August
3,4 & 5
2010
It was windy and cold on the coast at the Mattole river, and we wanted to warm our mostly fur-less and soft bellied bodies in the sun, so the decision was made to head inland a bit.
We drove up hwy 36 along the Van Duzen river to see what we could see. Through the redwoods and up into the grassy hills and dry, piney forests.
We're still not sure why someone decided to call this area Hell Gate. It's really very pleasant.
We had coaxed Solo into the pond near our house on some very hot days in Colorado before we left on this journey. It took a lot of cajoling - he really wasn't inclined to even get his feet wet. He didn't seem to have any instinct to get in water - on the contrary, I think he knew to stay away from the wet stuff. One day the stick that he really, really wanted was tossed a little farther into the pond, and he was suddenly swimming to get it.
And now here we are, in river country - Solo is beginning to make this a part of his daily love of life. It's so thrilling to watch him swim... every time!
SoLo really didn't like this swinging
bridge thingy.The South Fork of the Trinity River National Recreation Trail begins at Hell's Gate campground and goes about 21 miles upstream skirting the river the whole way. We walked a bit of it and found some great swimming holes.
Our pace of life had slowed way down and we could sit for hours and check out the daily meanderings of the caddisfly. It made me remember the artist Hubert Duprat for his collaborations with the little creatures that will make their protective coverings out of whatever is readily available.
Like gold and pearls.
meanwhile back at camp...
...while our sweet potatoes cooked on the fire,
we used up some of that endless time of ours scraping every last bit of strawberry jam out of the little jar Carah had sent Josh for his birthday.
I employed every means available to me.
thanks, Carah. yum.
next posting: Flint Rock
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