November 22, 2013 Whiskeytown Lake, California

We left the coast today and headed east over the coastal mountains past the Trinity Alps wilderness to the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation area. We were as high as 3300 feet. The high peaks here are 6000-8000 feet.  Mt Shasta is just north of here at 14,162 feet. It is just west of Redding, Ca at the head of the the central valley. 120 miles, a long day for us.

Willow Creek. Seemed to be a Bigfoot area. There was a Bigfoot museum, but it was not open, Bigfoot Motel, Bigfoot café, etc. The mountains through the windshield. There were some behind them that had snow on the top. We figured the snow covered ones were the Trinity Alps.

Digger pines. Their needles are at least 10 inches long. May have to gather a few. Weaverville is an old mining town with historic looking downtown. This whole area was part of the gold rush.

Whiskeytown Lake is a reservoir just west of Redding. A tree in the visitors center parking lot with red berries on it.

The road went over the dam. We think this may be the first time we drove the bus over a dam. The bus at the Brandy Creek RV campground.  The campground is on asphalt , no restrooms, tables , hook ups or fire grates. It has a dump station and a water source, but they are turned off for the winter. With winter rates and our senior discount it is $3.50 a day. There are bears here, so you have to keep your food inside and no tent camping. We are the only campers here. Very nice. We saw a bear this afternoon. A very big, very healthy looking  cinnamon black bear who ran when he saw us.

The bus at the campground. You can see the lake just below the bus in the last photo. The oaks have some fall color to them. It was 70 degrees today, and sunny all day. We have left the dark side and fog of the coast.

Brandy Creek. John sitting in the life guard chair at the beach.

Whiskeytown Lake. I put the basket in the oak leaves to photograph, but it just blended in.

Don’t these acorns just look like the peanut blossom Christmas cookies with the chocolate kiss in the middle. They are huge acorns of the canyon live oak.