Klamath Triathlon

Runny nose, sore muscles, and slight color on my cheeks are my trophies for Wednesday, the 9^th of February.  Nate thought it would be a great idea to have three physical activities on the longest treks of our journey to date.  I enjoyed our riverside jog in the redwoods, but I was a bit frigid and spooked during our hike through the redwood forest.  It was the first day I hiked next to more than a dozen convicted men, armed with chainsaws, and stared me down like they hadn't seen a lady in a long time.  I know the marshals wouldn't give a chainsaw murderer a chainsaw but the sight of orange jumpsuits armed with heavy equipment working on the trail gave me the chills. 

Nate is a little more obsessed with trees than I realized, I got a little jealous when he hugged one.  We drove through the Klamath range until we stopped in the quaint western town of Weaverville to mountain bike a ridge top trail.  This mountain biking experience redeemed our previous ride in the OR mountains, and if I hadn’t jogged and hiked earlier that day it would have been perfect.  However Nate knew I would want my own burger and fries at In-N-Out Burger and he wanted me to enjoy the meal guilt free.  I am so grateful that he has planned such a grand adventure for us. 

Next stop, Sacramento!  Only when traveling can I remember my limited experience of America. This is embarrassing, I had no idea oranges were ripe in winter and grow in northern California which is the reason they’re reasonable to buy in January.  I thought they were from South America, where the seasons are reversed.  The last three days in the Sacramento area have been sunny and in the 60s. I wasn’t expecting to see palm trees and cacti until LA.  Blinded moles would be an appropriate description for Nate and me at the end of each day.  We can barely keep our contacts in longer than 8 hours.  We visited Nate’s cousin Alyssa in Loomis and enjoyed waking up to a beautiful sunrise from the window of her guest bedroom each morning.  Unfortunately we spent many of our hours in Sacramento downloading, printing, signing, notarizing, mailing and pretty much running around like chickens with our heads cut off in order to complete the sale of our home.  We can finally say it’s out of our hands at this point and the weight our condo has completely lifted off our shoulders leaving us as free as birds.
 

Wine tasting in California was the big highlight of our time with Alyssa.  She decided to take us to the ‘casual’ wineries without wine tasting fees; however I must say that California casual would be comparable to our prestigious wineries in Washington.  Californians really know their wines!  If only I wasn’t so sick from over exerting myself and stressing out about the closing documents of our home.  I volunteered to be the designated driver and remembered that having fun is really in the state of being spontaneous.  For example, my wrong turn on the way home from the wineries resulted in an amazing sunset drive through rolling hills and farm lands.  I can’t remember the last time I drove “roller coaster” style.  I think about 10 years ago.  Alyssa and her boyfriend Rick helped us relax and enjoy and we are so grateful for their hospitality. 

Wat'sup Cuz

Nate's cuz Alyssa and Rick

Nate and I decided I should stick with my aviators

Sheep AKA Nate Entertainer 

What is that bright globe in the sky?

Sunrise at the river

"So when you were 6 when you told your dad you saw Japan?"

"It's soooo soft, Courtney."

Ridge top mountain biking

Looking forward to those biking shorts Mom!

Out in the wild west

Nate was showing me how it's done

Sundial Bridge

Nate's been looking forward to this stop for years.