Monday, February 28, 2011

DAY 46 - CRESCENT CITY - TREES OF MYSTERY

AFTER SPENDING A NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH NIGHT 1 BLOCK FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN IN CRESCENT BEACH, OREGON, I WAS OUT ON US 101 SOUTH BEFORE DAYLIGHT. WITH SPIA SAFE IN A RV CAMPGROUND, DECIDED TO EXTEND MY MORNING WALK TO AT LEAST THREE HOURS - 12 MILES.

NOT MUCH TRAFFIC AT THIS EARLY HOUR. WALKED 45 MINUTES ALONG THE OCEAN SURF...THEN US 101 STARTED TO CLIMB...AND CLIMB...AND CLIMB SOME MORE. REACHING THE TOP, CONTINUED ANOTHER HOUR ALONG A RATHER FLAT SUMMIT...THEN THE ROADWAY DROPPED FOR 2 MILES AT OVER 7 % DOWN GRADE.

i TURNED AROUND...HALFWAY BACK TO CRESCENT CITY, RECEIVED A RIDE FROM AN ELDERLY COUPLE, WHO DROPPED ME OFF NEAR SPIA ON US 101.

ABOUT HALF WAY UP THAT HILL - LATER I LEARNED IT IS CALLED "CRESCENT CITY HILL", MET FOR THE SECOND TIME, A YOUNG MAN AND HIS DOG. MET BOTH PLUS ANOTHER COMPANION LAST NIGHT DOWN IN CRESCENT CITY...THEY ARE HEADED FOR RENO, NEVADA.

THEY SPENT THE NIGHT CAMPED OFF US 101 IN THE FOREST. THIS MORNING, THEY SPLIT UP HOPING IT WOULD BE EASIER TO CATCH A RIDE.

THIS YOUNG MAN IS CALLED "EARTH"...HIS POOCH "REDWOOD".

TWO HOURS LATER, WHEN I WALKED BACK DOWN THE "HILL", EARTH AND REDWOOD WERE NOT TO BE FOUND...GUESS SOMEONE GAVE THEM A RIDE.


US 101, AT THIS PART OF CALIFORNIA, IS CALLED THE "REDWOOD HIGHWAY"

AT THE TOP OF CRESCENT CITY "HILL", MET THE SECOND YOUNG MAN, WHO HAD WALKED - BACKPACK AND ALL - TO THE TOP OF THE HILL AND STILL NO RIDE.




A REDWOOD TREE I ESTIMATE TO BE CLOSE TO 10 FEET DIAMETER AND PERHAPS 200 FEET TALL.



STRUGGLING UP THE "HILL", WAS ENCOURAGED BY THIS SIGN...REMINDED ME OF THE HORSE AT CHRISTMAS AND THE OPTIMISTIC YOUNG BOY...I RECEIVED THE SAME RESULT...THIS WAS NOT YET HALF WAY UP THAT LONG STEEP HILL.




AN EVER LARGER REDWOOD TREE




THIS PHOTO IS FROM SPIA'S PARKING SPOT IN THE RV CAMP IN CRESCENT CITY, OREGON. THOSE DISTANT MOUNTAINS TURNED OUT TO BE THE "HILL" I WOULD CLIMB IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THEY ARE ABOUT 6 MILES AWAY.



AFTER RETURNING TO CRESCENT CITY AND EXPERIENCING THE PROPANE "FIX", DROVE SPIA TO THIS SPOT AT THE SOUTH BOTTOM OF THE MORNING "HILL", AND PARKED.
PROCEDED TO WALK BACK UP THAT HILL TO NEAR THE TOP AND RETURN TO SPIA.
ABOUT A MILE BEFORE REACHING SPIA, RECEIVED A RIDE FROM "ROB". ROB IS A MIDDLE AGE MAN FROM KANSAS, OUT TO VISIT HIS SISTER. HE IS LIVING WITH A TRANSPLANTED KIDNEY AND WAS ON HIS WAY 105 MILES TO HIS DIALYSES SESSION.
HE IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW KIDNEY, AND HAS LOCATED A "LIVE" DONNER. THE TRANSPLANT WILL TAKE PLACE SOON.
ASKED ROB TO DRIVE ON PAST SPIA FOR A FEW MILES AND I WOULD WALK BACK. NO PROBLEM ! ABOUT 4 MILES LATER, WE COME UPON MY GOAL FOR THE DAY, THE TREES OF MYSTERY...ROB STOPS AND LETS ME OUT.


