Active NorCal March/April 2015 by Active Norcal

Northern California’s Sport, Fitness and Outdoor Magazine

™

March/April 2015 - Issue 8

ROAD TRIPPIN’ Tahoe – mammoth – humboldt – bend

climbing with the shasta rock club running the redding marathon snowshoes on lasssen

84 Deluxe Suites • Fitness Center • Outdoor Heated Pool • Arcade • Free WI-FI Complimentary Business Center • Urban Retreat Day Spa • Gift Shop • 3 Lounges 2 Eateries • Gaming • Room Service • Event Rooms

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digital

Active NorCal Online Find exclusive content at ActiveNorCal.net Like us on Facebook Active Norcal

Running Into Friends, and A Lifestyle Expert runner, Jaclyn Van Schooten tells you about what it’s like to be a runner in the North State. Her story reveals how living an active lifestyle does so much more than just help you stay fit.

Finding the Right Moves: There’s a Workout for You

We’ve had over a year of experience getting the lowdown on every type of workout pro-

gram available in Northern California. We’ve

tried spinning, boot camp, stand up paddle-

board yoga, crossfit, Pink Gloves Boxing and more. Read our reviews of different classes, and find one that works for YOU.

Events (Redding Marathon, Frosty Fun Runs, Miracle Mile) Finding local events that interest you is not always easy. Luckily, on our website and

social media sites you can find a wealth of

activities to help you make the most out of

your NorCal experience. We not only list the events, but we get the full story from event organizers, show you how to register and

give you all the information you’ll need to participate.

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Start Your Morning with Active NorCal What’s the best way to wake up in the morning? We recommend a strong cup of coffee, and a picture of the beautiful NorCal outdoors. Start your morning with Active NorCal as we bring you great local photography on Facebook each day at 8 a.m.

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

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contents

March/April 2015 Features

Departments

18 Road Trippin’

North, South, East or West—no matter, which way you drive away from NorCal you’ll find an outdoor paradise with more activities than you can imagine. Pack your bags, hop in the car, and take a trip with us to Humboldt County, Bend, Oregon, South Lake Tahoe and Mammoth. From Bigfoot to snowy mountains and deep blue lakes, see why your North State location is second to none.

Publisher’s Note

Just For Fun

10 Fitness 14 Inspiration

pg. 18

34 Q&A Owner, operator and “Mom” of Clearwater Lodge, Michelle Titus left her Bay Area life behind to pursue her dream of running a ranch. We asked her a few questions about running a fishing lodge, being a woman in the male-dominated fly fishing world and her experiences in the NorCal outdoors.

pg. 44

pg. 14 40 Fishing 44 Outdoors 48 Humor

pg. 34

Cover photography by Anni Graham

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

Publisher’s Note

Negativity, Be Gone! Identity, Come Back! I like to consider myself a pretty positive, upbeat person. If I have a problem, I like to handle it in a rational, peaceful way. That’s why I’ve been disturbed at some things I’ve heard lately. Our Editor, Chip O’Brien, recently posted to a local, prominent Facebook group asking the members how they would describe living in our area in a few words. About 80 percent of the responses were as you’d imagine – “The sunshine!” “Beautiful days at Whiskeytown.” “The sunrises over Lassen.” “My hometown.” And then there were the 20 percent of commenters who were negative. Very negative. I’m sure you can fill in the blanks. I just want to take this opportunity to remind people that negativity and incessant complaining will not help any issues. Do we have issues? Sure we do, just like any other community. I’ve had it with people that like to paint a distorted picture of our community—that our identity is rooted in the acts and lifestyles of a select few that live here. I am here to tell you—that is not our identity. Our identity is the beautiful towns where you can see Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak simultaneously on a clear day. Our identity is spending time with your friends and family at the lake. Our identity is the beautiful trout in our streams or the eagles in our trees. Our identity is clean air and yearround sunshine. Our identity is randomly crossing paths with your friends at a local supermarket. Our identity is that we don’t need skyscrapers or megamalls since they would never take the place of what’s really important to us. If you want to focus on the negative, fine. Just do it in a constructive way. Let’s find new ways to clean up the dust in our community. Let’s come together as we have so many times before, and help solve our problems through compassion and hard work. Let’s fix things with our positive actions, not our negative words. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We will always keep this magazine fun and positive because that’s what I want out of our community. Maybe I’m an idealist. Maybe I just want what’s best for my hometown. Stay Active!

Zach

Active NorCal March/April 2015

activenorcal.net

Publisher Zach O’Brien

Editor

Chip O’Brien

Content Manager Ross Lawrence

Sales Manager Kevin Reinhart (530) 355-3018

Art Director Adrienne Rosone

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just for Fun

Shasta Rock Club Your Ticket for Adventure By Ross lawrence

Active NorCal March/April 2015

Jack Vu

In our youth, we climb trees and summit boulders for fun. We imagine ourselves conquering Everest and going on epic quests. For many children, the spectacular scenery available in the North State nurtures a life-long obsession with exploration. This passion for adventure can manifest itself in a love for rock climbing. A desire to climb at any age is instinctive. It gives us the sense that conquering our environment is as easy as reaching the next foothold, or pulling ourselves over the edge of the final cliff. Local climbing gym, Shasta Rock Club along with teaching climbing, seeks to reconnect people with their innate love for adventure and exploration. In search of outdoor utopia, owner of Shasta Rock Club Benjamin Goodpasture made his way from North Carolina to Redding around 2010. A 14-year climbing veteran, Goodpasture fell in love with the sport on the Appalachian Trail. Exploring the mountain path not only cultivated his passion for climbing, but also gave him an insatiable thirst for adventure. Using his gym and the North State’s unique outdoor opportunities, Goodpasture hopes to help others get in touch with their adventurous sides. Bouldering is the style of climbing taught at the Shasta Rock Club. It is a type of rock climbing where you link difficult moves together creating a route that ascends a rock face (or wall). Shasta Rock Club is an all bouldering gym. Many enjoy this sort of climbing because it requires minimal equipment (no ropes), is good for training and garners a friendly competition in which friends try to sum-

mit the same route faster or in different ways. Bouldering allows you to flee into the wilderness, find a natural climbing wall and just start going. “I started with outdoor bouldering because it was accessible, and fell in love with it because it creates community and camaraderie through group problem solving,” said Goodpasture. “It’s been interesting because this year is the most time I’ve spent climbing

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indoors my entire life. It’s always been outdoors for me.” Though he had thought about opening a gym in the past, Goodpasture never had the right opportunity until the Banff Film Festival sparked his friend’s interest in climbing. Benjamin’s pal witnessed a bouldering competition at the event, and wanted to learn more about the sport. Goodpasture informed him that he had some experience building climbing walls,

Though Shasta Rock Club is first and foremost a climbing gym, it hopes to expand its influence far beyond the walls of its warehouse. Stakeholders in the facility want people to take their passion for climbing out into the NorCal wilderness.

Benjamin Goodpasture

and his buddy allowed him to develop a small section of wall at his warehouse. The rest is history. “I built the first wall for fun, and started opening it up once a week for donations only,” recalled Goodpasture. “It started getting bigger and bigger. A bunch of people I had never met before started showing up, and I began opening it three days a week. I was thinking, ‘I really want to see this climbing community come together.’ So, I put together a business plan, added another 90 ft. of climbing walls and started up Shasta Rock Club.” Being its first year in business, the Rock Club hopes to get as many members as possible, both novice and veteran, to take advantage of the gym’s offering. Those new to climbing can learn different techniques through the club’s weekly classes. Also, children can have birthdays and attend camps at the facility where they learn to boulder, and play fun climbing games with their friends. Moving forward, the gym plans to begin an after-school program. Their vision is to have a climbing team at each high school. Shasta Rock

Club hopes to make NorCal a world-class climbing destination, and it all starts with inspiring, educating and challenging younger participants. “We have a lot of people that come in who are first time climbers, and before you know it they’re getting memberships, and coming in here 3-4 times a week,”

observed Goodpasture. “It’s awesome seeing them progress to where in six months they’re already great rock climbers, fit and they enjoy climbing outside too.” Whatever your age, gender, physical or technical ability, you’ll fit right in at Shasta Rock Club. Climbing is an activity for everyone. The mental and physical chal-

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Active NorCal March/April 2015

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Jack Vu

lenge pushes you to new heights, builds confidence and gets you to do things that you’ve never done before. Also, the activity nurtures a lifestyle transformation that results in participants wanting to climb as much as possible, eat healthy, sleep better and explore. Ultimately, bouldering pushes people to ascend in novel ways like rope and ice climbing. In fact, several climbers at Shasta Rock Club are preparing to summit Mt. Shasta – something already accomplished by the gym’s founder. “Climbing Shasta was probably top three outdoor adventures I’ve done,” stated Goodpasture. “I grew a lot personally from it and it’s cool all things I got to do because of it. For example, I ice climbed in Montana that year, I went backpacking in the Trinity Alps, I went snowshoeing and I did a lot of hiking and biking to prepare.” Allowing visitors to climb indoors is far from the end-all-be-all for Shasta Rock Club. At the facility, outdoor enthusiasts from all over NorCal can meet with like-minded people and spread the gospel of the North State’s innumerable active opportunities. The gym is about igniting the youthful

spirit in all of us to seek out adventure and conquer our fears. Goodpasture and his staff strive to grow the Northern California active community as a whole. “As far as this area goes, we’re really about creating a thriving outdoor community through climbing, but also through anything related to adventuring – mountaineering, backpacking, hiking, surfing, anything,” noted Goodpasture. “We want to take people on adventures. There are not many local places where you can meet people with a common sort of interest and all do it together. We hope to be that place.” Climbing is a means to an end. You’re scaling hand over hand, foot over foot to reach a tangible finish line. Raising your body over that final ledge elicits the most basic sense of satisfaction as if you’ve conquered the world. This feeling compels climbers to keeping going, summit bigger rock faces and push past what they thought was possible. What starts as a journey to become a better climber or reach higher heights often ends in a lifetime filled with new friends, new places and unbelievable adventures. NORCAL

