mountain pass

Yesterday saw us safely over our last bit of mountains, into the Central Valley and, at last, backing into our site at Folsom Lake State Recreation Area.

Toto parked at his campsite, with picnic table and firepit close at hand.

There’s a drought on here in California, but we managed to reserve a campsite where things are still slightly green. Yeah, I know, campsite not set up yet. We’re tip-toeing around, checking for rattlesnakes.

This is an interesting place. First, it’s close to my family, and believe me, they’re interesting. Don’t get me started. Seriously, they’re all good folk, each wonderful and well above average. We’ve seen a few and tomorrow, Saturday, we’ll see more; we’re celebrating a daughter’s birthday, a mom’s birthday, and the fact that nobody has gotten snake-bit. Yet.

Besides being close to family, the campground is close to Folsom Lake. (From our campsite there’s a trail you can walk for maybe 100 yards and be up on top of one of the dikes that help form the lake.) But.

Check the California State Parks website, look at Folsom Lake SRA, and be informed: this is rattlesnake country. They’re vipers, they’re poisonous, and they’ll bite you if they feel threatened when you get very, very close to them.

It’s true that they’re not aggressive. They’re not going to see us from across the lake and come slithering in our direction just to attack. I think we’re too big to ingest. But if you fling your foot or arm or leg or whatever too close to them, they get nervous, and make their rattles rattle, and then inject you with six pints of venom — enough to kill a small elephant.

Oh, all right, I’m exaggerating, but still, they’re snakes. ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION? Why would anyone camp here? “Avoid trails.” “If you must use a trail, where loose-fitting trousers, preferably made of titanium, and possibly add steel-reinforced hiking boots.” “Also, be prepared to run faster — much faster — than your hiking companions.”

I still may be making some of this up. But this is SnakeLand, seriously, and Team Toto is essentially zero-tolerant when it comes to snakes. Even the garter snakes in the back yard at home have caused minor strokes and strained lower backs.

My brother, who lives about a mile from here, has tried to reassure me. “They only come out when it’s HOT.” Hey, it’s 75 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s hot by western Washington standards. But here in Granite Bay, 105 is hot. Okay. Maybe the reptiles will leave us alone.

I dunno. Today I had to work all day, writing copy for purveyors of software. It’s good work, and their products, I think, actually do people some good, and I’m lucky they ask me to help.

Sooz went out with my sister-in-law to stock up on party goods. There was also a lengthy discussion with State Parks professionals about accommodating 12 guests to celebrate a combined 130 years of happy living.

The logistics are ridiculous, but this is what I get for not having amassed a fortune and having them all out to my own private lodge with two miles of Lake Tahoe waterfront. I meant to, I really did. Got distracted.

We’ll let you know how the snakepit — I mean, the birthday party — turns out.

Sharing is caring!

Following is daring.

Over the mountains yesterday (most of them, anyway). The weather gods were smiling on us: dry, calm, wonderfully clear it was. Traffic fairly light for I-5. I think I counted six passes with their associated climbs and long downhill grades.

Apparently we survived, finding our way to the Yreka (California) RV Park.

Walk around the rig long enough, find the one angle that includes a bit of nature, then crop as needed. Presto! The RV park looks altogether tolerable.

Going up the hills worked out fine. TinMan slipped down to third gear when needed, and we were able to keep up our stately 55-mph speed except on the very steepest parts (down to 50). I think I could have leaned on the accelerator some more and TinMan would have obliged with second gear and a lot of revs, but it did not seem worth the gas or the strain. Much of the time the curves and traffic would keep us down at 50 (even a bit less) anyway.

Interesting to watch TinMan’s estimated gas mileage for the tank fluctuate. We averaged 12.5 in the mountains — better than I expected — but by the time we approached each summit the number would be down to 10.something.

Going downhill was my greatest concern before we left in the morning. I knew it was important to let the engine and transmission keep our speed down, so we wouldn’t over-use (and overheat) the brakes. I wasn’t at all sure, however, about how to time my downshift. For a 4% grade? A 5 or a 6? At the crest of the hill, or somewhere on the way down?

I got my answers in plenty of time. I-5 through the Siskiyou mountains in southern Oregon has been laid out, it would seem, for my education. Some smaller uphill grades showed me what engine RPM I could expect at 55 mph in 3rd gear, so I knew it would be completely comfortable to downshift into 3rd whenever needed.

The first few downgrades taught me: no downshift for 4%… downshift for 5% grades if they’re long… downshift for 6% grades at the top of the hill. Yes, we used brakes, but very little. Just as it should be. I watched the taillights on other RVs to get a sense for their brake usage — I think we used ours less. It all felt very controlled, comfortable, safe. Perfect day for my initiation into mountain driving with Toto following us.

At 4,.310 feet above sea level, Siskiyou Summit, just north of the California border, was the highest pass we traversed. The most challenging, from a driving perspective, was south of that, in California: the Anderson Grade Summit. Only 3100 feet high, but steeper, longer grades all the same, with plenty of sharper curves. I-5 saved the best for last.

My lessons for the day were complete. We overnighted here in Yreka, and today we’ll do our last bit of mountain driving for a while, in Shasta County, then onto our destination at Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. Where there are snakes.

Sharing is caring!

Following is daring.

Thar be snakes here.

Team Toto traverses tall peaks, rests in Yreka