22nd Jan.

Mild this morning on account of low-lying fog, fingertips grateful.  Invited into a campervan by kind couple Ginny and Scott, for coffee, and to warm my toes before setting off.  Met a guy of a distinguished age at the next cafe stop who was telling me how him and his girlfriend had turned up there years ago, broke, out of gas, with enough money for one cup of coffee between them.  They had ended up being offered waitress/carpentry work, and a trailer to live in.  He now returned from Washington as often as he could, for bits and pieces of carpentry work, for the same guy, who owned most of the town.  Chuck, he had a kind twinkle about him.  The guy working in the cafe however, was not in a good way.  Being surrounded by one of the world's natural wonders, beautiful redwood forest in this case, doesn't stop us humans from having all sorts of problems. 

Continued along 'Avenue of the Giants' in Humboldt State park - incredible trees.  As impressive as the standing living trees, are the fallen ones.  Some large ones that must have blocked the road, and been chainsawn and moved.  The feeling is the same as seeing a whale skeleton - awe, disbelief at it's size...  Stopping every few minutes to check out yet another great tree! 

Back onto Highway 101, fast, noisy, into Eureka city.  A friendly cop a couple of weeks ago had singled out Eureka as a place to have my wits about me, and stay at the campground out of town.  Apparently what started as some small-scale marijuana growing, has grown over the years into a distribution hub for all sorts of things, including crystal meth.  There were a few folk looking worse for wear on the edge of town, not up to smiling, and I was glad to be passing through and out of town before dark.  50 miles today. 

Having a condensation-soaked tent is getting a bit tedious.  California is in drought, but it's cold and still at night, meanwhile I'm breathing in my little tent, in my winter sleeping bag = lots of condensation.  By this point, I'm the only one actually camping in a tent at campgrounds...can't think why.