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fitness

From Bucket List to Finish Line: Running a Marathon By juniper rose

In the crowded confines of the caution tape cattle shoot, I relish my last moments to stand still, shifting, squishing in my brand new Nikes—in a puddle. I’m surrounded by neon, rain streaked strangers, all looking more prepared than me. From women in matching outfits and running belts with snacks and water bottles to the tall men in short shorts and tank tops, they look confident, determined. And it’s then, after weeks of indecision about whether or not I could do it, that I realize it’s too late to back out. I’m either about to run 26.2 miles, or fail at running 26.2 miles. It feels about 50/50 and amongst the imposing strangers I’m starting to think not attempting it at all would be better than having to be picked up halfway. But then the gun goes off. We let loose through the mist toward Shasta Dam. Stopping now would not only mean giving up, but also getting trampled.

How I got here

Active NorCal March/April 2015

Nick Prete

Leading up to this moment, I had been non-committal throughout—probably to provide a chance to back out without letting myself down. Or maybe just because realistically I knew I didn’t have enough time to train. The day after I added, “Run a Marathon” to my bucket list I realized that the Redding Marathon— and the only local marathon for months—was eight weeks away. I knew it would be a short time span to train, but it wasn’t my first time running. I ran a few miles a few times a week, and six months before I had run a half-marathon—admittedly with more training that time—with a college friend. So I called him up and asked if he wanted to run a marathon with me in eight weeks. I didn’t mention that every training program I had seen advised against taking any less than 16 weeks to prepare. Steven Figone is an optimist, so he agreed to think about it and start running again.

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We ran side-by-side along the wide paved path that wound downstream along the Sacramento River, chatting as if we were catching up in a cafe instead of on a marathon as we pushed up occasional hills and thundered down steep inclines. However, the short time between the idea and the race had us both hesitant. We faltered in commitment and training, until a week before when it came down to, “If you’ll do it, I’ll do it.” That’s when I bought my bid, brand new shoes, a packet of Walmart socks, a knee brace and a sports bra. The night before the race I bought six different kinds of nutrition bars because I couldn’t decide which one would be best. I was conflicted. I knew I shouldn’t run in the worn shoes and socks with holes that I had been training in, knew I shouldn’t attempt 26 miles on a knee that

Active NorCal March/April 2015

had been hurting since a training run a couple weeks before, knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to head out without food— but I also knew that every column of advice I had read included, “Don’t change things the day of the race.” But by the time I signed up for the marathon it was too late to try any of these things out on a training run. So that’s how I ended up running out in a crowd of acclaimed and aspiring marathoners in shoes, socks and a knee brace I’d never worn before with unfamiliar nutrition bars lodged in my new sports bra.

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Shasta Dam to the Sundial Bridge “Let’s find someone who looks like they know what they are doing and pace off them,” Figone said, taking the edge off things with his dependably chipper attitude. We broke out of the crowd on the other side of Shasta Dam. And from there, the first 15 miles were shockingly easy. We ran side-by-side along the wide paved path that wound downstream along the Sacramento River, chatting as if we were catching up in a cafe instead of on a marathon as we pushed up oc-

energy. Gaining speed to pass a fellow runner was rewarding, but so was getting passed when it came with a, “You can do it!” from the runner. At every mile maker, Figone would declare the mile, along with a, “Great job, Juni!” And just before I slowed and a distance began to grow between his pace and mine, Figone said, “who wouldn’t want to run a marathon? Everyone is just so nice, it’s the greatest feeling.” I could think of a lot of reasons, in that moment at mile 17, why people wouldn’t want to run a marathon. But I realized then that while the race was a physically self-reliant mission, I had come to depend on the mental support that came from others. I was going to be able to push my legs through nine more miles when they were seizing up, but from the encouraging passers-by, to the my sister and boyfriend waving from under an umbrella on the side of the course, to Figone’s stories that kept my mind off the pain, I realized I wasn’t running this on my own. NORCAL

Nick Prete

casional hills and thundered down steep inclines. The aid stations came quickly. We worshipped the volunteers who held out half-full Dixie cups of water so that we didn’t have to stop even for a moment. As the running got harder and the cups of water became more appreciated, it began to occur to me the amount of support that had gathered to see us through to the end of the race. It wasn’t only the volunteers. The passing runners began to offer the same encouragement that those manning the stations did. “Great job!” “Keep it up.” “You’re amazing.” Whether it was someone much faster who was already doubling back on a loop, someone we were running by, or someone who was running by us, no one seemed to pass with less than an encouraging smile. Even as runners struggled to push onward they didn’t miss a chance to give a cheer of support. I found that reciprocating gave me

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

inspiration

I Can Do More: The Bobby Smith Story By Ross lawrence

“There’s no way I could ever do that,” is a common thought of mine when watching professional sporting events. I used to think of famous athletes as superhuman— born heroes that never have self-doubt or setbacks on their road to the top. As a kid, I remember watching Michael Jordan, and imagining him as a little kid dunking on and dominating much older and bigger opponents. What never occurred to me was the slow, gradual process it takes to achieve greatness. Too often, we put ourselves in a different category as our favorite athletes. No one is born with the ability to shoot three pointers, lift 500 pounds or run a marathon. Practice makes progress as they say, and only through hard work, and an unfaltering desire to improve can we reach the top. By constantly trying to better his past perfor-

Active NorCal March/April 2015

mances, Yreka resident, duathlete and firefighter Bobby Smith rose from casual runner to Team USA. Smith’s ascent to greatness was a bit untraditional. As a child, his father served as coach of the Sacramento State baseball team, but didn’t push Bobby in any direction in terms of athletics. His dad wanted him to do anything active whether it was golf, football, baseball or soccer. Running and biking (the two components of duathlons) were not even on Bobby’s radar until after high school. Fire academy at the College of the Siskiyous in Weed of all places prompted the Sacramento native to take up running as a hobby. “In college, we had to run everyday, and I had an instructor who was a talented runner,” recalled Smith. “One day, I had a bad run, and he basically told

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me that I wasn’t very good, that I needed to improve. His comments gave me the spark. I figured I’d do a 5k run, and I didn’t die doing that so I did a five-mile run, then a 10-mile run, then a half marathon, a marathon, a 50k and eventually a 50-mile race.” Smith went into every challenge with the mentality, “I didn’t die in the last run so why not see if I can do more.” His mindset seems to have worked as he went from running his first 5k to completing a 50-mile course in just two short years. Unfortunately, shortly into Smith’s endurance exploits, a series of bad back and shoulder injuries left him unable to run. Doctors even questioned whether or not he’d be able to cover long distances ever again. In Bobby’s case at least though, everything happens for a reason.

HELPING HEROES REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL THROUGH

Chiropractic Care DISABLED VETERANS VALUE CHIROPRACTIC CARE WHILE COMPETING IN TRIATHLONS

Several disabled war veterans— all members of the Team Semper Fitriathlon team—value chiropractic care for their health and in improving their abilities to effectively compete. These veterans regularly compete in triathlons, venture races, marathons and 10 K races—competing against a variety of professional athletes, amateurs, and both disabled and able-bodies athletes. Prior to these events and after, they are treated by chiropractors who support the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. Dr Bill Morgan, Staff Chiropractor for the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland feels privileged to be a part of their “ Competing in these events has actually made my life ten times better and has given me tremendous self-worth. After any race, my upper body is in pain because I do it all with my hands and arms. Following chiropractic care, I find that I perform and feel better.” — Iraq war veteran, Eric Frazier, leading hand cyclist who suffered a paralyzing injury to his spinal cord

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“The doctors telling Bobby that he wouldn’t be able to run again really fueled his fire,” observed Smith’s fiancé and coowner of Crossfit Northern Limits, Mykala Butts-Hord. “He was determined to prove the doctors wrong, and right about that time he found crossfit, which changed his life.” Dealing with his injuries compelled Smith to no longer take his sporting career for granted. To rehab, he started doing crossfit and biking, which helped him gain strength and reignited his competitive streak. His crossfit coaches and the varied nature of the workouts allowed him to get even stronger than he was before. Also, what had once been purely for rehabilitation, biking joined the list alongside running as one of Smith’s passions. As he built up his strength again, he started to enter races. “As soon as I started racing—that’s when I started to enjoy running,” stated Smith. “I was training a lot, which wasn’t all that fun, but I was traveling to nice places for all these races, and meeting new people. It wasn’t about winning as much. It was more about just challenging myself, and seeing what I could do.” Reaching the heights of his physical strength, Smith decided to take his passions for running and biking to the next level by entering duathlon events (run, bike, run). He competed in races down in Sacramento, and eventually ended up qualifying for the Duathlon National Championships in Oklahoma. At Nationals, he did well enough to receive an invite to represent Team USA at the 2011 Duathlon World Championships in Switzerland. In order to complete Worlds, competitors must endure 40 Kilometers of running and 100 miles of biking at the base of the Swiss

