May 23rd-28th, 2022
The
plans for the trip were that we would spend 3 days at the cabin that we visited
in 2019 travel and explore some of the surrounding area next to and in the Ishi
Wilderness.
The
flight from Minneapolis to Sacramento was smooth and Mike was there to pick me
up at the airport. We went to his house, and I was greeted first by two golden
retrievers, Finn and Emma, and then by Mike’s wife,
Lauri. We had some snacks out by the
pool since I hadn't eaten since early morning, and then had a delicious
barbecue later in the afternoon.
Later,
we packed for an early start the next morning. We headed toward Chico to pick
up Richard and bought some food and supplies on the way. From there we headed
for the little town of Cohasset, close to the road and trail that leads to the
cabins of Floyd and Bob.
We
all gathered at Bob’s house in Cohasset and headed to the cabins in two
vehicles. The group consisted of Bob and
Floyd, who own the cabins, Mike, Richard, and me, as well as Phillip and
Robert, who are also Cohasset residents.
The
“road” to the Ishi Wilderness is hard to describe. If you get motion sickness, this is not the
road for you, because the vehicles are continuously going up, down, and side to
side. Progress is slow because of the
slow speeds, so the trip takes a long time.
We
finally got to Bob’s cabin and got all the food and supplies unloaded. Bob said that just a couple days earlier his
little dog had gotten bit by a rattlesnake very close to the cabin. Luckily, the dog must have gotten a small
dose of venom and was recovering. Phil rode his three-wheeler to the cabin.
It
was a warm day with plenty of sunshine. The view from Bob’s deck is shows the
wilderness and Mount Shasta in the background.
We
decided to go for a hike that afternoon down to a creek. We took the vehicles part of way on “roads”
that Floyd had either made or improved, but soon it got so rough that they
parked the vehicles, and we started down on foot. The loose rocks on the declining slope made
it a bit treacherous to walk, and I did take one slide where I went down
backwards on my rear.
We
walked quite a while and finally came to a creek bed with lots of nice shade.
Most of the group wanted to continue up and over a rise, but I was not used to
the heat and steep hills, so I told them I was going to climb back up and wait
for them.
Bob
offered to come with me, so we slowly climbed back out of the valley. It was
just as tricky going up on the loose gravel and rock as it was going down.
The wildflowers were beautiful.
Richard
had stayed back to rest while we went on the hike, and he awoke upon our
return.
After
everyone was back, we pulled out a few snacks, and visited and looked at
various sites around the area. For the
evening meal, the grill was started, and we had a variety of delicious things
to eat.
After
the meal, Richard surprised everyone by bringing out a box that had a cake in
it, and my photo was made of frosting on the top!
It
was delicious, and a nice surprise.
Richard said that I was the catalyst for the trip and the reason we were
there.
At just before sunset, we took a small trip
to an area that Bob and Floyd had set up as a dedication to the Yahi Indians.
They have a plaque, a mortar and pestle, and people are encouraged to bring
trinkets and small objects to leave in their honor. Mike had some wild tobacco, so he spread some
of that. I had brought some trade beads that I left there.
Soon, we started to get