2025-04-16 38 -122

Location

On southbound Butts Canyon Rd (an amusing name) and in front of a mailbox, southeast of Middletown, CA

Participants

Plans

Push forward to Lake County - actually, my phone's navigation, but either works.

Expedition

This was more of a mini-roadtrip, with nuance, fear, and joy. That and what I came across is part of why I wanted to get into geohashing.

I've been meaning to get a hash in Lake County for a bit now, as it's not easy to come across hashes in and not easy for me to push myself to go to Lake County. Of course, trouble: this one was about 50 miles away (way out of my circle), and all to pull off to the side of the road...?

There's more, too. I was once again a raft that needed fixing. I was recently prescribed tablets for an unusual cough (this should've been enough to deter me), which have an ominous precaution of not letting yourself get exposed to the sun for too long. Those in Eureka needed more from me. I was expecting some house work.

And yet, as the day progressed, this called to me. Even through the last obstacle. Around 13:00, my father and I set off to do... strictly leisure things: a pedicure, a haircut (not for me), Taco Bell. As that was happening, I was thinking about the hash, thinking about the hash. I'd rather be there than here. Where is it? What will I see?

5 minutes after getting home, I programmed my eTrex, and tackled an obvious barrier: him.

"I'm thinking of going somewhere."

"Alright, where?"

"Well, heck, I don't know."

And I was given the thumbs up. His leniency bizzares me, but it works.

Then setting my phone to navigate, and off I was. I headed down Silverado Trail and pretty much repeated the driving part of my Yountville expedition. Things have changed, of course; vines are now planted amongst the endless posts. Oh, look; those are the hills I mounted some weeks ago. Eventually, I got to the parking lot of the Rector Reservoir Trail... but obviously my business didn't take place there, and I zoomed past it and the two cars parked there. It was familiar, then it wasn't; I eventually reached a traffic light. It was the intersection that was normal, but it was the traffic light that wasn't. Then turning right onto Deer Park Rd.

I didn't expect this next part.

Up and up. Then the road started bending, then - woah - the hills became massive cones once again. I didn't know it, but I was passing through the village of Sanitarium (also amusing). The part at which I knew things would get interesting: a hairpin, and the subsequent "mountain view" to my right - wait, what? CarPlay now indicated that I had no service, so I knew that starting now I'd have no service for one hour; the immediate next thought, this would surely be the best time for those at home to call me.

And then I got distracted by this.

Angwin. I've never heard of this place let alone looked at it on the map, but it feels like I should've... because it turns out to be a college town. The college in question: Pacific Union College, proud to be situated in the mountains. Nothing was really in full spring since spring break is here and it was 17:30 anyway; in fact, asiding the college being right there, it just seemed like... a town. Obviously not my final destination... but I had already convinced myself that this trip really took me somewhere, and that I likely wouldn't have seen this otherwise.

And then it gets more majestic. Another hairpin gives way to a "narrow winding road" sign, and I was now riding the brakes - quite a contrast from pushing the pedal to get up here. In addition to that, I was turning the steering wheel quite far, sometimes too fast that I worried I'll get the Mazda to roll. Trying to carry on through the tall trees and the stereotypical California mountain road, I eventually reached part 3: Pope Valley. I could now rev the inline-4 as the turns leveled out, but an intermittent and almost melodic noise had me worry.

And quite a bit; when a turnout appeared, I pulled over to check the tires, and they appeared... fine. Not that I needed to do this necessarily because the only thing that could pull me through in case of a flat was an unchecked spare; no jacks, no tire inflators, no emergency kits that I know of. This would really be the most inconvenient place to break down. Well, I carried on anyway. Service still out of reach, I admired the fast highway, land surprisingly flat and planted with fences, cars nearly becoming nonexistent, sky still clear. It looked like this was a retreat for a few, and a business for another few. In summary: a cozy corner of Napa Valley.

And then I got distracted by this.