Active NorCal March/April 2015

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Alps. Smith ended up finishing the course in about 13 hours, but it provided its fair share of mental and physical adversity. “The Powerman Zofingen is the hardest duathlon in the world because you’re looking at about a marathon worth of running and an 100-mile bike ride at the base of the alps meaning there’s mountain climbs,” explained Smith. “Switzerland had me deal with a negative thought that I’ve only had in a couple races. I was hitting a mental wall, but I kept telling myself, ‘I’m doing this because I like to, I enjoy this, I want to do this.’ Realizing I was doing something that I enjoy helped me overlook the pain, and go for all those hours.” On a high from his exploits in Switzerland, Smith returned home to evaluate what he needed to do to continue competing. Because duathlons are a relatively small athletic discipline with few lucrative sponsorships, Smith transitioned to triathlons, which have much more funding and exposure. Joining the triathlon circuit enabled him to join a team that assisted in covering equipment, training and travel costs. Though it was nice getting support from sponsors, Bobby soon realized that triathlons were not the right fit. He quit the team because he didn’t want training and competition to feel like a job. To recapture his love for endurance sports, Smith went back to training for duathlons, and headed to the 2014 National Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota. Coming off the National Championships, Smith plans to compete once again in the World Championships, which will be held this October in Adelaide, Australia. Always with a mind to challenge himself in new ways, Smith will be taking on the short course this year. His training has changed to reflect the fast nature of the course. Smith also plans to begin helping other aspiring athletes at his gym, Crossfit Northern Limits. As a coach, he encourages his pupils recognize all the opportunities they’ve been given, and draw motivation from that. Not everyone has the chance to workout at a gym, play sports or even walk around. Smith wants younger people to take advantage of their circumstances by dreaming big, and working towards a life target. His experiences have given him some unique insight on how to reach a goal—no matter how big. “People want something to happen in their lives, but they’re not willing to work towards whatever that is,” stated Smith. “I tell people that if they want more, they have to do more. You have to take responsibility for your goal, and put the work in. I encourage people to set a short-term goal to keep them motivated on a daily basis, and a long-term goal that gives them purpose, and enhances their lives.” Smith’s story exemplifies his message. If you chip away day after day and continually challenge yourself to improve, no aspiration is too outrageous. Bobby’s journey to become a worldclass athlete started with the simple idea that there’s always room for improvement. No doubt he didn’t see himself running for 13 hours straight in an international duathlon when he finished his first 5K. The small steps (and setbacks) in his progression added up slowly to build a competitor with complete confidence in his abilities. What is truly remarkable about professional athletes isn’t their skill or stamina, but rather their refusal to quit. Instead of succumbing to pain or failure, they respond with, “I’m doing this because I like to, I enjoy this, I want to do this.”

Gluten-free pizza cru st also available.

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NORCAL

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

Road Trippin’

A Call to Road Trip As I drove north through California’s seemingly endless golden and emerald hills, across an enormous auburn desert on to perfect rows of crops and eventually past the San Francisco Bay, I began to understand what all the fuss was about. I still had loyalty to my Midwest origins, but on my trip, I was beginning to see the reason for our nation’s collective obsession with the Golden State. We live in a magical place, or as I explained it to my friend after moving here, “it really is the promise land.” As North Staters, we have a particular affinity for our slice of California. Indeed, we’re probably the most zealous group in the state in touting the merits of our remarkable homeland. Can you blame us though? With outdoor activities of all varieties available, countless natural wonders to explore and a unique culture, you can live a full life in the North State without venturing too far from home. In many ways, we’re spoiled by what we possess here. Looking up, and seeing snowy Mt. Shasta everyday can make you take for granted the area’s splendor. I’ve found that taking an impromptu car trip to a place you’ve never been is one of the best ways to recapture your love for the region. After all, living close by amazing vacation spots is one of the perks of being here, and adventure is in a Californian’s DNA. Whether you’re jamming a surfboard or snowboard, fishing pole or hiking boots into the back of your car (or all of them) there’s a nearby destination that won’t disappoint.

Active NorCal March/April 2015

To the West you have Humboldt County, home of Bigfoot, the Redwoods and hundreds of miles of pristine coastline (no wicked witches luckily). Traveling north to highway 97, you run into Bend, Oregon replete with world-class fishing spots, tons of breweries and a drought resistant ski resort. To the Southeast, you have South Lake Tahoe. If the sole purpose of your visit there was to see deep blue Lake Tahoe, you wouldn’t be disappointed, but the area also has miles and miles of hiking and mountain biking trails as well as hundreds of other recreation opportunities. Heading South into Mammoth, California, road trippers can try lake fishing, a plethora of winter sports and much more. Whatever way you look at it, we’re blessed with more great road trip options than perhaps anywhere in the United States. Though reading about all the glorious vacation escapes neighboring the North State gives you a sense of what they have to offer, it pales in comparison to actually visiting them. We have a strict policy to practice what we preach, which is why we’ve traversed several thousand miles in the past couple months to inform you on what our beautiful surroundings have to offer. Genuinely experiencing an Active NorCal lifestyle entails going beyond the day-to-day. So, enjoy our road trip accounts, but don’t stop there. Get out, get active and see it for yourself.

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Anni Graham

Gasoline? Check Seatbelt? Check Friends and family? Check

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

Road Trippin’

Bend, Oregon Boards, Beers and Bucktail Streamers by Chip O’Brien

For a town with 10,000 fewer people than Redding, Bend, Oregon is a lot cooler. Now, I could be referring to its proximity to the Mt. Bachelor Ski area, home to what many consider “the best powder on earth.” Or I might be thinking that it’s home to a staggering 25 breweries. I could also be recalling that it rivals Redding as a fly-fishing Mecca. But if you were to get in my face for preferring Bend to Redding, I’d tell you I meant cooler during the summer, about 15 degrees. It takes five hours, (279 miles via I-5 north and Hwy. 97) to drive there from Redding. Granted, it is farther away than the Bay Area, the coast or Lake Tahoe, but the drive is scenic enough and different enough to make the time go quickly. The best part about Bend is that it’s a very active city with no lack of fun things to do. Like Redding, Bend has a river. The Deschutes River begins with Little Lava Lake south on Bend and flows mainly north for 250 miles before flowing into the Columbia River. While renowned for its spectacular fishing, the river in Bend is more of a scenic attraction, and Drake Park hosts almost non-stop concerts and activities during the warmer months. 4th of July is a terrific time to visit Bend. The best strategy is to park somewhere between downtown Bend and Drake Park on the river. The weather is typically gorgeous, nowhere near as hot as a Redding. Before the 4th of July Pet Parade, treat yourself to some Starbucks (located across the street from Starbucks and just down the street from Starbucks). Like a throwback from the 1950s, people dress their dogs, cats, horses and goats in costumes and parade them through downtown in spectacular fashion. Handfuls of candy are tossed to the throngs of kids and families camped out with folding chairs along city streets. Apparently saving the best for last, you can see the last pet well before it passes you by. It’s a Chihuahua wearing aviator goggles flying 15 feet above the street suspended by a huge bouquet of red, white and blue helium balloons. After the Pet Parade most families walk over to Drake Park to picnic, listen to live music, watch live

Active NorCal March/April 2015

belly dancers or participate in the games and activities set up for the kids. With most of the kids off the downtown streets by mid-afternoon, a more mature but no less crazy crowd replaces the Pet Paraders in Bend’s “unofficial” but massively popular other 4th of July parade. Called the Freedom Ride, it’s basically several thousand mainly teens and young adults riding bikes in outlandish red, white and blue costumes as an almost spontaneous celebration of freedom. Though it is not city-sponsored and no one knows precisely who puts it together, the City of Bend has not tried to fight it because it is so hugely popular. As many as 10,000 people flood into the downtown area for the 4th of July festivities. It’s a little crazy, family friendly and terrific fun. “Freedom Ride” now has its own Facebook page. Bend’s downtown area is a lively place with busy shops, restaurants and pubs. While NorCal is making great strides toward becoming a leading craft beer producer, Bend has been in the game a bit longer. The Bend Oregon Beer website refers to Bend as “The Center of the Craft Beer Universe.” Liveability.com named Bend the #1 Beer City in America in 2014 and ranked it among the Top 100 Best Places to Live in 2015. It also claimed that Bend has one of the highest concentrations of breweries in the nation on a per-capita basis. The “Bend Ale Trail” roughly follows the Deschutes River through downtown Bend and directs “hikers” to many of the areas best breweries. Some of these local offerings might fall into the category of “experimental” beers, but nothing’s ever been gained by not trying new things. 10 Barrel Brewing won a gold medal at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival for its “Cucumber Crush.” The Liveability survey also said that Bend’s largest brewer, Deschutes Brewery, won Draftmag.com’s 2013 top 25 beers of the year for its “Fresh Squeezed IPA.” You can also tour the Deschutes Brewery as well as several others. With 65 miles of hiking trails within the city limits, there are some great hikes around town. Another popular summer activity is floating the river. Within the city the Deschutes is slowed down with a dam

