Day 9 - the most beautiful drive yet and a happy reunion

We were really into the swing of things at this point but the time had come to pack up our tents and sleeping bags one last time. We got ourselves back onto the road in good time, so I treated myself to a cup of hot coffee at the little store at Hat Creek. Just to give you a sense of the place, there were two big signs over the front door, one said "due to the increased cost of ammunition, don't expect a warning shot" and the other had a photo of a snarling German Shepard dog with the caption "hi, my name is Jake, see you in heaven!" The coffee was OK.

We continued down the road and into the National Park. As promised, the park road was absolutely spectacular. The park entrance was at about 5000 feet, and the to went up and up, finally peaking at around 7000 feet. Here are just a few examples of the views.

Brokeoff Mountain was very dramatic, once a large cone volcano, but now mostly collapsed and eroded.

We stopped at the appointed location to hike to the famous "Bumpass Hell." The hike started with a short climb, exposing some views of pristine mountain streams and fields of wild flowers.

As we approached our destination, the smell of rotten egg became overwhelming. Benna had not been prepared for this and she was sickened by the smell. I guess words really can't convey the power of stench! Over the ridge and down the other side, we descended into "hell."

Stinky, slimy, hot streams, steaming fumaroles, and boiling mud pots.

Benna was eager to leave, and happy to get in the car to drive away!

Probably in her mind was the realization that our next destination was Quincy, Ca., and a reunion with her friend Emma. This reunion had been over a year in the making, and it was a centerpiece of this whole trip. Once again, our planning was great, the drive was easy and we arrived right on time. And once again, the reality was even better than the anticipation.

As I am writing, my heart is filled with the joy I felt in Benna's screams when she saw Emma. My eyes are all tearing up making me sniffle. They were just so happy to see each other.

After spending an hour or so chatting with Emma's grandparents, Karen (Emma's mom) returned from Reno and I was ready to "hand off" Benna to her for a few days. Honestly that was harder than I had anticipated, but I will be staying just half an hour away in Portola, CA.

More to come? Of course! Tomorrow I plan to visit the Western Pacific Railway museum and the Sierra Hot Springs retreat center, followed by dinner and some bluegrass music with Chris and Laura. Hard to believe we still have almost a week in Ca!

I miss my East coast friends and family, but we are really having a great time.