LSL Revisited

The Little Salt Lake is not really a lake, its a playa.  And, for the past few decades, it has generally been dry.  A dry shallow basin of dust.  Occasionally, however, we get enough snow and rain to put a thin layer of water in it.  In 2011, it was wet enough for me to try the canoe, but I never really floated.

 

Fast forward to 2019.  This year we've had some real water.  When I crossed Nevada a couple of days ago, every playa was full.  So, we all went back to the Little Salt Lake with the Old Town.  And we floated.  The water was never more than about two feet deep, and often not more than two inches, but we paddled from one side to the other.  All three of us.

Another Crossing

I didn't expect the Memorial Day crossing to be snowy.  And it wasn't really.  Mostly just rain, sleet, and graupel.  Mid-thirties and dark, too.  I try not to slow down because its a long way, but the road can be narrow and slick.  It took a little more than nine hours.

The Barns of Lassen County

The other day a colleague asked me about VSO painting Lassen County.  It isn't necessarily her kind of landscape:  She is famous for painting sandstone.  But she likes old barns.  And Lassen County has many beautiful old barns.  She can paint the barns of Lassen County.

More Pictures

Maria said that she likes the pictures of northern California, so I will continue to send them.  This week it was cold and rainy again.  Don't worry, there will be plenty of hot weather.

The Woods are Beautiful

VSO grew up in Lassen County, California.  But, at that time, she wasn't the outdoor athlete that she is today.  As a result, she didn't spend her time hiking and biking through the woods.  Now I tell her about it instead.  Yesterday I went to Fredonyer and drove up the ridge until the road was blocked by a downed tree.  I walked from there.  Because the winter snow is still melting, many of the little flats and swales are full of water.  And the water is full of peepers.  The sound of frogs fills the woods.

View from the Office

This week we were touring a few of the local biomass power plants.  It was pretty interesting, but the most eye-catching part of the process is how they get the chips out of the van.  If you're a truck driver, you need to make sure you put the cap on your beer bottle before you deliver.

View from the Office

Earlier this week we went out to look at a project in the vicinity of Burney Creek.  Burney Creek has a wide flood plain and, with all the snowmelt this spring, it was full of water, like a lake.  Down stream from the lake was Burney Falls.

Buzz on the Bizz

On my way up the Bizz Johnson Trail on the bike, a guy warned me about the rattlesnakes.  I assumed that it was hyperbole.  But, no.  In the space of about two miles, I was buzzed twice, including once by this little guy.  The canyon was, on the other hand, very beautiful in the late spring sunshine.  The dogwood, cliffrose, and serviceberry are all blooming, making the air fragrant.