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

Road Trippin’ creating Mirror Pond. Floating this slow water is another popular activity, and you will see all manner of watercraft from kayaks to rubber rafts to standup paddleboards. Don’t feel like dragging your own equipment up there? No problem. You can rent whatever type of watercraft you prefer downtown. Just south of Bend is the High Desert Museum, which is more than worth a visit. This cultural icon presents everything from local history, geology and science to art, nature and hands-on activities for the kids. It sits on 135 acres and boasts over 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. If you like history, try visiting Bend’s Deschutes Historical Museum downtown. You can explore the local Native American history as well as what it was like for the first Europeans in the area. These are intertwined with logging history and plenty of hands-on activities for the kids. Unlike Mt. Shasta Ski Park, Mt. Bachelor outside of Bend has remained fully open these last several years of drought. There is of course skiing and snowboarding including runs from beginner to expert. There are several terrain parks to choose from and

Central Oregon people climb The Three Sisters (South Sister, Middle Sister and North Sister) just west of Bend. Neither of these are quite as tall as Shasta or Lassen, but they are all around 10,000 feet which is enough elevation to get anyone’s heart pounding. South Sister competes with Washington’s Mt. St. Helens for the title of America’s most-climbed glaciated peak. Mountaineers compete each year to win the Three Sisters Marathon, a grueling endurance event where participants summit all three volcanoes in the same day. Just north of Bend the Crooked River passes under (a long way under) Hwy. 97. Here you are fairly close to Smith Rock State Park, an internationally recognized rock-climbing destination. Any climbers worth their salt would recognize names like Monkey Face, Mesa Verde Wall and Dihedrals, all world-renowned climbs in the park. Less fanatical adventurers can hike to the top of Smith Rock on the trail without any technical experience for great views and a popular picnic destination. According to Visitbend.com, “Smith Rock State Park is widely considered the birthplace of modern American sport climbing with literally

There is little danger of exhausting all the possibilities of things to do in the area, and it’s just far enough away and different enough to never get boring. rentals of all sorts. There is Nordic skiing, Snowblast tubing (with it’s own terrain park) snowshoe tours, snowmobile tours and sled dog rides. It is cooler in Bend than Redding in the winter because, among other things, it is 3,000 feet higher in elevation, but when the snow starts to settle it just gets people outdoors all the more. There isn’t a month in the year where Bend residents can’t be found outdoors. The Old Mill District is Bend’s shopping hub with more than 40 shops, art galleries, restaurants and boutiques. It’s even surrounded by miles of paved and unpaved hiking and running trails with stunning views of the areas major volcanoes. The Old Mill also features the first permanent fly-casting course of its kind in North America. Arranged something like a golf course, the casting course offers “holes” requiring curve casts, distance casts and accuracy challenges. Like most other active, outdoor activities, Bend takes flyfishing as seriously as Redding does. Stream anglers can fish the upper, middle and lower Deschutes River (each section distinctly different from the others), the Crooked River, the Metolius or Fall River to name a few. Anglers who prefer still water can fish East Lake, Crane Prairie Reservoir (home to the massive “Cranebows”), Wickiup Reservoir, Cultus Lake, Lava or Little Lava Lakes. Unlike Redding which is home to one of the largest fly shops in the world (The Fly Shop), Bend has several very good smaller shops ready to provide fly- fishing equipment, local expertise and guide service if desired. You probably can’t swing a dead cat in Bend without hitting a fishing guide. In NorCal people climb Lassen Peak and Mount Shasta. In

Active NorCal March/April 2015

thousands of established routes to choose from.» Active people often choose to do their touring from the seat of their favorite bicycles. If you don’t bring your bikes on a trip to Bend, you will wish you had. Bend is not only intensely bikefriendly, but it also offers world-class mountain biking trails, but also seemingly infinite road biking opportunities against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty. The Three Sisters Scenic Bikeway is a network of premier road cycling routes connecting Central Oregon communities with an emphasis on scenery. With a little Internet searching, you can easily download bicycle route descriptions and maps, pretty much all you’ll need except snacks and plenty of water. The Twin Bridges Loop is a popular 36-mile bike trail beginning and ending in downtown Bend’s Drake Park. There are also bike trails all the way from Bend to Smith Rock State Park. Active Californians can find plenty to do in Bend, Oregon, and it is an excellent candidate as the kind of place you go back to time after time. There is little danger of exhausting all the possibilities of things to do in the area, and it’s just far enough away and different enough to never get boring. The average temperature in Bend is 82 degrees in July, 80 in August and 74 in September. I said it was cooler than Redding, right? NorCal is not the type of place people typically want to get away from, but everyone needs a change of pace once in a while. Bend has far too much going for it to ever become just a place people go to escape the tedium of their everyday lives. With all that Bend has going for it literally twelve months a year, it is a place well worth going to.

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Road Trippin’

Mammoth Don’t Just Enjoy the Beauty, Live It by zach o’brien

U.S. Highway 395 runs from the Canadian border all the way down to Southern California, and approaching the Eastern Sierras going north on Highway 395 in California is one of the most beautiful drives you will find. Nestled between the mountainous Yosemite National Park and the Nevada border sits Mono County, an outdoor buffet of swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, running and sightseeing. Alas, like most road trip destinations in NorCal, this area is a tale of two seasons. Its winter season contains a myriad of world-class winter sporting opportunities, with the famous Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain sitting a mere 20 minutes away. Its summer season, though less talked about than its rival, may have more to offer a visitor with its mountains and lakes serving as a paradise for the outdoor inclined. Hiking is probably this area’s most sought after treasure, with hundreds of miles of trails that meander through the Inyo and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests, including the John Muir, Ansel Adams, and Hoover Wilderness areas. Whenever you would like to visit this utopia (which is about a six and a half hour drive from Shasta County), you are likely to be surprised by its sheer beauty. It would be impossible to detail all of the incredible activities and sightseeing you could do in this hidden gem they call Mono County. So we’ll start by giving you the essentials.

The Lakes

The Mountains A skiing destination that has recently seen more prosperous winter conditions than Mt. Shasta and even Tahoe, Mono County contains the ski resorts of June Mountain and Mammoth Mountain.

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There is a reason Mammoth Mountain is world-renowned. Its 150 trails on 28 lifts across 3,500 acres gives it the broad appeal to bring mountain-enthusiasts from around the world to admire its beauty. With its incredible terrain parks intertwining with beginner to expert runs, this mountain has something for all skiers and snowboarders. This is the reason Mammoth attracts the fame, along with large events like the 2015 Sprint US Grand Prix, which featured the top men and women snowboarders (including six Olympic medalists) competing in halfpipe and slopestyle events. When the snow leaves for the year, Mammoth Mountain does not follow. The Mammoth Mountain Bike Park was named the top bike park in the U.S. by Outside Magazine. This park is made for everyone from beginner to professional riders, and the trails make up 80 miles of track across the entire mountain. June Mountain may be the lesser-known ski resort in the region, don’t add that up to it being inferior. This 1,400 acre mountain is the picture-perfect destination for a family as kids 12 and under ride for free. June’s 27 trails and seven lifts give its riders more than enough to move around and the village can be much more inviting and cost-efficient than those resorts owned by large corporations.

Mono Lake is one of the oldest lakes in the western hemisphere. Known for its mystical beauty and beautiful background of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this lake covers 695 square miles and sits front row center of some great hiking trails and outdoor

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Bodie Ghost Town Bodie, California was once the biggest, baddest mining town in the west with an estimated population of 10,000. In 1872, a profitable deposit of goldbearing ore was discovered, and immediately transformed the isolated mining camp into a blossoming boom town. Over the years the mines in Bodie produced gold valued at approximately 34 million dollars. During its boom, Bodie had the amenities of larger towns, including a Wells Fargo Bank, four volunteer fire companies, a brass band, a railroad, miners’

and mechanics’ unions, several daily newspapers, and a jail. At its peak, 65 saloons lined Main Street, which was a mile long. Murders, shootouts, barroom brawls, and stagecoach holdups were regular occurrences. Abandoned in the late 1800’s, the remaining buildings are preserved in a state of “arrested decay” and as California’s official ghost town, it is an authentic, genuine ghost town to visit. Open daily all year round but in the winter the road to Bodie (SR 270) may be closed due to snow.

Photographs by Alicia Vennos

features. This lake is unique for many reasons, most notably for its eerie tufa towers-mineral structures created when fresh-water springs bubble up through the alkaline waters of the lake. These are best viewed up close in a kayak. This lake also features two volcanic islands right in the middle, Negit and Paoha Islands. Negit Island is the smaller of the two, though it’s much older, as it formed around 1,700 years ago due to volcanic eruptions in the lakebed. Paoha Island, formed around 350 years ago, is much larger and centralized in the lake. Both of these islands add the mystical feel of the lake with Paoha Island being documented in Mark Twain’s 1872 book, Roughing It. Mono Lake’s salty water not only helps the buoyancy of any swimmer, but also, is the reason for the lakes trillions of Brine Shrimp who attract millions of migratory birds looking for a shrimp feast. Birdwatching is a popular activity of Mono Lake-goers, and the Annual Bird Chautaugua in June offers birdwatching field trips and seminars to enthusiasts. The June Lake Loop is a 14-mile mountain hideaway that features four beautiful lakes – June, Gull, Silver and Grant. With more tourist destinations than Mono Lake, these lakes feature more traditional outdoor activities like campgrounds, boat rentals and horseback riding adventures. A distinct trait of the June Lake Loop (and all of Mono County for that matter) is its fall colors. Due to the area’s range in elevation, from approximately 5,000 to 10,000 feet, the trees change colors at different times, meaning that there is always a corner of the area experiencing fall colors. The stark contrast of bright orange, yellow and green make some parts of the area seem animated at times.

