by Philip

Day’s mileage : 51

Running total : 964

After a lovely evening with hot tub and roaring fire, we started the day with pancakes, and were off in good time, starting with a bridge crossing over the wide Klamath river. We’d turned on the bridge warning lights, and a highway patrol officer gave us a friendly flash of his lights as he passed us. There was a good climb after the bridge and we overtook another cyclist, well laden with camping gear, who we think was from Montenegro. Descending from the peak, we soon turned off the 101 into the Storm Creek Redwood State Park (est. 1925) and had another long climb – this time in perfect peace with the majestic giants surrounding us. Simply awesome … huge trees, few cars, brilliant sunshine.

The descent was amazing – about 750’ over several miles – our necks began to ache from peering up at the tops of the trees, and it was cold in the shade as we sped downwards. We passed frequent memorial signs for individuals with named groves, and several pretty looking hiking trails. As we came to the end of the state park the road opened out to prairie, and an area with warnings of wild elk – we saw a group of 11 who decided to cross the road in front of us, one was lame but had the appearance of an alpha male, the whole group waiting for him to get over the fence.

We met a cyclist out for a spin having parked his RV the other side of the elk prairie, on his way from his winter home in Colorado to his summer cabin in Oregon, then rejoined the 101 which meandered alongside the Lost Man creek with a variety of deciduous trees with redwood forests beyond. We came into the hamlet of Orick (elev. 25’, pop. 45) which had a ghostly air – many dilapidated buildings and cars. There are still people living here but it had a sad overall appearance. “Alas, poor Orick”, quoth Liz, as we sat on the wall of the Orick Presbyterian Church for our morning snack, wishing we’d thought to stop in the state park – you’d have thought we’d have learned by now!

From Orick we turned slightly to the north west and into a headwind – fortunately only for a mile or so until we reached the coast again and turned south, wind safely behind us. We stopped to use a restroom at a car park and enjoyed a very chatty family of swallows nesting in the rafters. 

From here we had a mile or so on a straight stretch with a large freshwater lagoon on the left with canoeists, and the ocean on the right, followed by a hill climb and then descent to Humboldt lagoon – this one “brackish” – a mix of fresh and salt water separated from the sea by a low dune, breached at high water allowing salt water and ocean fish through – and a lunch stop at a picnic table by the lagoon. Liz told me that a dragonfly had hitched a lift on my shoulder for several minutes of the ride down – completely unbeknownst to me! As we packed our lunch away we heard the screech of raptors and saw three red-tailed hawks circling – they were very beautiful.

A mile further on we came across a field of elk – 34 of them lying down in the sunshine looking very peaceful, followed by an area of marshy ground with mallard, heron and cormorant. The verges of the road were full of ox-eye daisies in full bloom which were very pretty. After several climbs and descents we came off the 101 onto a lovely coastal road, where every other address was a campsite, RV park, inn or motel – a popular area! Rounding one corner with warnings of roadworks we found part of the road had collapsed – obviously a while ago – gives a new meaning to the frequent “rough road” signs we see!

With another stretch of the 101 I reached the milestone of 1,000 miles on my bike’s odometer – Liz reaching the same a few miles later – I recorded mine on a busy stretch of freeway whereas Liz had arranged to be by the beach, looking out on a large colony of seals. We were on a cycle path at this point, coming in to McKinleyville and within sight and sound of the airport Cathy will fly in to tomorrow.

From the seals we followed the trail for another mile – very reminiscent of the Olympic Discovery Trail in Washington – and then meandered through the streets of McKinleyville to find our home for the next two nights – it’s a small house with two bedrooms, one ready for Cathy, and among many goodies left for us there are two very cute boxes of eggs. Right now, though, tea and cookies await.

Additional notes

Klamath to McKinleyville, Del Norte and Humboldt counties, CA.

Left at 9.30am. Arrived at 4.30pm.

Weather: Brilliant sunshine. Cool breeze. Cold in the shade.

Landscape: Klamath River, very wide, with forested mountains on either side and ahead. Four gorgeous, peaceful, sparkling miles on the 101, a long climb out of Klamath. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, a cool quiet road with many soaring trees. Sunny prairie with elk. The coast, a calmer sea. Several lagoons separated from the sea by a strip of beach. Redwoods alternating with the ocean. Big Lagoon and wetlands with a blue heron and more elk. Busy 101. Coastal bike trail.

Towns: Trinidad. McKinleyville.

Trails: The Harris Trail along the coast into McKinleyville.

State roads: The 101, often with a wide shoulder but at times it disappeared. It was fast and furious in the miles leading up to McKinleyville.

Breakfast: Pancakes made with pancake mix in the cabin, butter, cinnamon and sugar provided.

Lunch spot: At a picnic table beside Stone Lagoon, the water gently lapping beside us.

Dinner: Leftover pasta bake with avocado, mozzarella and tomato salad. Carrot cake.

Wildlife: A herd of elk. A very chatty swallow. A small dragonfly cadged a lift on Philip’s top (insects love the yellow of our jackets). Red-tailed hawks. Another herd of elk. A blue heron. Heard a sea lion barking near Trinidad. Seals basking near McKinleyville.

Plants: Jewel-like small, crimson Pacific sweet peas. Clover. Wild purple lupins. Wild yellow broom. Ox-eye daisies.

Things we saw: Wonderful woodkill – a fox, a beaver, a pheasant and even a large woolly mammoth we had to ride round. Another sign warning of mountain lions, even this far south. Redwood trees, shafts of sunlight penetrating the canopy, the roots creating undulations in the carriageway. A sign pointing to ‘Big Tree’ with rest room symbols underneath so it looked like there was somewhere to hide if caught short. Memorial signs for individuals with named groves in the redwood forest. A memorial to cyclist John Mello on the 101 – a huge steel cross with the remains of his bike hanging on it. Extremely sobering.

People we spoke to or saw: A laden cyclist toiling up the hill out of Klamath wearing a large-brimmed hat, on his way to San Francisco. A cyclist out for a day ride as we watched the elk. Two ladies who joined us watching the hawks at Stone Lagoon.

Incidents: We forgot to have our first snack before leaving the redwood park and ended up perching outside a church in dismal Orick on the 101. I managed to get off the road when I saw a large lorry coming up behind but when it got to Philip it blared its horn dangerously and threw him off balance. I was furious, yelled at the driver. Massive road subsidence through Trinidad, at one point the road actually went over the edge of the cliff and disappeared.

Shopping: McKinleyville (Philip went alone and, for the only time this trip, listened to a podcast).

Accommodation: A house in a quiet location, generous welcome basket of delicious snacks and heart-shaped boxes of eggs, but no washing machine or drier 🙁 – our mistake.

Today’s sound: The sea lion’s barking.

Today’s smell: Smell of weed (maybe a skunk?) outside a campsite near Klamath.

Special moments: The first four miles along the 101 with blue sky and glistening sunshine. Reaching 1,000 miles. Another day safe on the road. A lovely hot bath. Giving Philip half a bag of Wisley liquorice and tea bag as his rest day treat.

Positive experience from my journal: Enjoying the day’s ride even more, knowing Philip is loving this.

Appreciation from my journal: Being funny about Orick.

Blog comment from Taffa: ‘See you very soooooon!’

Social media reply from Colin Darling.

Video: Elk crossing the road (1m).

Mementos: Safeway receipt, McKinleyville.