Top Secret

There’s a particular campground we always use when exploring the Modoc Plateau region. It’s shaded by pine trees with spacious campsites and a nice little trail. Hardly anyone goes there, even on a holiday weekend. I don’t want the word to get out, so I’m not going to tell you where it is…

Just kidding… it’s called Howard’s Gulch near the town of Canby, California.

Distant Lands

Dad and I seem to like to seek the out-of-the-way corners of the West. Case in point: the Warner Mountains in far northeastern California. We took a long day hike on the Summit Trail in the South Warner Wilderness. There weren’t very many people on the trail even though it was Labor Day weekend. The top of the ridge was very windy and I lost my hat a few times, but that really helped clear the air. (It was a tad smoky due to a wildfire to the west, another common Labor Day occurrence in these parts.) According to Dad, parts of this area look like the Australian outback (even though he’s never been there).

I’m curious about the “No Shooting” sign at the trailhead. Do they mean movies or guns? Just wondering…

Cueva de Calaveras

Up to Lava Beds National Monument in northeastern California…

Dad and I gingerly explored the opening of Skull Cave. It literally was cool. You could feel the whoosh of cold air flowing up from the depths. Having a lack of equipment and a wealth of common sense, we only walked up to the edge of the darkness.