I always wanted to be one of those guys hanging out on their little Skipjack 24's or other small power boats Avalon Harbor. We've met them over the years on our trips on the Mako to Catalina. They'd invite us on their boat for a cocktail, and tell us how they are out at Catalina for a few weeks to enjoy the water and sun and just hang out. We bought the Striper in hopes of doing just that - this summer. Hopes dashed :-(
After a week or more of getting the Striper ready for our annual Catalina trip in August, boat partner Mark got to take it over there first. Unfortunately for Mark, he had some major issues with the boat, which he dealt with admirably. However, the problems required fixing back at the barn, and not out on the water, so we bailed on our portion of the trip. Oh well, maybe next year. Problems included: major fuel tank leak, hydraulic steering fluid leak, and engine water pump leak. We should be getting all of these things fixed soon.
In the meantime, we had a week off of work. What to do? Where to go? We drove back home and did a quick turnaround (we were already in LA with all our stuff for Catalina) for a camping trip to Gold Country and Lassen Volcanic National Park.
This would be our 3rd trip to Gold Country. We took 2 previous trips with the boys, covering the lower 3rd of Gold Country first, followed a few years later by the middle section of Gold Country. This time, we'd be hitting the upper third of Gold Country - from Placerville (aka Hangtown) and north. After a few days, this was a bust for us. Too boring and repetitive, and oriented for tourists. No real opportunities for exploring old mining areas, except when we trespassed on private property.
We had previously visited Lassen Volcanic National Park for a few days, and we decided to make the 5 hour drive from Gold Country up to Lassen and give it a shot. We discovered this unique and uncrowded corner of Lassen called Warner Valley and Drakesbad Guest Ranch (hot water baths). We stayed at the uncrowded Warner Valley campground with a site overlooking the Hot Water Creek (which was really cold). We did a hike every day, along well-groomed trails to interesting sites. The weather was mild, with a daily high around 75 degrees. The altitude was mild as well, at about 5,700 feet of elevation. Our favorite trip photos will tell the story of how our cancelled Catalina vacation was saved by Lassen.