I was almost down to what could've been a creek, and the hills, exceedingly high and dotted by tall dead trees, gave quite the stature - and were painted brown. Was I in the desert? Never have I exerted this much affection to a single road - and, darn it, I went to Crater Lake in Oregon and Victoria in BC! And I was still in Napa County?!

Of course, once the turns ended, I finally entered Lake County, aka part 4 - but I only assumed so as there wasn't any signage to indicate it. As a final reminder of where I came from, a vineyard took shop here, far from the center and probable chaos of Napa Valley.

That was to the right. And then I got distracted by this.

Detert Reservoir, to the left. Effectively a lake. Filled to the brim, road coming close to the water level, support from the earth almost running out as the reservoir split in two. The smiles formed again, and again.

Oh, shoot - I'm almost there.

I was now in a line of cars, so I first drove right past the point, and any turnouts to pull over were mostly too short but all too risky. As the road bended, I took liberty of a residential road to turn around; a hatchback going the other way had the same idea as me. Then I went on down, and as I could figure the mailbox I needed to stand in front of, I began looking for where to pull to. I chose some grass 150m away.

Then a stroll to the mailbox. It felt a bit strange walking down this road as the cars came along, but I don't think they were surprised. Then finally, the mailbox and the abandoned Datsun.

And then I got distracted by this.

Barking dogs.

What struck me here is that I hadn't heard this until I walked in front of the fence... and I could now see that people actually live here. The dogs were inside, but I knew this noise to be unusual and therefore I knew them to think this to be unusual, so I retreated in front of a fence. I shouldn't have been scared as much because I technically wasn't trespassing and I was in a state where the illegal wasn't as strict... but I had slight panic and decided to make this trip quick.

I eventually found the point. It was on the road - which the cars hadn't swept through in 4 minutes. A quick snap up and down, then walk back to the car. At least it was nice as ever.

Just before I pulled away, a buzz. I lied - approaching and intermittently in Lake County, including here, the service came back. The one who was getting to me was an easy guess: my father.

"Hey, where are you?"

"Angwin. I don't know how - I turned, and all of a sudden there's this college town."

"Oh, nice. Well, I'm heading down to Sacramento. Why don't you call your brother, see if he wants anything?"

So both of us were headed somewhere. Anyway, actually pulling away, I tried getting a speed racer, but my focus on economy missed it by about 10 mph, and I didn't want to go back - so, unless that my eTrex concluded the navigation on the other side of the road counts, I won't claim it. Then same way home.

But I got distracted by this.

When the service came back, I pulled to an upsetting pullout paved with gravel to call my brother. I can't be sure if he was oblivious as to where I was; I never told him about this, but he never questioned where I was, either. But that wasn't the important part. Pulling away once again, an oscillating noise linked to the speed of the car.

Well, darn it. I suspected something, maybe a naughty pebble, was stuck in and/or did something to one of the tires, and I pulled over once again to see if anything had happened. My expectation was tire pressure, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary, so I set off and decided to worry about it later; the Mazda was due for service anyway. The noise followed me throughout most of the return trip; through Pope Valley, through Angwin, through Silverado Trail. Approaching the end of the last, the noise had died away, so I'll see what happens. In the meantime, I snapped photos while driving, mostly in straights as I don't really do this (and I shouldn't).

When I was at home, I had a headache. 165 km in 2 hours 40 minutes; the most I've ventured for a hashpoint yet.

And it's the first successful one in Lake County. :D

Photos

Desert
Parking job, including new California plate bracketed against the window instead of the bumper
and the other way
It seems far
NW at the point
SE
Track
Decided satellite was good enough

Detert Reservoir
and where it becomes two
The life you save may be your own!!
Heading to Pope Valley
Still heading to Pope Valley
Angwin, north end
Angwin, passing PUC
The familiar valley in the golden light of the sunset (doesn't come across well here)
Not really visible, but the vines are here
There's the parking lot
Just making my way down Silverado