Lake Almanor, Lassen and Trash a View + Matt's Side Trip

Lake Almanor is a beautiful spot hidden east of Red Bluff near Mount Lassen. It's a huge lake and one of the most under-rated lakes in California. All around the lake are posters opposing the "Thermal Curtain" so I looked into what it really is and here is what I found:

A diverse coalition of Northern California residents and the Almanor Fishing Association is taking on the role of environmental protector by opposing a proposal to withdraw huge quantities of cold water from 90-year old Lake Almanor. Serious damage to the environment and fishery at Lake Almanor and the nearby Butt Valley Reservoir will occur. Both these lakes have developed reputations for trophy Rainbow Trout and German Brown.

In the case of Butt Valley Reservoir, trophy trout there feed on the pond smelt that pass through the Prattville intake tunnel. The thermal curtain would severely reduce the pond smelt and have a negative impact on trout food supply in the reservoir. Also, PG&E intends to install two thermal curtains to hold the cold water pumped from Lake Almanor which could possibly damage not only the fishery but the very important insect hatches and lake environment.

At Lake Almanor, the removal of cold water – up to 50% during the summer months according to PG&E – would push the “thermocline” (where trout favor the temperature) down about 10 feet, forcing the salmonids (trout & salmon) into an area nearer the bottom where the dissolved oxygen is inadequate. Currently, when the lake temperatures increase, the fish migrate to the colder springs and into the rivers flowing into the lake at the north and northwest ends of the lake. The studies
done in June reported that even now dead salmonids are seen near springs, leading to concerns that the area is already insufficient to support the fish migrating to seek colder water during summer. The lakes’ famous and very important “hex
hatch” could be compromised.

It sounds like a pretty bad idea and as I once read the best thing for the environment is to leave it alone.

The sun was setting over the lake and from our campsite the view was terrific.

Later as the moon came up the glow over the lake as pretty cool.


The next day some people were up early enjoying the lake.


The colors and clear water and surrounding mountains were spactacular.



Along the shore this lone pine appears to be preparing for a swim in the cool lake on this hot day.


While this turquois dragonfly settled in on the green leaves on the shore.


Like I said the water was crystal clear in this high mountain lake altitude 4,500 feet.


We met a nice couple from Sabastopol near Santa Rosa who were camping in this wonderful vintage trailer with Lola their dog.


Matt thought he was sneaking in a picture of me as I shot him and Diana at the campsite.


We left the campground at about 10 am to drive to Redding while Matt, Diana and the girls took off for the peak of Mount Lassen.


Of course there were the usual early summer road construction delays, this is one on Highway 36.


While we didn't drive to Mount Lassen we did drive close by the peak.


We found this heard of "California Happy Cows" in a high mountain meadow at about 6,000 feet.


We started the descent into Redding and Interstate 5 and stopped off at a Vista Point, one of those pull-outs with a view. Unfortunately some people think "Vista" means dump your trash here. How sad it is people can't wait a few minutes to dump trash properly.


The view was nice though and I got one last look at Mount Lassen, where Matt was at the time with the mini-musemobile.


My weird shot of the day was this railing at the view point.


It's been too long since the musemobile posed for a picture so I snapped this shot.


Finally I took a picture of a row of rocks at the vista point.


Matt's Pictures and side trip

Matt, Diana and the girls started the day as we did at Lake Amanor where Matt took this picture.


... and this one of me taking a picture of him.


They took a different route than we did and soon came upon this thermal vent.


...and some closer views of Mount Lassen



Diana became the photographer in this one of Matt and the girls.


I was glad Matt got some wonderful views of sights we missed.


On they went into the snow,,,,,,,,,


...and a snowball fight.



Matt found this snow cave.....


...and went partially inside to get this shot.


Never skate on thin ice - this was a lake partially frozen.


I really liked the balanced boulder in this shot.


Then they hit deep snow.


Sierra then Ansley started up the hill.


Talk about your snow angels, Ansley is definetly one but not in the familar pose.


I think Sierra was skiing with her tennis shoes.


Diana finally took this great picture of the motley crew.



Quote of the Day ~

I don't need a man to rectify my existence. The most profound relationship we'll ever have is the one with ourselves. ~Shirley MacLaine

She was born in Richmond, Virginia to an American father of English descent and a Canadian mother of Irish and Scottish ancestry.

Shirley MacLean Beaty April 24, 1934) is an Academy Award-winning American actress well-known not only for her acting, but for her devotion to her belief in reincarnation. She is also the writer of a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her new age beliefs, such as solipsism, as well as her Hollywood career. She is the older sister of Warren Beatty (Beatty changed his name from Beaty to Beatty).

Academy Awards and Nominations

* 1984 - Won Best Actress in a Leading Role - Terms of Endearment
* 1978 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - The Turning Point
* 1976 - Nominated Best Documentary, Features - The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir
* 1964 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - Irma la Douce
* 1961 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - The Apartment
* 1959 - Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role - Some Came Running

She was named after Shirley Temple.

MacLaine was married to businessman Steve Parker until 1982. They had a daughter, Sachi Parker (b. 1956).

