Got your attention. We had a crazy 48 hrs actually. We decided before the trip to take the alternative route out past Eureka to the Lost Coast that has an elevation gain of 8,500ft in 60 miles. So we had a couple tough days. Of course we missed the side road we needed to take so we had to backtrack 5 miles or so.
We get to the little town where we were to take the road out to the Lost Coast and it is shady; some strange sign saying that this was indeed our route. Blake and Evan decided to eat lunch before heading out but I decided to start at it since right off the bat we had a hill.
The road to the Lost Coast is 'muy terrible' if I would say it in beginner Spanish. Mainly a single lane road with off and on gravel patches with potholes and bumps throughout. I struggle with hills anyway and adding a not so great road with logging trucks and some really steep grades, wasn't really selling the allure of the Lost Coast. I had a sour attitude, believe it or not. I haven't sweated that much since we laid that concrete at Revolution Garden.
You wind up and up and up then you get a 20 ft flat part then up up you go until you are on top of this ridge. This part was my only enjoyable part if I'm gonna be Frank or anyone else with you. I heckled some cows as I wiped my drenched forehead then went down a downhill and you would think this would be an enjoyable time because it normally is except this slim percentage because remember this road is overflowing with potholes, bumps, gravel patches that could do some serious harm when you are flying down a narrow hill road that is winding at a consistent 30+ mph. Then you get to a valley and have to do it all again...hahaha I thankfully can laugh at it but I wasn't too thrilled with this day.
The Lost Coast itself didn't really strike me as anything really spectacular and perhaps it was because of my sour attitude, but the beach was fenced the entire way so you couldn't go out to it. It was nice thinking back that it was empty, absolutely zero people.
Back to the craziness. That night we camped at this campground I cannot think of the name but we were the ONLY people staying there. There were a couple cars that came and hungout then left and a family that walked through then went who knows where.
(This next part is a collection from Blake, Evand, and myself's recollection.) We were each sleeping in our own tents am Evan in his tarp when we heard some people get out of a car and they were yelling at each other obscenities saying to one person "Get out of the car!" The only real audible thing really then we heard a struggle and then BANG! Slight pause. BANG!
I awoke during the shots but couldn't tell if I dreamt it or what because I wear earplugs while I sleep. I laid there tryin to listen intently until I heard Evan and Blake ask me if I heard it and asking what should we do? I muttered lowly that we need to keep a low profile.
Blake and Evan walked over to this house where a park ranger truck was parked but we aren't sure if this guy was the ranger or not. They asked if he'd heard the shots and he said he did and aske if we knew what it was and they recounted what they heard and the guy said, "yeah that happened last night too. (non-chalantly) Tensions are high. tensions are high. Meth is really bad here and the weed harvest is starting. I'll go check it out." Blake and Evan asked if we should call 911 with the cell service we didn't have and the guy said, "they wouldn't come out here anyway." Great...
The car left at some point and the guy went over to that area then went back inside and didn't talk to us the rest of the time we were there. So we all were up all night frightful of what just happened and then a couple hours later, someone drove into the campground and rummaged through the garbage bins and then took a long coin operated shower and mad such a clamor that woke us up again and kept us frozen in our tents in fear.
We jetted that morning to have another day of hill climbing. As I was descending after the long hill climb and going pretty fast I saw something in the middle of the road and noticed it was a mamma black bear and her three cubs. I stopped myself as she rose to her hind legs and I put my arms in the air and start talking to it to let it know I mean them no harm. She starts walking towards me, so I slowly back stepping never turning my back and I figured I would try an clap to scare it back into the woods which thankfully worked as Blake comes flying towards me and I stop him so he doesn't get chased down by the momma. A couple cars slowly drove by and we used them as shields and rode on through.
It still continues, Blake and I were ahead of Evan a ways. We enjoyed the scenic redwoods as we rode through the Avenue of the Giants. We stopped at this small town, Phillipsville to pickup a package I had mailed to me. As I was getting a hold of Evan these two high school girls start yelling and swearing at each other then they start landing punches in each others' face and one threw the other onto the ground and started punching more. Blake was one of the few people around who helped break them up but as they were separating the two one was throwing kicks and both were swearing and one was pulling her top back on and then one said something very funny yet crude to the other and then they separated.
Not over yet. This town was full of young people from high school to my age, I think I saw three older people. This is how it was through this whole area too. It was super eerie. Some time passed and a car pulled up with one of the girls and her mother and they were yelling at some crazy guy at his house right where the fight was. Ask me to retell it and I will share more, just a lot to get across through typing on an iPhone.
That night there wasn't a state campground close to us so we stayed at this place called Dave's Creek Resort or something. It was a hotbed for more crazies but thankfully they all pretty much stayed to themselves. I'm pretty sure everyone lives at this 'resort'. You can't drink any of the water in this whole county because it is so brown with rust which throws you for another loop. We played some mini golf at the resort and took cold showers. People were living in huge tents filled with tvs hooked up to cable and blown up mattresses and unzipping their mesh windows where plumes of marijuana smoke filled the campground. We were just ready to move on from these places and get a restful night somewhere.
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