The Hot Springs When the many activities have rendered your body sore and you need a day to rest, the five hot springs in Mono County are a great way to relax and enjoy a natural, outdoor Jacuzzi. These hot springs range from the super-natural to the reinforcedwith-fiberglass, though what they all have in common are their natural, geothermally-heated groundwater emerging from the crust of the Earth. The five hot springs include the Travertine Hot Springs (closed during the winter), Buckeye Hot Spring (closed during the winter), Benton Hot Springs, Hilltop Hot Springs and Wild Willy’s Hot Spring.

Yosemite While Yosemite warrants an entire Active NorCal Road Trippin’ article (look for it in next year’s edition), it can also moonlight as a daytrip for anyone visiting the Mono County area. The Yosemite National Park east entrance is about an hour drive from Mammoth Lakes and can be much less crowded at times than the main entrance to the park. The best place to explore on the east side of Yosemite is Tuolumne Meadows, which does not have the famous tourist attractions of Half Dome or El Capitan, but it does include many other stunning features. In Tuolomne Meadows, you can hike on the Pacific Crest Trail or John Muir Trail. You can walk up to Tenaya Lake, a picturesque High Sierra lake, surrounded by soaring granite domes. You can even explore the Tulomne River, which magnificently descends down Waterwheel Falls and eventually into Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The possibilities are endless.

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Road Trippin’

South Lake Tahoe A Vacation That Never Ends

Photography (clockwise from top): Jeff Pang, Giuseppe Milo, Don Graham, Travis Wise, Jessica Merz

by ross lawrence

We started down the flat, monotonous patchwork of farms from Redding to Sacramento through skyscrapers and traffic, and onto scenic highway 50 to begin our South Lake Tahoe journey. As the turns got sharper and the grades steeper, the pines, mountains, valleys and streams began to paint a picture of paradise. I sat cramped up in the back seat of my friend’s car – a guitar, snowboard, hockey sticks and boots doing their best to nudge me further towards to door as if to say, “What are you doing in here? Get the hell out there.” As we pulled up to our chalet for the weekend, I almost gasped on the crisp, mountain air filling my lungs. With Heavenly Mountain at my back and deep blue Lake Tahoe in front of me, I knew this was the place to be. After stretching our legs and unpacking, my vacation companions and I resolved to take a short drive around. Spending a bit of time in Tahoe, you realize there’s no such thing as a “bad” location. Wherever you are, you’re either flanking the lake or up in the mountains. In terms of lodging, options abound. Campers can find great sites adjacent to the lake. Chalet rentals vary from average to luxurious, and there are quaint, affordable inns. You can also try your luck at one of many casino hotels. If you have the cash, I would recommend renting a luxury house on the lake. Many of these mansions have nearby docks, Jacuzzis, and other great amenities. Though having a high-end home base is nice, the wealth of activities available in Tahoe means you might not use it much. South Lake Tahoe’s Ice Rink provided us with our first chance to get active the morning after our arrival. Stepping on the ice and skating a round a bit you quickly notice the tug on your lungs. The altitude is no joke. Just walking up a few flights of stairs in Tahoe sucks the energy right out of you. Plenty of breaks were in store, but gliding around a full size indoor rink was an awesome experience for us NorthStaters. The facility offers figure skating, hockey and curling. One of the rink’s employees told me that my best chance at an Olympic medal was by curl-

ing. I don’t know about that, but it seems like a sport compatible with beer drinking, which is always a good thing. Anyway, ice-skating proved a good starter activity for the jam-packed weekend ahead of us. “We have 24/7 entertainment opportunities in Tahoe that range from beginner to advanced; there’s really something for everyone,” stated executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Carol Chaplin. “We have very casual hikes to rigorous, challenging situations that the Sierra Nevada Range offers. You can go power boating super fast across the lake, or relax on a cruise while someone else drives. You can make full days doing very little or pack them full with activities.” Extreme adventurers as well as casual vacationers can have a blast in South Lake Tahoe. People that prefer relaxed trips can hang out in the hot tub, gamble at the casinos, take laidback walks along the lake or go on guided fishing boat cruises. On the other hand, active road-trippers can mountain bike on the Pony Express, which intersects with the Tahoe Rim Trail, or get some great rides in near Star Lake. They can try fat tire bikes, which you can take on ski runs. Tahoe’s geographical features and climate also allow for great hiking year-round. At any given location in the area, you’re likely walking distance from a picturesque hike. For family fun in the summer, ride the gondola up to Heavenly to go zip lining, swing around on the ropes course or eat lunch at Tamarack Lodge where you can take in majestic views of the lake. “I really enjoy trail running as well as road and mountain biking here, and I also like taking my dog on hikes,” said Chaplin. “The lake is really the center of our universe though. It’s spectacular. A couple of years ago I picked up stand-up paddleboarding, which has really become part of our DNA here. It’s a great alternative to a boat rental.” Along with being the central feature in town, Lake Tahoe accommodates a wide variety of activities including fishing, power boating, paddleboard yoga, swimming, kayaking and more. While I didn’t get a chance to get in the lake, I saw plenty of kayakers,

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Road Trippin’

Not only is the lake itself key to Tahoe life, but the two-hour circle surrounding it contains five different watersheds. paddleboarders and sailors bobbing up and down on the water. Families as well as bachelor and bachelorette parties take fishing charters on the lake, which is oftentimes the highlight of their trip. Not only is the lake itself key to Tahoe life, but the two-hour circle surrounding it contains five different watersheds. These watersheds include many rivers, streams and ponds that are perfect for fishing of all varieties. “I have to say that taking a guided fishing trip on Lake Tahoe combines numerous things; it’s not just the fishing – you’re getting a tour of Lake Tahoe,” noted Victor Babbit, Owner of Tahoe Fly-fishing Outfitters. “In spring, summer and fall you’re going to watch a sunrise on the lake, which is about as spectacular as it gets. Basically, you’re getting to see all of Lake Tahoe, and the fishing is just a bonus.” With the refreshing mountain air oozing into the chalet and calling our names, we determined a Saturday afternoon fishing trip was in order. We’d been told that ice fishing in Red Lake and Caples Lake was a cool option, but with limited knowledge, and a lack of planning we chose to do some less sedentary roadside fly-fishing. We called Tahoe Fly-fishing Outfitters for some tips,

and ventured to the West Fork of the West Carson River. Running parallel to highway 88, West Carson River is a popular fishing spot due to its proximity to the highway, and abundance of stocked and wild fish. In the mood for adventure we parked the car and hiked about 20 minutes downstream. Novice fisherman admittedly, we didn’t catch anything, but it wasn’t a wasted day as we enjoyed our short trek and laughed the day away exchanging (age appropriate) witty banter. With about the same luck at the casino as we had fly-fishing, we woke up late Sunday morning and decided to relax the day away at Zephyr Beach. We played a few laidback games of beach volleyball with friendly strangers, and otherwise just basked in the beauty of our surroundings. Catching some rays and lovely views of the lake was the perfect way to round out what had been an amazing road trip. My experience turned me on to the fact that every Tahoe trip ends with an ellipsis (…). There’s never enough time to see and do everything available, but you’ll inevitably get yourself back again. I found myself saying on the drive home, “I can’t believe we’re only four hours away…” NORCAL

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March 7, 2015 2:00 to 5:00

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Road Trippin’

Humboldt Lost In Time

by ross lawrence

You’d be hard pressed to find a place more quintessentially Californian than Humboldt County. It’s a natural wonderland with monstrous redwoods, an expansive bay, miles and miles of beautiful undeveloped coast and scenic byways. Artists, adventurers, surfers, hippies, writers and students enjoy its laidback lifestyle and mild climate year round. The area has a history defined by Spanish traders, Native Americans and it’s most famous resident, Bigfoot. Considering its familiar California features, it’s odd that Humboldt has somewhat fallen through the cracks of our collective state consciousness. Perhaps that’s why many call it the “Lost Coast.” Luckily, I’ve found the coast, explored it and here I am to tell you what it’s all about. Driving into Humboldt County from the south you immediately notice the massive old-growth redwoods. To the north is Redwood National Park, an international biosphere as well as a world heritage site boasting trees reaching six stories higher than the Statue of Liberty. Visitors to the national park and its state park neighbors can take advantage of 200 miles of hiking trails, many mountain biking paths and campsites. Unique California gems, Redwood National and State Parks contain 45 percent of the remaining old growth redwood forests in the world. Looking up and noticing that 300-foot tall, thousand-year-old trees shelter you is a grounding experience. Also, on one hike or bike ride you can go from dense tree cover to an open prairie to a pristine beach overlooking the seemingly endless ocean. Natural diversity defines Humboldt just as much as the redwood forests. “Humboldt is home to Highway 36, which runs from Fortuna near the coast to Red Bluff, and is considered by many to be the best motorcycle ride in the state,” stated Richard Stenger from the Humboldt County Visitor Bureau. “We also have a 30-mile stretch of historic highway 101 called the Avenue of the Giants, which showcases some of the most beautiful redwoods anywhere. It’s probably the world’s best forest drive.” If you’re looking for outdoor lodging in Humboldt County there are choices galore. Camp at Patrick’s Point right off of 101