In political circles, MacLaine is known for her former relationship with Andrew Peacock, a former Australian Liberal Party Prime Ministerial asiprant who was later appointed as Ambassador to the United States. She also has a close friendship with Ohio congressman, Dennis Kucinich, who was a candidate in the 2004 Democratic presidential primary.

Red Headed Sapsucker and No Halfdome

I remember as a child watching cartoons of Woody Woodpecker or Sylvester & Tweety Bird or one of those great classics and hearing about a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker. Maybe it was Yosemite Sam, being near Yosemite National Park it probably was Sam. Well I got up today to the sight of two (as we found out later) Red Headed Sapsuckers (follow arrows) on the tree directly in front of the Musemobile.


No! They didn't make the huge hole in our site's picnic table that's a knot hole.


There are lots of "Cruise America" Class "C" RV rental units here in Midpines KOA Campground. Most we find are foreign travlers from mostly Germany but also Holland, Denmark and Australia. I counted 20 of the Cruise America RV's at one point.


Later we spotted a Sapsucker (see arrow) across the field and Scrabble Queen pulled out the - bionoculars (Nikon 10x21 5" Sprint II) that work very well as opposed to the Coleman Bionoculars we purchased last year from a local store (Fred Myers) that had a cracked prism and never worked quite right especially in the right eye; You hear that Coleman and Fred Myers *lol*


Either the original pair came back or another pair showed up in the afternoon right next to the Musemobile. So the next few pictures are, I hope a little better quality. Remember you can click on the picture for a larger view.


I think the one on the right is playing hard to get.


Then he pays attention. Nice and plentiful birds in this area I've already seen about six different pairs flying about.


Well wonders never cease - we went to Mariposa to a Chinese Eatery called Chinese Station. The food was very good especially the Hot & Sour Soup.

Quote of the Day ~

“Even the lonely woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head” ~ Joe Marcucci

From Trees of Mystery on the Road of Switchbacks

We really have been doing things but not taken any new pictures so I'll go back a few days then add some words about where we are and what we are doing and planning.

Back to the Trees of Mystery and Paul Bunton.


The museum at the trees of Mystery is small compared to Bunyon and Babe the blue ox. It is, however, an interesting place to see Native American artifacts. Nice baskets and the like line the walls.


Some are wonderfully crafted and very nice examples of the craft that sustained this countries original inhabitants.


It's hard to imagine the great creativity that preceeded us into the west.


The arrowheads in this collection was a great example of many styles and materials used.


We stayed in Eureka just south of the museum and took off the next day on the 299 highway. The highway had plenty of roadwork from slides and many small delays. This backhoe was perched above a one lane section. If you think this is easy and safe work, it is not, it's not even sane work. I didn't get a picture of it (driving) but just below the back hoe a boulder the size of a VW (I guess now I should say PT Cruiser) had been dislodged and fallen taking out the temporary barrier to the one lane road making it a 1/2 lane road we barely negotiated in the musemobile.



In any case we made it to Redding and in the 129 miles we estimate we had 878 switchbacks, 10 one lane sections (complete with flagmen and stop lights) 6 steep mountain passes and 4.23 hours of travel time. From there into Sacramento was clear sailing on Interstate 5 then a nice 2 lane road to Plymouth, CA and the 49er RV camp. We have been here 2 days with temperatures in the 100's but with a great swimming pool we all enjoyed.

We were able to visit Peter four times in the two days here and the visits were great. Peter sends his love to all Kathy he loves the magazines and is looking forward to seeing you and Larry soon. Elaine he said he wishes he could have been in Balmorhea even if he had trouble pronouncing it and Vivian, he send his best. He hopes we can bring Ed down some time soon and Isaac, he really enjoyed your visit.

Tomorrow we are off to Yosemite but may not see the park until the following day.

Quote of the Day ~

The legendary Texas Congressman Sam Rayburn once gave Jack Valenti a word of advice: "The three most important words in the English language," Rayburn remarked, "are, 'Wait... a... minute.'"


Rayburn, Samuel Taliaferro (1882-1961) American politician, U.S. Congressman (R-Texas) (1913–1961), Speaker of the House (17 terms between 1940 and 1961) [noted for his advocacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program]

I met Sam Rayburn and John Kennedy

once in my life as a high school student September 12, 1960. It was part of his presidential campaign and was in town to address the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. I was on my way home from High School and always got a ride downtown and took a bus home from near the Rice Hotel. Well that day there were motorcycles all over in front of the hotel and I was curious and went into the lobby where a government security person or high campaign worker told me to stand next to him if I wanted to see Kennedy. After a few minutes Sam Rayburn walked by and I got to shake his hand he was wonderfully present and asked where I went to school and I told him St. Thomas to which he replied "Are those Eagles gonna go undefeated again this year" then with a smile he went out to his waiting car. Next came John Kennedy, who shook my hand, probably the most impressive looking person I'd met at that time.

Sam Rayburn died of cancer at age seventy-nine on November 16, 1961 a little over a year later. Two years after "Mr Sam's" death, on November 22, 1963, John Kennedy was hardly past his first thousand days in office, he was killed by an assassin's bullets.