SPIA'S PARKING PLACE AT THE SOUTH BOTTOM OF THE HILL. NOTICE THE WAVES SLAMMING INTO THOSE ROCKS...SPRAY IS LEAPING NEARLY 100 FEET INTO THE AIR.

AGAIN, MUST THANK MY PANASONIC CAMERA TO BE ABLE TO CATCH SUCH ACTION.



BEACH IN FRONT OF SPIA'S PARKING PLACE.




BEACH STROLLERS PASSING BY SPIA.


MY GOAL FOR THE NIGHT...THE TREES OF MYSTERY.
I HAVE DRIVEN PAST THE TREES OF MYSTERY AT LEAST 20 TIMES IN THE LAST 60 YEARS. I HAVE STOPPED AT LEAST 5 TIMES...BRINGING BACK A FLOOD OF MEMORIES.



PAUL BUNYAN GREET ALL NEW GUESTS TO THE TREE OF MYSTERY.



PAUL'S SIDEKICK, BABE, THE BLUE OX, WELCOMES EVERYONE ALSO.


TOGETHER, THEY MAKE FOR A HANDSOME COUPLE.



BABE IS HITCHED TO THIS MASSIVE MACHINE, WHICH LIFTS ONE END OF A CUT-DOWN REDWOOD TREE...BABE PULLS THE CART AND THE TREE OUT OF THE FOREST.



A VISITOR FOR SOMEWHERE...COME TO SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT THE TREES OF MYSTERY.



TREES OF MYSTERY GIFT AND MUSEUM ...PLEASE NOTICE THE INDIAN ON THE HORSE...IT IS THE "TRADEMARK" KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD.



THE MUSEUM, HOSTED BY LILA, IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PRIVATELY OWNED OF NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIFACTS. THE NEXT FEW PHOTOGRAPHS CAUGHT MY EYE.



CLICK CLICK TO READ THE INSCRIPTION...THIS IS A DRESS MADE FROM THE CEDAR TREE.


AN ESKIMO "INUIT" WATERPROOF HOODED CAPE, MADE FROM INTESTINE.



NEZ PIERCE BABY BACKPACK (FORGET THE TECHNICAL NAME).
YOU MAY RECALL THAT SACAJAWEA - OF LEWIS AND CLARK - WAS A PRINCESS OF THE NEZ PIERCE, TAKEN AS HOSTAGE BY PLAINS INDIANS DURING A RAID...



THIS IS THE WORLD-FAMOUS SCULPTURE TRADEMARK OF THE TREES OF MYSTERY.
IT IS CALLED "END OF THE TRAIL"
IT REPRESENTS THE FINAL DEFEAT OF NATIVE AMERICANS BY THE WHITE MAN...THE OBLITERATION OF AMERICAN INDIANS BY LITERALLY PUSHING THEM OFF NORTH AMERICA INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
TO ENJOY MUCH MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE TREES OF MYSTERY, PLEASE CONSIDER GOING TO www.treesovmystery.net or tofm@treesofmystery.net. Address is:
P.O. Box 96 Klamath, California 95548.

VERY ELEGANT DRESS

TREES OF MYSTERY, KLAMATH, CALIFORNIA GIFT SHOP MUSEUM CONTAINS ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIFACTS OF TRIBES THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA. LILA - AN EMPLOYEE OF THE TREES OF MYSTERY, MUSEUM AND I ENJOYED A LENGTHY CONVERSATION. LILA IS 77, A NATIVE OF OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, WHO WAS UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, BED RIDDEN WITH BACK PROBLEMS. AFTER YEARS OF MEDICATIONS - SHE BECAME ADDICTED -, LILA DISCOVERED A SURGEON IN MEDFORD, OREGON WHO OPERATED AND INSISTED SHE BEGIN A REGULAR PROGRAM OF "WALKING"

HUSBAND AT HER SIDE, LILA STRUGGLED TO REACH THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR. THEN TWO HOUSES DOWN...UNTIL NOT LONG AFTER, SHE WAS WALKING 3 MILES A DAY.

TODAY, LILA IS ON HER FEET ALL DAY AND ROMPING UP STAIRS... PLANNING A BICYCLE RIDE FAR BEYOND HER HOME...HUSBAND IS ENCOURAGING HER...IN FACT, IS PLANNING TO DRIVE AS LILA'S CHASE CAR.

LILA AGREES...THE DECISION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR CONDITION OR SITUATION IS BY FAR THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF GETTING IT DONE...AFTER A TOTAL COMMITMENT, THE DOING IS THE EASY PART.

