Today, we have been everywhere - Pacific Coast, Samoa, Trinidad, Redwood National Park, Japan, Crater Lake, Bend. On the road, we travelled through dozens of different landscapes. This is always amazing to a non-american: European feeling for distances just doesn¥t cut it here.
This day feels like three. I hope I don¥t loose count that way. Also, it becomes real hard to recall the events in the proper order.
After we take of from our temporary home at some Motel on the Avenue of the Giants, we head back to the Founders Grove early morning to see some Redwoods. Although the innkeeper claims that the Avenue of the Giants is even better than Redwood National Park, we see a lot bigger trees in the latter. Unfortunately, the Pictures got mixed up, so I am not sure which were taken where, so I am just posting them in a row:
Of course, there is a "big tree" which you can see here in four parts:
One of the trees has fallen recently, exposing its giant roots. Peter poses in front of the 6 meter high tree.
Another tree is still upright. That is, until Peter leans against it...
Some fallen trees are hosts to young new trees. I wonder how many layers of fallen trees you find if you dig into the wood¥s floor.
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On the way from the Redwood National Park, we hit the Pacific again. It is causing big mists. As the coastline road ascents to the top of the cliffs, we get to see spectacular misty pictures.
On the other side of the cliff, we descend towards Cresent City. At the viewpoint a sign tells you how to behave in case of a Tsunami. It says "Move away from the coast and stay away!". Who would have thought that?
Peter likes to meet touring cyclists. These two are on the road for 8 months and are from Austria, so Peter can relate to them. They are fixing their bikes.
After Crescent City, we get to Eureka. It has some very interesting american architecture.
Then, we turn inlands for the ride up to Crater Lake. Suddenly, we are in Japan with a view of Mount Fujiama.
Peter is really pressing forward. So we miss a lot of natures beauties. I manage to stop occasionally to find some of the treasures.
The way up to Crater Lake is a gentle rise to 2000 meter elevation. On the way, I spot a strange cloud formation.
The view of Crater Lake is breathtaking.
The rim road and the northern access road are closed. To much snow. All the buildings on the Crater Rim have these strange access tubes. In winter, the snow is meters high, so in order to get into the buildings, the tubes are needed. There is one such tube that looks onto the Crater Lake, so that visitors can see the lake despite the high snow.
A visit to the "Comfort Station", Peter meets another cyclist, this time from France. He built his own trailer and quite clever, too.
Since we can not get to the water and the rim road is closed, we head onwards. Yet another change in landscape. Forest as far as the eye can see. The pioneers who came though here centuries ago must have felt real strange, going weeks in the forest with no chance of seeing where they were going.
From the flatlands rise mighty volcanic mountains. The road goes on and on. Twenty minutes after you started on the one end you¥ve still not reached the distant end that you could see from there.
At the roadside, the snow turns pink.
The rest of the journey to Bend takes us along a heavily used highway. We stop to fill on gas and there is this stereotypical stranded existance. We reach Bend late at night. Fortunately, Peter knows all the people everywhere where we can stay. Unfortunately, this time he has no adress and the friend is out in a concert. Finally, we find a telephone directory without the map ripped out. That doesn¥t help us, since the road is not on the map. We get there eventually and it is a very quiet night. I decide to take it more easily tomorrow.