The last leg of our trip took us north through California and Oregon, and finally home to Seattle. From Sonoma we made our way up the ridiculously scenic Highway 101 and spent a night in Anchor Bay. Our campsite, although a bit pricey, had us parked not 100 feet from the beach. As soon as we arrived and had found some lunch (Bones Roadhouse BBQ) we dragged a crashpad and some beers 1/4 mile down the beach and enjoyed an hour’s nap (and pelican viewing) in the sun.
From Anchor Bay we drove further up the coast to our second to last (and possibly most awaited) destination: Lost Rocks in Klamath, CA. On the way we saw the worlds largest herd of Roosevelt Elk (and a few horses).
In Klamath we stopped by Mr. Fish Seafood and picked up 1/2 lb of clams and a large salmon fillet. Following some convoluted directions and using google maps satellite view we found the Flint Ridge campsite and trail that we would use to access the beach. The campsite was a 1/4 mile walk in, which with all our cooking gear was not too appealing, so we opted to drive the truck 10 yards further onto the bluff to an overgrown grassy area just feet from the trail we would use the next morning. We set up camp and started preparing our hard earned seafood feast. As we were about to throw the salmon packet onto the Coleman stove a German tourist peaked his head around the end of the truck and asked, “Did you see the deer?”. “The deer?” I replied. “No! The bear!” And over sauntered Little Bear, possibly a year old at most. Dan and I jumped up, he knowingly let me snag a few quick photos, and a few hand claps scared him off…at least for a bit. Little Bear returned twice during dinner and then disappeared for a few hours. His second arrival was a bit more eventful.
Dan lived in Alaska for a few years and has seen his fair share of bears. This, however, was my first bear. I tossed and turned all night, convinced that Mama Bear would be returned to seek her revenge for messing with Little Bear. Around 2:00 AM I startled awake and shook Dan, “There’s a bear over there. A big brown one. Actually, sorry, I dreamed a bear…never mind.” After waking up fully and hearing what I was saying I knew I had dreamed it up. There was no bear. But then only a minute later we heard a rustling in the food bin tucked under the tailgate of the truck, the same tailgate our heads were laying on. “I knew it!” I whispered. “I have perfect bear-dar!” Dan clapped again at Little Bear and he startled off into the grass to rustle around further from camp for the rest of the night.
The next morning, a bit lacking in rest but excited for the day, we packed up camp and bushwhacked 1/4 mile down the steep, jungly bluff to the incredible beach below. From our campsite about we could see the faint puff’s of migrating Grey Whales surfacing for air but from the beach we could easily see hundreds of whales spouting, breaching, and even tail slapping! The climbing at Lost Rocks is incredible. Easily on par with Squamish, Yosemite, and Joshua Tree bouldering (if not better for the location!). This is an area I will definitely need to return to.
Our climbing ended too soon and we made our way back up the banana-slug ridden trail and headed northeast to our last stop: Crater Lake. A quick peek, the obligatory couples photo, and a hasty snack and we were back in the car on our way home. Our final night we opted to stay in a hotel, all of which were booked up and over priced due to railroad workers and Olympic hopefuls, so we found ourselves at the Oakridge Hostel and Guesthouse in Oakridge, OR. We were treated to an empty hotel, our own bathrooms, and a homemade breakfast of granola, fruit, and oat waffles in the morning. Now home, safe and for the most part clean, it’s time to start planning our next adventure.
