7/29 - Gold Country, Limekiln, Green Oaks Creek Farm, and the road to Portland

Another incredible week on the road, this one full of friends, family, farming, and a great road trip into Oregon.

It started when we left Nevada a week and a half ago, heading over the 88 to Gold Country where I met 17 of my very best friends for a weekend post-PhD celebration at the El Dorado Ranch. There aren't words to describe the fun that we had. We danced, we DANCED, we had a *few* beers, we made a puppet out of a unicorn mask and talked under a caribou and elk head in the ranch lodge. We ate delicious food and hung out in the pool all day, and sat on FUNNOODLES, and read in the sun for three amazing days in Mountain Ranch. I cried when Mattie and I got in the car, just after the last people drove out on Sunday, because I can't even believe that I'm lucky enough to have friends like those. I LOVE YOU EVERYONE. And a huge thank you to my Mom and Dad, the best. I love you. Here are just a few (of many) pictures from the weekend (haven't yet found a really good group shot with EVERYONE) - credit on a few of these goes to the wonderful Molly!

The top deck.

Some favorite people. FUNNOODLES.

Hayley in her party suit.

Leaving San Andreas, Mattie and I headed south and west, and pulled into Limekiln State Park around 5pm and read for a while until Dylan rolled in. We were both exhausted, so had a quick (but delicious) dinner of fresh fish tacos, then went to an early bed. The next day we did a short hike to the falls and the kilns, where Dylan showed me his perfectly crafted creek bridges, including this one on the way to the falls:

Dylan standing firmly on his perfect interlocking bridge structure.

We took an unexpected and wonderful short (very short...like 12 hour short) trip up to SLO, where we stayed for a single night, picked up Jessie from the train station, and Dylan resupplied with groceries. It was so nice seeing Mom and Dad, and I hated leaving in the morning. Which is why it was a very good decision to leave my truck in Big Sur - if I hadn't, I have no doubt that I'd still be comfortably and lazily sitting at my parents' house with hot chocolate and book in hand. I miss them. 

But at 6am the next morning we were on the road back up the coast, past a zebra in San Simeon, across the winds of the south coast, and back to Limekiln. A short day of jade hunting and I was back on the road, heading north to Big Basin State Park. Mattie and I stayed for a single night under the giant redwoods and had a good little fire, and fell asleep reading The Count of Monte Cristo under the stars, probably dreaming about Edmund Dantes. 

Mattie rests under friendly Redwoods in Big Basin SP. 

The next day we were up early, repacking the truck and heading north then west on our way to Pescadero to see friends working there at an organic farm on the coast. When we arrived in the afternoon, they were away at market, so I did a quick painting of the farm property (picture later). I have to admit, I grossly underestimated how amazing their farm would be. It is situated in a small eucalyptus-lined valley only several hundred yards across Highway 1 from Ano Nuevo State Beach. There are open fields and fields with beautiful sunflowers and dahlias, tomatoes, onions (SO MANY ONIONS), potatoes, good food everywhere. The east side of the property borders the west rim of Big Basin, so switches from oaks and grass field to redwood and duff just beyond the edge of the strawberry fields. There are chickens, goats, pigs - all living like animals should on a farm - 8 or 9 farm cats running around and killing things, bunnies everywhere, and a farmhouse that should be featured in some period drama where women wear small floral prints and drink sweet tea on the porch while a bunch of dirty and naked children run amok all over the farm.

Some wonderful farmer coworkers welcomed us to the communal yurt, and I waited in much anticipation for the arrival of Farmers Christopher and Arielle. They got in around 8:30 that night, with another great friend Drea, and we hugged and I was so happy, then ate some dinner (mostly of things from their farm), talked a bit, then went to bed out in a field just south of the 100+ year old farmhouse and between two crop fields. 

We woke up in the morning to standard coast fog, which cleared up quickly, and got ready for a day of work at Green Oaks Creek farm. I might be good at playing in the dirt, but when it comes to farming, I don't know a single thing, and Mattie doesn't offer much help. Luckily, Chris and Arielle and everyone else there was so patient  and encouraging, and I spent the day doing some weeding in the onions, harvesting tri-color beans, feeding the pigs, eating an amazing lunch of fruits and veggies from the farm, drinking my first fresh goat milk, then having a great dinner (also all from the farm) before a walk and visit to Ano Nuevo beach and then another perfect sleep in the fields.  

Christopher giving some treats to Helga and Jolene.

Drea and Arielle feed the pigs. 

The next day was a harvest day to prepare for Saturday's Farmer's Market, so we got up early, I got to experience milking a goat (thanks Helga), then got to work harvesting and preparing onions with Chris while others collected all kinds of amazing veggies. We picked A TON of strawberries after lunch, and during the harvest I managed to eat myself sick with the best strawberries I've ever tasted, then ended the day making bouquets of sunflowers and dahlias. That night we had a BBQ and bonfire at the farm, with sausages, beer, wine, fresh picked veggies, pies, ice cream, and so many s'mores. 

Saturday morning we slept in, had a late pancake breakfast, and Chris and I got on the road around noon to head north towards Portland to see Scott and Bruce (Flipflop and Queen Jenkins), two other PCT hikers. We left the farm in a packed truck with Mattie in the middle, said goodbye to the best people on the farm (THANK you Arielle, Chris, Alan, Evan, Drea, EVERYONE) and headed east to the 5. It was hard leaving, and I have a feeling that Mattie and I might be spending more time at Green Oaks Creek in the near future.

Road trip buddies, heading north.

The farm ladies, saying goodbye, with the farmhouse (then Big Basin redwoods) in the background.

We drove all day, took a picnic in Shasta then a long break for a walk and dinner around Ashland, and got to Portland at 4am the next morning on a tire that only by a miracle didn't completely blow out (getting a new one today).

Man and mountain.

Now we're cozy up at Bruce and Scott's place, and ready for adventures around Oregon. First thing this morning: biscuit sandwiches, then probably some more home-brewed beer, and most importantly, a lot of time with guys I've had to miss for the past year.

Mattie is the greatest - she loved the farm, even though we both got some ticks (including one on my scalp) - and is now sitting happily on her bed in Portland fog. We miss everyone, love you all, got good news about an article that was submitted just before we left Santa Barbara, and we've never been happier.

Love,
Allison & Mattie