In Search of Bigfoot

Every so often, I get the itch to be on the road. Spring and fall in northern California are my favorite times to ride. Spring brings out the greens of meadows and trees, and all the colors and fragrance of wildflowers, and everything is clean and fresh. The beauty of riding is that every new smell in the air immediately fills the olfactories and makes me an integral part of my surroundings. Fall displays another sensory feast, this time for the eyes. Reds, yellows, and oranges abound and seem to swallow me up so that I feel like I’m part of a huge painting that belongs over someone’s livingroom sofa.

In October, 2003 I took three days, got on my bike and headed north. No particular plan, except that I wanted to see the little town of Happy Camp on Hwy 96. I had seen the name while exploring my maps, and thought, "…sounds like a happy place." Other than that one goal, I just rode where I wanted, and found motel rooms where I ended up each evening. I love life on the road.

It’s great sharing these rides with other riders who feel the same way, but often I just go solo, either by choice or by necessity. The beauty of being alone is that there is only one person whose opinion I need to worry about… that would be me. I go where I want, when I want.

The following pictures were all taken on this trip. I hope you enjoy them as I do. It is always a trade-off for me between enjoying the flow of the road, and stopping to document my adventures. Also, I tend to take fewer pictures as I get closer to the end of a trip. The thought of kicking back in my easy chair just sort of sucks me in.

Day 1 - Rolling out of Dixon

All decked out in front of my house in Dixon.




Breakfast at Williams, just off of Hwy 5. This was a little fruit stand, out in the middle of nowhere.




Stopped for a photo at Clear Lake on Hwy 20. This road around the lake is quite twisty, good pavement, and fun to ride, unless following a string of cars. Places to pass here are few and far between.





Along Hwy 101 I took a detour do do some exploring and found myself behind a locked gate when I was ready to get back on 101. A passing trucker must have seen that before, because he gave me a loud blast on his horn and waved as he went by. I had to do some backtracking, but didn't mind. There was no schedule to keep!







Back on Hwy 101, headed north to the redwoods.



The view from Hwy 101 of part of the detour I took. It was as fun as it looks.




Entering the Avenue of the Giants







It got much cooler as I entered the shade of these big trees. At this point, I didn't worry about making time. I just cruised along, enjoying the trees towering over me and the cool breeze moving past.

It got so dark in these trees that I had to lift my smoked face shield to see the road.



A side road that led to a camp ground. Those trees sure make you feel small.



Just off Hwy 101 is the little town of Scotia. They had a wonderful old train museum, with some very well-preserved old steam engines and other relics.









I spent the night in Willow Creek. There wasn't much to do in town after dark, so I visited the local pool hall and practiced up. I knew I was in Bigfoot country because everywhere I turned I saw evidence of his presence.