I'm bummed thursday, I have Friday and Sunday off. My company likes to give us non consecutive days off 
Then at the last minute Saturday work is cancelled. Yay. Too late to do much planning but one the best things about our campers is not much is really needed. I'll head down 395 and hit some of those roads I keep passing by and say "one of these days I've got to see whats down that road.
Winter is coming, you can tell by the number of locked gates, signage removed or covered over for the season.
Of course I left my camera at home so only a few cell phone pics. At least its better than the old days when you'd settle for a disposable 110 at the pharmacy. Weather is not bad as I head out Friday. I love the cloud formations you see along the way, too bad I missed the one that looked like a flying saucer.
I'd planned on staying along the Little Walker River but the Obsidian campground was open (scheduled to close Sunday) and I do like concrete restrooms. One couple at the entrance and what looked a scout troop at the other end left the entire middle section for me. I walked as far as I could considering my hip was bothering me.
Lots of critters to give Riley some exercise.
I don't usually have a campfire when I'm solo but I'd picked up a little wood at the Safeway in Pollock Pines and enjoyed a brief fire. Now there was a little slip of paper included with the wood, this wood is heat treated, insect free, imported from Latvia. Now I'm part Lithuanian so I know where Latvia is. What a strange world we live in where it makes sense for me to burn wood in a California forest that comes from halfway around the world. /boggle
It was cold at night. My heater got a good workout. The dogs water was solidly frozen over so I wasn't too surprised to hear the scout troop pull out at O dark thirty. Of course I only run the heater for the dog. The next day we go looking for Emma Lake.
I think I found the trail but not up to walking. I need to confer with my doc.We did get to a point where you can see over part the Burt Canyon trail. Nice cabins down there. Had to turn around in a spot where I'm not sure I'd have been able to with only 2wd.
On the way to follow Ski3pins advice and head to Rodriguez flat I detoured a bit on 108 and at the Marine base I asked the guy if they had a museum. He said "we do, but its closed and if it was open you couldn't go in without a military ID.
Head up and see the stamp mill. I wasn't aware they did any mining around Walker.
Head on up the road, Pretty steep switchbacks. Nice views but it was windy as all get out. At the horse corral a guy drives up, "you look lost". Nope, just looking for a place to camp. Really nice guy and we had a nice long chat. He was in the process of closing things up. Never believe a forecast for this area, they're always wrong. I looked around but it was just too windy to camp there.
I didn't see a lot of color, wasn't the purpose of this trip but there was a little.
Made it to the other side of the mountain and camped at the Wolf Creek TH. Only one other camper there who appropriately had a camper with a big Wolf Creek sticker on it. Now if my hip wasn't enough I stepped out the camper and felt a twinge in my back. Definitely no hiking this trip.
Not as cold here but still glad to have a heater. Plenty of rodents for Riley to chase. He's much to slow to ever catch one. Sunday is visit the parents day so we head out early. Plenty of people out fishing. A little ice on the road around the Caples lake, Kirkwood area to keep things interesting.
As I turn onto the Mormon Emigrant Trail I see tons of rigs, tents (the kind you put up with elephants size) and people at the old Iron Mountains Ski area site. At first I as thinking is this some kind of festival? Then I remembered the uncontrolled control burn. It looked they'd invited to a party over social medial and it went viral. Biggest base camp/staging area I've ever seen.
Lassen hot shots parked alongside the road. Fire engines coming and going which I thought was odd considering its burning largely in a roadless area. The road block on the Silverfork road was thoughtfully placed in spot where it was difficult to turn around.
Got back in time to see the Niners barely beat one the worst teams in the NFL.
Looks like some good times out and about with Riley. Thanks for the report!