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Road Trippin’

Seeping into the town’s identity, the Bigfoot story has inspired many gigantic carved Bigfoot statues, a museum, a bookstore and a lot of speculation.

and stay either deep in the forest or on cliffs overlooking the ocean. As far as seaside camping, Gold Bluffs Beach in Redwood National Park provides about 25 campsites directly on the beach where you can gather around the fire pit with friends and take in awesome ocean vistas. For an all-around camping experience, set off to Prairie Creek State Park. The campsites run along a large meadow where elk frequently roam, and campers are near most of the best and biggest Redwood grove trails. Adventurer types may want to stay at a different spot each night as they make their ways down Humboldt’s forgotten coast. A mention of the Lost Coast should never be omitted from any comprehensive discussion of Humboldt’s, and in all reality, California’s best outdoor attractions. The misplaced shoreline accommodates nearly 100 miles of unspoiled beaches. It’s the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in the continental United States. Those up for the hike of a lifetime can take a three-day excursion down the Lost Coast. Hikers begin their journey at Mattole Road to the north, and trek all the way south to Shelter Cove, which remains one of the few signs of civilization in the area. On the 72-hour trudge, explorers get to see epic ocean views, sprawling forests, open prairies and unique wildlife. The adventure down the seaboard is a meditative and peaceful endeavor, as you may not see another human being the entire way. For tourists who are less intense, Humboldt offers a range of other activities. In terms of urban activities in Humboldt County, visitors should check out the coastal towns of Eureka and Arcata. Both flank Humboldt Bay, the second largest bay in California (can you guess the biggest?). Arcata houses Humboldt State University and a downtown plaza encircled by quaint stores, coffee shops, bars, and live music venues. Each year, the city kicks off the Kinetic Sculpture Race in which “human-powered amphibious all-terrain works of art” race through hell and high water to finish first. In Eureka, known as the Victorian Seaport, you’ll find hun-

Active NorCal March/April 2015

dreds of examples of 19th century Victorian architecture on the waterfront. The coastal hub of is also the center of a lively art scene. Humboldt County has more artists per capita than any county in the state. Furthermore, Eureka is a great place to participate in Bay activities including kayak fishing, oyster tours and much more. “On Clam Beach, you can go razor clamming in low tides where you bring a shovel, and get up to 20 huge, meaty razor clams,” explained Stenger. “People can go on Oyster tours in a boat or a kayak, and harvest them personally. They’re not really well known. People don’t realize how big the oyster industry is up here. Two thirds of all oysters from California originate in Humboldt Bay.” Instead of focusing on its large oyster industry, redwoods, plethora of things to do, and natural beauty, many think of Humboldt County as the birthplace of the Bigfoot legend. Stationed on Highway 299 in Humboldt, the small town of Willow Creek is where the first apparent Bigfoot sighting occurred in 1958. About nine years after the first encounter, the infamous Patterson-Gimlin footage of the creature walking across a clearing was shot in Willow Creek. Seeping into the town’s identity, the Bigfoot story has inspired many gigantic carved Bigfoot statues, a museum, a bookstore and a lot of speculation. Almost 50 years later, the debate rages on about the authenticity of the Patterson-Gimlin video and the existence of Bigfoot, and there’s no doubt the hairy legend will continue to stir controversy and discussion from all corners of the globe. Humboldt County in many ways remains an undiscovered, mysterious gem in a state rife with large-scale development and superficiality. Like Bigfoot who lurks in the shadows unimpeded by urbanization and human tampering, the Lost Coast has stayed largely unaffected by the modern world. It’s the Lost Coast not only as a result of it being overlooked, but because it represents something that’s been lost in modern times—a pristine, natural utopia. Let’s hope that it’s never truly found.

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Q&A Michelle Titus Owner of the Clearwater Lodge

In a short time, Michelle Titus went from a Bay Area city-dweller to a North Valley, horse-wrangling “anglet”. When she purchased the top fly fishing lodge NorCal has to offer, she took on a whole new life as the “mom” and operator of a full house of fly fishing guides and guests. We sat down with Michelle to discuss her transition to her new life, and the fun world of fly fishing.

Tell us about the Clearwater Lodge. Clearwater Lodge was originally constructed in 1921 by PG&E to house the employees who were building the power plant at Pit River. So, a community was formed down here. It was a large property; I think 14 homes, a lodge, an annex, a warehouse, blacksmith shops, etc. So, the lodge was central to life. Getting to Redding in the 1920s wasn’t easy so there was this entire community built here. What remains here from the 1920s is the lodge, which was built in the arts and crafts style. It’s a special place. I feel, as the owner, I am entrusted with its care and upkeep. It’s not only a unique piece of architecture, but also, just a beautiful property. Over the years, the lodge has been reconfigured. I think in the past it was more or less a dining and recreation facility with rooms like a bunkhouse. It was for the executives and their families. The lodge now is comprised of seven individual rooms and bathrooms. Upstairs we have a large conference room, so it’s a perfect place for business meetings or private getaways. We also have an annex, which is attached to the lodge by a little portico. It is a six-bed, two-bath European style bunkhouse. The building has got a living room with comfy couches, a TV, a poker table and a little fridge. It’s a great place for a group of guys and gals to have their own little getaway spot. A lot of cigars are smoked there during the season. The same thing goes for the

Active NorCal March/April 2015

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

It’s kind of a family, and I think that’s the sense you get when you’re here. You park your car and never get in it again. All of your needs are met. front porch of the lodge. Guests tend to get back from fishing, grab a drink and just sit outside and look at the green grass and beautiful Sycamore trees. There are a lot of fishing stories being told at happy hour too. I would describe the lodge as just being this warm, welcoming environment. I live in one of the homes on the property and the other is dedicated to the guides. They are really an integral part of the overall experience. The guides live on the property, have breakfast with the guests and are here eating dinner with them in the evening. It’s kind of a family, and I think that’s the sense you get when you’re here. You park your car and never get in it again. All of your needs are met. I’ve got 43 acres, and we use about 10 or 11 of those acres for lodging and the rest is just open space. How did you get involved with Clearwater Lodge? I purchased Clearwater in March of 2013. I’ve operated the lodge for two full fishing seasons and this is my second year living there. My daughter and I were staying at a Bed & Breakfast in South Lake Tahoe that we loved, and when we were leaving, I looked at her and said, “why am I not doing this?” I think I’ve always harbored this desire to run a guest ranch. I really enjoyed taking vacations. I loved the aspect of going fishing, riding horses and hiking during the day, and coming back and sharing a meal with everyone in the evening. I just had this feeling in my heart that it would be something I would truly enjoy.

Active NorCal March/April 2015

My daughters were grown and I was no longer tied down so I went home, and looked for a ranch broker. At first, I thought I wanted a place in Wyoming or Montana because I wanted to be a cowgirl. Fly fishing wasn’t necessarily on my radar, but my broker had this Clearwater listing. I also realized at the time that I didn’t want to be that far away from my daughters and family in California. So, I brought my daughter up to Clearwater, and she said to me, “Mom, I’ll move here, and do this with you.” Almost right then, I closed on the Clearwater property, sold my home in the Bay Area and moved to the lodge. What was it like to get the lodge going after you purchased it? I was clueless in the beginning. I had no idea what was going on here or what this thing was. I was very fortunate because I inherited the existing staff. Meaning I kept our chef Noelle Wright who is beyond amazing. Guests are blown away by the quality of her cooking and she has 16 years of experience working at Clearwater. I also inherited the guide staff who were really thankful the lodge was going to fall into the hands of an owner that was committed to returning it to its former glory. So, I took this project on, and it was the wildest, craziest, best thing I’ve ever done. My daughters have been involved in the lodge and fallen in love with it as their mom’s home and business. We now spend

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holidays here. It’s now a lifestyle for me. I spend every morning eating breakfast with the guests and I’m the last one to leave every night. Being able to provide guests with a warm, comfortable experience is really what I enjoy the most about running the lodge. It’s really different from the life I used to live in the Bay Area, but now I get to be a cowgirl—I have horses on the property for my own enjoyment. We have four dogs and nine cats on the property. It’s a bit of a circus and a zoo, but I think that also lends to the guest experience because this is my home, and when you’re here you’re a guest and it’s a personal experience. What other things are there to do other than fish around the lodge? We really do promote fly fishing, but we do sometimes get a spouse that doesn’t want to fish, but I’ll tell you what, they usually end up wanting to fish on the second day. Other than fishing though, there are some great places to hike around here. Burney Falls is right down the road, which I think should be the Eighth Wonder of the World. So, there’s hiking and kayaking too. The lodge is a few miles from the Pacific Crest Trail. We’re in between Mt. Shasta and Lassen Peak, so from a tourism perspective you have those two areas to explore. Nearby Fall River Valley is great for bike riding, and Fall River has an amazing golf course. Many of the surrounding communities are small, but if you are here and do not want to fish, there is plenty to keep you busy.

