Day 458
Fern Canyon
The gang’s all here! But not for long. Tom and I had decided to stay another day at the campsite, Nicola decided to join us but Robert, Flo and Rebecca were heading to Eureka. So again, we said our final goodbyes. Rebecca has a birthday next week and we made loose plans that if we were all in San Francisco then we’d meet for another party, so you never know!
So what do cyclists do on a day off in the woods? Yep, go for a bike ride. Not just any type of ride though. Freed from our luggage Tom led us through fantastic single-track that wove through first growth Redwoods. We were like kids in a sweet shop, calling out to each other as we spotted taller and taller trees. Our destination was ‘Fern Canyon’. This was a magical Glen. The walls lined with ferns the ground an obstacle course of fallen trees. What we hadn’t realised was it was also a stream. Within minutes we were splashing through the water like the children we still are in our hearts.
We finally tore ourselves away, in theory there was a cycle path along the coast but it was only in theory. In reality it was a forest of downed trees and brambles running along a river bed. We retreated and headed back out on the forest road. Though longer we decided to take this instead of retracing our route. We thought we might see something new and oh boy we certainly did. A car slowed and advised us there were elk on the road. Now the one thing I haven’t checked off my wish list is to see a fully grown Roosevelt stag, and here he was. We stood for what seemed hours but was probably just seconds gazing at him and the family of elk across the road. We all slowly continued on our way. What a day!