And here I am the Forest Gump of 1960 writing my little blog wishing I could think as great as those men lived.

Crescent City and Really Big Things

We left Brookings after going to Les Schwab to have the tire pressure checked on the Musemobile, filling the Musemobile and mini-musemobile with Oregon gasoline at Fred Meyer (30 cents cheaper than California prices) and a cup of coffee at Dutch Brothers.

Down the road in Crescent City, California. Crescent City is very aware of the dangers of being a sea side community because of the Tsunami that hit March 28, 1964.

"On Good Friday, March 27, 1964, a great earthquake of magnitude 9.2 struck Prince William Sound and Turnagain Heights Lanslide, Alaska, 64 caused severe damage in the form of landslides and liquefaction and Tunami activity (giant waves) from Alaska through Oregon to California claiming a total of 115 lives over the next 24 hours.

The December 26 tsunami had special resonance for residents of Crescent City, California. Their waterfront town of about 7,500 was devastated when a tsunami swept in from the Pacific Ocean early on March 28, 1964. The business district was leveled, and 11 people were killed in Crescent City alone."

The low lying bayfront of Crescent can be seen in this picture looking south from the Post Office (Matthew had to mail something) into the bay and down the coast.


At a higher elevation further south we stopped for a picture and brief respite. The sea stacks never cease to amaze me.


Especially cool is this view through the trees to the top of one of these Pacific protrusions.


Then there is the Redwood Forest and the ultra tourist spot. "Trees of Mystery" in Klamath, California. Complete with .......


A really cool Museum and Fudge store and ........


Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox. Yes, everything in the redwoods is huge as the little boy in this picture pointed out to his mom.


What a great vehicle from Washington state. It's a super-mini-musemolbile that I'm pretty sure gets better gas mileage than the Winnebago.

and it wins hands down on brightness, but for comfort not even close.


No Scrabble until further notice.

Quote of the day ~

Once in a while Babe would run away and be gone all day roaming all over the Northwestern country. His tracks were so far apart that it was impossible to follow him and so deep that a man falling into one could only be hauled out with difficulty and a long rope. Once a settler and his wife and baby fell into one of these tracks and the son got out when he was fifty-seven years old and reported the accident. ~ American Folklore

Winchester 4th of July and Elaine's Birthday Gold Beach

Painting by EBV
"The Birthday Girl"

Matt, Diana, Sierra and Ansley arrived in Creswell and after a long sleep we took off for the 4th of July celebration in Winchester Bay and parked right next to Salmon Harbor. We had a great dinner of fried chicken and settled in to wait for the fireworks.


Sierra and Ansley have both grown and are becoming very smart young girls. Sierra is very much matured and easy to smile and help us all when asked.


Ansley is a real treat and a bundle of energy who just loves to find adventure in every waking minute.


It was fun to watch this retriever chase down tennis balls hit into the harbor.


...and he got every one.


The Winchester Bay fireworks are really an audience participation event. There we large displays 360 degrees in preparation of the commercial display at 9:52pm. This guy used a remote controlled boat to pull a small barge of fireworks into the harbor and give a wonderful reflective display on the Harbor.


As it got darker the view was very surrealistically serene,


Then came the big guns (all are a little wavy because the camera was hand held) and for 20 minutes it was one after the other often giving me pictures of multiple explosions of color.


It was like flowers on fire in a thunderstorm.


Beautiful power let loose to remind us we are alive.


Wavy streaks of light filled the sky.


The next day we drove to Brookings and stopped on the way for lunch at Gold Beach in the Port Hole Cafe


I should have gotten the name of this 1880's boat still awaiting repairs.


The food and conversation was great and the cafe was very nice.


I took this picture of the harbor, some boats and plenty of seals looking like rocks on the beach across the way.


Further down the coast we stopped for some pictures of the ocean complete with seastacks.


Matt was the great father with the girls telling Sierra about the ocean and ...


...how the land is always trying to break off and fall into the sea.


I know Oregon must lead the country in weird espresso stand names. Brookings proved it really is a state-wide thing.


As I started this blog Matt called me to come take a picture of the lighthouse just above our camping spot.


Oh! Yes speaking of Elaine's Birthday I'll dust off this old poem I wrote

Sisters

They were always there well one was
The other came later - was a Keene painting
Fought and played - grew up learning
Sisters for a boy are a gift of unknown awareness

I learned about women from those girls
That their lives were as full of aspiration
Their joys were the same as mine
People in different bodies is all

I learned how to take myself less seriously with them
And forgot it along the way - they knew me too well
But I am afraid they no longer do - I am not the same
Nor are they these beautiful women full of new hues
I see them now and still the bright colors are there
But they are too confusing to me - a parallax view
Multi-dimensioned and faceted - there but not there
I will always love their smiles and miss their proximity

No Scrabble (lucky to have time to breathe)

Quote of the Day ~

"“I do this real moron thing, it's called thinking, and I'm not a very good Amercian because I like to form my own opionions."” ~ George Carlin quotes (American stand-up Comedian, Actor and Author. b.1937)