Freebo

Waning Crescent Moon

My twice-postponed bicycle tour of Highway 395 is in motion - or at least this version of the trip has begun. Yesterday, my Mission Farm neighbor Matt delivered me and the Dream Machine to the Salinas Amtrak station for an overnight trip north. Destination? Klamath Falls, OR.

The train left at 6:30 p.m., slicing through the farm land near the Salinas River before bisecting Elkhorn Slough, seabird/waterfowl heaven. As many times as I have hiked there, I have never seen the train pull through the reserve. Late in the day, the water was golden and the birds seemed unbothered by the human/railroad imposition.

We crossed the San Andreas Fault near the A. R. Wilson Quarry by Aromas and shot the gap at Chittendon over the dark waters of the Pajaro River. After that, the landscape opened up as the track made a wide swing and headed north by the familiar towns of Gilroy, San Martin, and Morgan Hill. I even got one last glimpse of Fremont Peak standing guard over San Juan Bautista and the San Juan Valley.

By the time San Jose and the megalopolis of the Bay area came into view, the Sun had set and I nodded off in my lower level coach seat. I slept off and on, rolling through the darkness in train pretzel pose.

Morning brought close up views of still snowy Mt. Shasta and lots of little waterfalls next to the track. I did not spy any of the purported hairy creatures who may or may not inhabit the woodsy woods woodsy in this area ;-) My attempt at taking a photo of Shasta through a dirty window on a rocking train follows.

An hour or so later, I detrained in sunny Klamath Falls, tired and hungry for breakfast.
"Downtown" KF is nice. In fact, this is one of those cool places where people like me would love to live. It's laidback, historical, organized around waterways and the railroad, and home to the Klamath Grill - grrrreat breakfast. I have been informed that, out of respect for the Me Too era, I should refrain from comparing waitresses to insects, so I won't do that, at least for a while.

I found my way to the OC&E bike trail for a relaxed spin to Wiard Park, where I found two gazebos (I must keep Gazeebook fans in suspense for a while, sorry) and a glorious basketball court.

My actual bike trip won't start until I execute a two-part bus ride to Carson City, NV tomorrow on the "Sage Stage" and the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority shuttle. Mass transit in America is kinda patchwork. Tries your patience.

I am looking forward to a comfortable sleep tonight at the KF Mo 6 and a raging breakfast in the morning at the Black Bear Diner next door.

Peace and Love on the Road,
Jim