyou mountains, between northern California and southern Oregon. Siskiyou Mt. Pass, at 4310 feet, is the highest point on I-5, and I-5 runs from southern California to the Canadian border in Washington State! Oh, does anybody know what state has the longest east-west or north-south interstate section runnning through it? We think it's California's I-5 section, with the last exit at mile 796 and a couple miles still left to go before Oregon.I took "care" of a little remnant from my time on the AT. About the 3rd or 4th day of hiking, I had gotten a blister under the callus on my bunion! Doesn't that sound like an old pair of feet! Fortunately, it didn't hurt too much as long as I wasn't walking on an uphill side, pushing the bunion into the side of the shoe. That very think, discolored, and hard, flap of skin finally pulled off! I'm still waiting for the nail on my left foot's 2nd toe to fall off. I think the top part has lifted from the skin, but it is still attached near the quick. Wearing sandals this trip, when we were in Omaha, visiting Linda and Paul, their youngest grandson noticed the black toe and asked me what happened and if it hurt.Ah, Ashland! It feels as if we're almost home! We went into town for dinner and ate at the Greenleaf, with outdoor seating along the stream. FAHthur and I stayed at a bed and breakfast here last July for our anniversary, on our way to Belden, California to meet up with Buffalo, Scones, and Doodles on the PCT. Here we are again, using it as a respite after the AT (!) and PCT! Ashland is known for their Shakespeare Festival and is a very cute and quaint little town.Wednesday, 14 May 2014A beautiful blue sky day. After taking the dogs out, FAHthur went to the breakfast buffet and brought some food up to the room. He said that, according to the news, the Bakersfield area is getting 100 degree temps, Ashland will be in the 90's, and Seattle with 81 degrees. It's good to be heading north!We weren't on the road very long when Chena hopped in the back seat and threw up, twice. (I always say, "Where there's one, there's two!") We were off the highway looking (in vain) for a Starbucks, so we pulled into a parking lot to clean it up. We did what we could then folded up the one blanket and towel that took the hit, and stuffed them in a bag. On the road again, driving along, she leaves my lap to go on Marty's lap, and proceeds to throw up again! Fortunately, it wasn't very much and Marty didn't get hit, but we will be getting a new US road atlas! And the area around the hand break and part of the console got cleaned! She's sleeping peacefully now, so I think she's OK. We decided to get off at Roseburg so I can get a latte. We know where the coffee drive-thru is, as we have stopped here before. Looks like lunch break at the local high school - cars of teenagers as well as teenage walk-ups to the stand! We got a dog biscuit, which I split for the two dogs. Chena seems to be OK now. As we drove past the high school, the word of the week was up on the reader board: SHEBANG! Yup, she up - chucked the whole shebang this morning!I left a message for Buffalo. I read an article from the AT Journeys online magazine about ticks and how to protect oneself from them. Besides the rocks, the ticks also scared the weegeebees out of me! Stay safe, Buffalo and all who are hiking!Stopped at a rest area just north of Eugene, OR. We were getting water for the dogs and I noticed a blob on FAHthur's shirt - bird poop! Some cultures consider that good luck but you can't convince FAHthur of that! I cleaned it up the best I could. We're going home! Good thing. We're running out of clean clothes, paper towels, and garbage bags!Home sweet home! The dogs immediately went to the couch and FAHthur put up the front sunshade. Our neighbor John came over and chatted. I did a little "mountain-top removal" and excavation with the pile of mail that John made on our table! Ah! Home!Similarities Between Thru-Hiking and Long-Distance Road Trips: 1. Hiker Trash and Interstate Trash: Could be a long time between laundry. Feel wind-blown, sun drained, and trail/road-weary, eating whatever is convenient and available. 2. Leapfroging: Between speeds, breaks, and stops, one could pass and be passed by another hiker/car several times within a few days (for hikers), or on a given day on a road trip. 3. Town Stops: Food, fuel, and forty winks 4. Itineraries are meant to be changed: 5. Trail Names: We were leapfrogging with "Maine" - a car with Maine license plates, who was slower than us going up hills, but faster going downhills! 6. Food repackaging: we bought salad greens and cut up fruit and veggies in hard shell plastic containers. We dumped them in bags to fit better in our "bear bag", a small cooler. 7. Check and recheck the campsite before leaving: Fortunately, we didn't learn this the hard way, but I was especially concerned about this at my cousin's house, where we spent 2 nights and had things in the living room, kitchen, and bedroom 8. Clothes double as towels, especially the last day on the road going home. 9. When illness or injury happens, change course a bit to deal with it.10. The less you need to take, the more enjoyable the trip! (I STILL need to learn this!)Thanks for following our Yellow-Blazing Adventures! I tried to keep the AT Adventures going, along with our cross-country trip. Entries now will be either Buffalo writing from towns or phone updates from me. Thanks for staying with us!The Mum!