NO VERIZON SIGNAL AT TREES OF MYSTERY. LUCKY TO GET LILA'S PIC POSTED.

NEW SUBJECT: DISCOVERED THIS MORNING THE REASON FOR MY UNEASINESS THAT I WAS MISSING SOMETHING...FOUND IT !

DROPPED IN AT THE CRESCENT CITY PROPANE COMPANY FOR AN INSPECTION. SERVICE MAN IMMEDIATELY SAID SPIA'S PROPANE TANK WAS THE WRONG TANK AND I WAS FORTUNATE TO WAKE UP MORNINGS.

SPIA'S TANK IS A "HORIZONTAL" TANK INSTALLATION. THE TANK INSTALLED IS A "VERTICAL" TANK. THE DIFFERENCE IS THE INTERNAL DESIGN OF THE PIPING TO DRAW OFF THE PROPANE VAPORS (APPLIANCES RUN ON PROPANE VAPORS...NOT ON LIQUID PROPANE) IF LIQUID PROPANE GETS INTO THE BURNERS, IT CAUSES ERRATIC INCOMPLETE BURNING OF THE PROPANE, SOMETIMES CAUSING THE FLAME TO GO OUT COMPLETELY...LETTING PROPANE INTO THE ENCLOSED ROOM...WHICH SOMETIMES "KILLS".

LIQUID PROPANE IS MINUS 40 DEGREES F. (-40F.). AS IT WARMS, IT CHANGES FROM A LIQUID TO A "VAPOR". A "VERTICAL TANK" COLLECT THE VAPOR IN THE TOP OF THE TANK. A "HORIZONTAL TANK" COLLECTS THE VAPOR ON THE SIDE OF THE TANK.

A SIGN OF AN INCORRECT TANK IS "FREEZING" OF THE REGULATOR AND HOSES LEADING FROM THE BOTTLE...EXACTLY WHAT SPIA WAS EXPERIENCING...AND NO PREVIOUS PROPANE DEALER COULD EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT "LIQUID" PROPANE IS GETTING INTO THE REGULATOR WHICH INSTANTLY FREEZES ON THE OUTSIDE. IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT CORRECTED, INCOMPLETE BURNING CAN ALLOW PROPANE GAS INTO THE HOME (MOTOR HOME), WITH POTENTIAL DEATH TO ANYONE BREATHING IT IN...EXACTLY WHAT SPIA WAS EXPERIENCING.

KNOWING NOTHING OF PROPANE OR ANY OF THE ABOVE, MY SUBCONSCIOUS WAS WARNING ME THAT I WAS MISSING SOMETHING...

CURIOUS HOW SUCH THINGS HAPPEN.

SO NOW, THE VERTICAL TANK IS REMOVED AND MY 3-GALLON BACKUP TANK IS ON LINE.

AFTER ALL THAT, HOPE TO BE HERE IN THE MORNING.

VERIZON KEEPS SHUTTING DOWN, SO MUST STOP FOR NOW. WILL COMPLETE THIS POST WHEN WE MOVE TO A SPOT WHERE WE HAVE A BETTER SIGNAL.
AFTER SPENDING A GOOD POTION OF MY AFTERNOON IN THE GIFT SHOP AND MUSEUM OF THE TREES OF MYSTERY, I WALKED BACK TO SPIA.
MANAGEMENT OF TREES OF MYSTERY HAVE POSTED "NO OVERNIGHT PARKING". tHEY WERE EXTRA KIND TO SPIA, SAM & ME, ALLOWING US TO PARK UNDER THE PROTECTION OF PAUL BUNYAN AND BABE, THE BLUE OX, FOR THE NIGHT.
ABOUT 9:30 PM, A KNOCK ON SPIA'S DOOR PRESENTED THE LOCAL SHERIFF, WHO WAS JUST CHECKING THAT I WAS OK...AND ALLOWING ME TO RUN SPIA'S GENERATOR IF I WISHED (GENERATORS ARE ALSO NOT ALLOWED).
I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME NEW FRIENDS AT THE TREES OF MYSTERY.
MORE ON THAT TOMORROW.
DAILY REPORT: WALKED 22 MILES - COUNT 18 MILES FOR THE DAY.
SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG; CREDIT 18 MILES @ $0.02 PER DAY = $0.36 FOR THE DAY
TOMORROW, WILL WALK SOUTH ON 101. UPON RETURNING, PLAN TO VISIT THE TRAILS OF THE TREES OF MYSTERY, TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH, I BELIEVE, WILL BE OF MORE THAN PASSING INTEREST.

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