Mineral boondocking

After all of Big Blue’s spa week, we finally got on the move again. Although it had only been just over a week of visiting both families, it felt like an eternity of stationary life. Northbound was our direction, although we would end up tossing in a whole lot of West and East in the mix. First, we needed to drop in at my brother’s new place in Red Bluff, just a few hours up the infamous Interstate 5. There we suffered through our first 90+ degree day in… I don’t know how long, but it’s been a very long time. We did just hang out in the house, eating BBQ and visiting a part of the family I rarely get to hang out with. I was never very close with any of my family members, but since starting my nomadic life, I sure have gotten to know them, as well as all my nieces and nephews, a lot more.

The following morning, with high 90’s coming in, we got moving early. The plan was to shoot up the mountains into cooler elevations. We were coming here for Lassen Volcanic National Park, but we had to wait out a work week first, so instead aimed for Mineral, California. A tiny town – just three buildings – but surrounded by National Forest and only a few miles away from the National Park. Kerri, once again, picked an amazing dirt road for us to scout, and within just a few minutes we spotted a great place to call home for the week. We moved on anyway, driving a few dozen more miles along twisty dirt roads. Up and down mountain sides we looked for an epic spot, but after a few hours scouting we decided the first spot we found was the best.

Here, two miles out of town and a few hundred feet down a barely visible two-track path, we settled between tall pines and hoped we would get enough solar for the week. We had a view of Lassen though the trees and all of the forest to ourselves. The dogs were able to run free again, something they have been held back from doing for a few weeks now. I got to pull out my holster and pistol and get some much needed practice in. And Kerri and I both got a lot of time sitting outside with cocktails after the work day was complete. Moose and I even took a walk to town to drop off my Brother’s keys that stowed away in Big Blue when we left Red Bluff.

It took a few days before a neighbor dropped by to check in on us. He, Tracy, mentioned that he camps up on the main road regularly (he is a National Park trail worker) and had never noticed the small path we decided to drive down. He was surprised enough to come see who we were. Over a beer, I got him to give up all sorts of secret spots in the area. So many that we completely scrapped our plan to visit the National Park the upcoming weekend and stay another week in the National Forest around the National Park so we can do all this exploring that Tracy showed us. That story to come.