What are the experiences and qualifications of your guides? There is a deep, rich history here of guides that goes back to the original Clearwater house. Two of our guides, Tom April and Mike Peters have both guided for over 25 years with the Clearwater name. They created the original syllabus and course guides for teaching people how to fly fish and teaching guides how to become guides. I think there are only two places in the Western United States where you can go through a reputable guide school, and Clearwater Lodge is one of those. Tom and Mike were the ones that made that possible. Nobody knows the nooks and the crannies of these streams better than our guides. There is no pressure here whether it’s amongst the guides or me meaning that as a guide, if you don’t come in with X amount of fish at the end of a certain day, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. The guides here are professionals, and if there are fish that can be caught, their guests are going to catch them. Some days are better than others. There is never a guide that has two bad days in a row. I would say that these guides have beautiful friendships in which they support and respect each other. There are times here when we have up to 20 guests so we are putting eight guides on the water and that takes a high level of communication and organization. It means these guys have to be friends, they have to admire each other and be able to communicate well with each other. They do that. In the morning

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

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everybody goes somewhere different, or if they are going to be in the same stretch of water, one group is going go in high and the other is going to go in low. They’re going to respect each other’s boundaries. I’ve watched this operate for the past two seasons, and have been so proud and impressed at their ability to manage their clients’ experiences. I’m proud of them, and it’s like I’m watching kids at play. Maybe that’s why I sort of consider myself a proud mother.

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What’s it like being a woman in the male dominated world of fly fishing? I’m going to say that I don’t think that fly fishing is completely male dominated. There are a tremendous amount of female fly fishing organizations. I get a lot of gals either wanting to learn how to fly fish or who are members of fly fishing clubs. There are women’s groups that come up here to fish. And yes, of course, there are certainly weeks where it’s just me and a bunch of male guides and guests. We’ve had plenty of other times where the population of men and women was equal. Granted, women in the world of fly fishing are a minority, but it’s not out of the ordinary to have a woman involved in fly fishing. There are many well-known woman guides. I hate to stereotype, but I think women are great learners when it comes to fly fishing. They tend to listen and learn. They’re not egocentric about learning how to fish. They don’t feel like they have to power through things. They make really fine anglers in a very short period of time. It feels great to bring a woman’s perspective to the guest experience, but I think it’s also nice to add a woman’s perspective to the guiding experience. I think, for me, there is a motherly drive around finding partnerships and like-minded people to work closely with to keep this industry healthy and alive. We have great clientele. I think fly fishing is a gentlemen’s sport, or a gentlewomen’s sport. That tends to bring a clientele that is an awful lot of fun. I think as a woman, I promote the aspect of sharing your experience. We eat together and share stories together. Instead of it being a guy’s only, buddy-buddy setting, I tend to mix things up. When social hour is going on, I’m the instigator to get people together. I’d say I’m like a mom. In fact, a lot of the guides call me

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mom. I think I have a motherly role and perspective that I take on here. I call the guides “my boys” and treat them like my kids even though a couple of them are my same age. And yes, the guide house is almost like a fraternity and there’s a lot of competition going on that happens amongst the guys when they get together. You get the jokes and the laughter; the teasing and competition—it all exists. I love that. I think it’s healthy and fun, and it makes for a great guest experience. I might be unique in my position, but it doesn’t ever feel like I’m a proverbial fish out of water. Do you enjoy fly fishing yourself? Yes! I was sort of a tomboy growing up, and as a kid, I would fish mostly on the south fork of Clearwater River. We didn’t actually do much fly fishing though. We ate what we caught so there was very little catch and release. As a kid, we’d go out early in the morning, catch our limit of trout, come back and clean them. Then, we’d throw them in the kitchen sink, and go to sleep.

You get the jokes and the laughter; the teasing and competition—it all exists. I love that. I think it’s healthy and fun, and it makes for a great guest experience.

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When we woke back up around 9:30, my Grandma would have them fired up for breakfast. So, I’ve eaten a lot of trout and now since working at the lodge, I’ve put back as many as I’ve eaten. Fly fishing provided me with a completely new vocabulary, new equipment and a whole new language for me to learn and understand. I got it and I loved it, and now I’m hooked. I balance my life between my horses and getting out on the water, and fishing. I have been blessed by this group of guides who have encouraged me to fish with them. I got to learn side-by-side with the best. There will be days when I’m standing in the middle of the river and I forget I’m supposed to be fishing. I’m just enjoying the scenery, and looking around at the birdlife and the wildlife. Usually, I’ve got a guide standing to the right of me saying, “oh, you didn’t get that one.” But being out on the Fall River, it is so gorgeous being out on that water with the reflections and the birds and the cows and the deer. I see catching a fish as a dessert—an extra. Don’t get me wrong, I love to fish, and when I’m doing it I’m in it, and going for it. I caught my first Steelhead on the Trinity last December and that was so exciting. I love the scene of a fish rising to a dry fly. The first time I experienced that on Hat Creek, I was hooked. That was a highlight moment for me. By the way, I’ve created a word up here. I call female anglers “anglets”. I love being an anglet. Both my daughters are now anglets, and I guess I’m a mother anglet. NORCAL

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

Fishing

The Name is the Pits, but the Fishing Isn’t by Chip O’Brien

You sometimes run into people with odd or unpronounceable names, and you think to yourself, “Now there’s a great candidate for a name change.” If you didn’t know that Shasta County’s Pit River was the easiest place to catch a wild trout in the North State, you might make the mistake of passing it by. What’s in a name, anyway? It works for Brad Pitt, right? The longest tributary to Shasta Lake, the Pit River begins in a series of small forks in Lassen and Modoc Counties. It remains rather slow and sluggish until it passes through Fall River Mills and only really becomes trout habitat in the canyon above the Pit 1 Powerhouse. Those less concerned with catching fish see the river as a giant electricity-producing machine.

Active NorCal March/April 2015

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) owns and operates a series of powerhouses above and below Lake Britton, and anglers have come to use the numbers of these powerhouses to designate great Pit River places to fish. If an angler said, “I’ll meet you at Rock Creek on Pit 3,” Pit River regulars understand that’s three miles below Lake Britton Dam where Rock Creek flows into the river. Pit 3 is the river from Lake Britton Dam downstream to the Pit 3 Powerhouse. Pit 4 is the river between Pit 4 Dam and the Pit 5 Dam. Pit 5 flows out below Pit 5 Dam, flows through Big Bend and on down to the Pit 5 Powerhouse. There are also plenty of trout in the river between the Pit 1 Powerhouse

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Pit 3 The section below Lake Britton Dam is most popular because it’s the easiest to get to and easiest to wade. It’s unusual to see anyone but fly fishermen in this section, although lures with barbless hooks are also allowed. It’s legal to keep two fish over 18 inches in Pit 3, but most anglers who harvest fish concentrate on Pit 4 and Pit 5 where up to five fish may be taken. You can park at Lake Britton Dam and there’s a heavy-duty metal staircase leading almost all of the way down to the river. After that, the road along the Pit does not descend to river level

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and Lake Britton, but this section of river fluctuates dramatically every day and can be dangerous. Pit 3, 4 and 5 are hugely popular with anglers, and for good reason. The Pit’s rainbow trout are well known for being pugnacious fighters, especially in the river’s swifter currents. Fish grow to 20-inches and longer, but what older fish lack in length they usually make up for in girth. The average fish caught is close to 12-inches, but there is always the possibility of much larger fish, if you can land them. The flows in all three sections were increased several years ago in an effort to give the fishery a boost, and it worked admirably. It also made it more challenging to wade the river, and anglers need to be careful before venturing forth and bring a wading staff. It’s not a good idea to fish the Pit by yourself, especially the remote sections. Pit 3 is the only section limited to artificial lures or flies and barbless hooks only for the entire year. You can use bait in Pit 4 and 5 during the summer season (the last Saturday in April through November 15th) only. All three sections are open to fishing all year long.

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until you get to Rock Creek, three miles downstream. From Rock Creek all the way to the Pit 3 Powerhouse there are numerous turnouts and paths down to the river, each betraying a good place to fish. The Pit River is far from unique in this, but there is plenty of poison oak along the river and many of the paths down to the river. If you know what it looks like it’s easy enough to avoid. If you don’t, Google it before you head out.

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Pit 4 This is the most remote section of the Pit reserved for the hardiest of Active NorCalians. The section begins with a primitive campground with access just below the Pit 4 Dam. Soon the road along the river takes off uphill and the higher it raises, the longer will be the hike down and up again. On the other hand, areas far away form the road may only get fished once or twice a year. If you seek remote fishing without the death march down and back from the road high above the river, a good compromise is Deep Creek Campground. As you drive downstream in the Pit 4 section, the road eventually goes across the Pit 5 Dam, which is the beginning of Pit 5. Just beyond (below) the dam on the left is a sign and dirt road leading to Deep Creek Campground square in the middle of Pit 4. The 6-mile drive in can get bumpy at times, but there’s no need for four-wheel drive. Most of the times I’ve been to the campground, I’ve had the place all to myself.

