22nd Day (Klamath Falls - Susanville)

After seeing the most incredible sky of my life over Klamath Falls yesterday, breakfast brings me back to reality. I can't stand waffles anymore, I can't stand scrambled eggs anymore, I can't stand peanut butter & grape jelly sandwiches anymore. At least there is yogurt. And an apple. In front of me, a group of Dutch people is devouring everything. Probably just started their journey.

I leave at 10 am, and after a few kilometers, I see the snow-capped Lassen Peak rising to 3200 meters on the horizon. I've been to its base before, in Lassen National Park, and the volcano looks just as impressive from a distance. It still has a lot of snow, I think. The area I'm driving through almost resembles a desert. And it's hot. I take Route 39 and cross the border into California. You can tell, especially when you have to stop and a nice ranger asks if you have any fruit or vegetables with you. He uses a word I don't know, it sounded like 'Bones'. When I ask twice, he laughs and says 'vegetables or fruit', and when I say no, he laughs again and lets me continue. Strange customs.

Route 39 now becomes more wooded, and it reminds me more and more of Bonanza. It looked just like that, even though the Ponderosa was actually a studio set. But the exterior shots showed the same picture, and I had the same thought last year around Lake Tahoe. It also goes over passes that are about 1600 meters above sea level. The traffic is thin to nonexistent, what a contrast to the coastal region of Oregon.

About 1 hour before my destination, after passing a small lake that is as blue as the sky, the landscape opens up and an unimaginable expanse appears. You can see all the way to the horizon, and large herds of cattle graze on this mighty prairie. I stand on the bed of my pickup truck and enjoy this sight, which represents pure freedom.

After another half hour, Eagle Lake appears in front of me, the second largest natural lake in California. Its water is light blue, and numerous reed bushes grow out of the lake. It is not developed for tourism, at least there are no parking lots where paths lead to the shore. The wildlife is completely isolated here, and as I get a little closer, chirping and singing can be heard from the reeds in front of me.

Over one last hill, I finally reach the big valley where my destination, Susanville, is located. The Super 8 has a pool, and it's actually in operation. It has become unbearably hot. I enjoy the cool water half a dozen times, and after 5 minutes, I immediately dry off again. I'm the only one using it, which surprises me. But maybe most people haven't arrived so early yet. Susanville will be my only overnight stay in California, after Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho, the fifth US state that I drive through. Tomorrow, number 6 will be added, Nevada. The desert state. With the disgusting Las Vegas. But I don't want to go there.