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There is a great stretch of river below the Pit 5 Dam, but the only reasonable access is directly along the river. The reason I say this is because below Pit 5 Dam the access road takes a dramatic swing away from the river. The farther downstream you fish, the farther away from the road you go. Like other parts of the river, Pit 5 is tailor-made for the physically fit with a lot of scrambling around on big rocks. The largest Pit River rainbow I’ve landed came from below the Pit 5 Dam, which makes the physical price you pay more than worth it. The middle section of Pit 5 is not known for terrific fishing, as the river makes its way through and below the town of Big Bend. There is access to some great fishing at the lower end of Pit 5, which offers more wilderness fishing on big water.

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What’s in a name? While the exact origin of the river’s name remains a bit vague, it is attributed to pits dug along game trails adjacent to the river dug by Native Peoples. These pits were mainly for trapping game said to approach fifteen feet deep. The openings were craftily covered over and hidden. Anything unlucky enough to plunge into one was met by a medley of sharpened deer and elk antlers at the bottom, the tips of which were sometimes sweetened with rattlesnake venom. The name likely came into use as each pioneer warned the next to watch out for those pits. Had the modern mapmakers followed the rules, the river flowing through downtown Redding today would be called the Pit River. It is the longest tributary to Shasta Lake. (An old joke suggests they broke those rules because they didn’t want to name the state capital Pittville.) Oh... but watch out for the rattlesnakes ;)

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March/April 2015 Active NorCal

outdoors

Meeting a Distant Giant Snowshoeing Lassen Volcanic National Park By Ross lawrence

Cruising east down State Highway 36 from Redding, I got the sense that I was in a panorama photograph. Expansive green pastures littered with volcanic rocks on both sides recalled the history of Lassen Peak which last erupted between 1914 and 1917. A floating, white Mt. Shasta flanked me to the left where on the horizon the soaring outlines of Lassen and Brokeoff Mountain invited me forward. In my small Toyota Yaris on two-lane 36, I felt like an ant among giants. It was a surreal experience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one that reaffirmed my relative tininess in the grand scheme of things. As I neared closer and closer to Lassen Volcanic National Park, the pine trees began to obstruct my view. Turning left into the park, the scene opened up and I realized I was amongst the distant objects that seemed larger-than-life just 30-minutes prior. Reaching my destination proved an adventure in itself, but the day still held plenty more excitement in store. Pulling into the parking lot of the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (the south entrance of the park), I noticed the popularity of the locale. I circled around for about 20 minutes before easing into a makeshift snow-covered spot. On both sides of me families were grabbing supplies from their cars and preparing for a fun-filled day. Above me on a 10-foot snow mound kids were joyfully flinging snowballs at each other. A few people were strapping up their cross-country ski boots at the back of SUVs. Others bar-

Active NorCal March/April 2015

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The views, sledding and laidback atmosphere attract many families to Lassen Volcanic National Park each winter. A snowy section of the park road that is perfect for sledding sits mere feet from the parking lot and visitor center.

bequed and tailgated taking advantage of the unusually warm, sunny winter day. Stepping out of my car into the fresh air it became apparent that I had overdressed. I had expected winter temperatures, but it seemed very much like a normal NorCal spring day. Though the condition of the snow suffered a bit, I stood in wonderment at how this frozen wonderland

could co-exist with such perfect weather. Grabbing my camera, I started towards the visitor center. There was a helpful ranger providing park information as I walked in, interactive exhibits giving the history of the area, a restaurant and a 20-minute park video that’s definitely worth a watch. A park ranger welcomed me as I approached the front desk.

The ranger, Shanda Ochs, is a 14-year veteran employee at the park and seemed to know everything from its geological features to which backcountry areas are best for skiing. With limited snowshoeing experience and a desire to learn more, I decided to venture to Sulphur Springs on a ranger-led snowshoe walk. “The snowshoe walks started in the early 1980s, and basically we just want to get folks out there to learn how to snowshoe,” explained Ochs. “Typically, if we have enough snow and the conditions are good we’ll take people on a route that goes off trail through the forest. It’s sort of like the wilderness, and it gets people away from the more populated area of the park road.” Unfortunately, the warm conditions and lack of new snow restricted our trip to the main park road. Instead of trekking through the woods we went to Sulphur

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Springs, but not before getting a short tutorial on how to properly strap on snowshoes, climb with them and turn around in tight spaces. I didn’t experience snowshoeing in a backcountry setting, but I did get to see all the entertainment available on the park road. Kids were trying to see how high they could climb up the slopes, people of all ages sledded down a rather steep hill and I even spotted a few visitors barbequing. I couldn’t help but chuckle as several of the sledders took some major spills – many of them dressed in jeans and t-shirts. It was all in good fun though as I couldn’t find a frown even on the faces of those wet and cold sledding daredevils. “I think wherever you go in the park you get a sense of wilderness, adventure and beautiful landscapes,” stated Ochs. “Even though the conditions have been a bit crusty and icy this year, we still get a lot of families and individuals as well coming out to the park. It’s a fun time for everyone no matter your age or what you end up doing.” Passing the more populated area of road, I began to get the feel for my snow-

shoes. Snowshoeing is a relatively easy thing to get the hang of in a short amount of time. However, I failed to anticipate how strenuous a two-mile snowshoe hike would be at 5,700 feet. The tug on my lungs and mild headache halfway through the walk caused me to lose a bit of confidence in my stamina. Right before our group reached Sulphur Springs my headache dissipated and the going got easier. While I didn’t find the springs to be all that interesting, the views of Lassen Peak and Brokeoff Mountain made the trek worthwhile. You can also spot cross-country skiers and snowboarders slowly winding their way down the road from across the hot springs. On the snowshoe walk, the rangers tell you about various park activities as well as the history of the region. We were told many visitors to the park snowshoe up to remote areas and then backcountry ski or splitboard (a snowboard that can be split in two for portability) back down. Our guide explained that the cone of a massive stratovolcano, Mt. Tehama that soared a thousand feet higher than Lassen Peak, once covered our

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route. I can only imagine that my Lassen trip is the closest I’ll ever come to being inside a volcano (hopefully). As shadows grew longer and the temperature dropped, my snowshoe group started back toward the visitor center. Walking in a single file line with a ranger at the helm, there comes a point when you start to feel like a team of baby ducklings following their mother. For that reason I look forward to going out on my own next time. Getting the full Lassen experience means capturing a sense of isolation, peace and wilderness. On my next outing I plan to brave the backcountry slopes. Removing my snowshoes I reflected on a day well spent. There I was in a winter wonderland with two majestic mountains filling the background. Spending time at Lassen evoked visions of its history—the eruptions, the explorers and thousands of guests that have flocked to enjoy the North State landmark. Seeing Lassen Peak on the horizon each day gave me an insatiable desire to explore it further. That distant summit beckoned, and I had answered the call. NORCAL

March/April 2015 Active NorCal

Humor

Narrow Fellowsssss Chip O’Brien

Active NorCal March/April 2015

to fear humans even more than we fear them, and they only wanted to get away. A rattlesnake might bite when trapped or stepped upon, but can you honestly blame them? This brings me to my dirty little secret concerning writers and rattlesnakes. Fishing writers take a fair amount of criticism in some quarters for blabbing about good places to fish and potentially harming the fishing. The solution? Add a rattlesnake. Suppose somebody writes: The fish in XYZ River measure inches wide between the eyeballs and are so easy to catch they almost jump into your net. Claims like that could start a stampede.

All you gotta’ do is add the words, ...but watch out for the rattlesnakes, and everything changes. Not only do people not go there and ruin the fishing, but chances are it will keep people away for a couple of years. Bonus! Not only are you free to write about your favorite spot and make a few extra bucks in the process, but you’ve effectively insured you will probably have some great fishing all to yourself for a good, long time. Of course, not all NorCal snakes are “narrow fellows.” Some have some genuine girth to them, especially the larger ones. You can measure them in inches or yards, but never feet. Snakes, as everyone knows, don’t have any.

NORCAL

Lissa Jensen

Emily Dickinson wrote a poem about a snake, A narrow Fellow in the Grass that always struck me as wrong. Any reaction to a snake that does not begin with AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! is not being honest. Snake encounters, those unexpected interludes with “narrow fellows” somehow manage to tattoo themselves on our brains forever. Like that time I was fishing in the Pit River and reached up to grab a branch to hoist myself out of the water. Turns out the branch was occupied by a narrow sunbather, and what I got was a handful of snake. BFS (Big Friggin’ Snake): Sssssso, I was just chillin’, soaking up some raaaays on a nice summer daaaay when this big goon grabs my midsssssection. ME: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! My brain automatically shifts into slow motion and I have a kind of out-of-body experience watching myself trying to walk on water while also hurling myself away and out into the river. Quite prudently, the snake headed full-speed back to the bank. When my feet found bottom I watched that five-footer slither out of the water and could not make out any rattles on the its aft end. Whew, probably a gopher snake. There must be something in human DNA programmed to assume every snake issssss a rattlesnake. Of course, some of them are. Tramping around in secluded places in NorCal’s breathtaking outdoor landscape, sooner or later you’re bound to run into a real rattlesnake. Few creatures have been so egregiously maligned as this shy, docile creature. Hollywood often portrays them as huge, aggressive and menacing. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The rattlesnakes I’ve encountered seemed

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