Mount Shasta, Some Falls Then Susanville

An Apology and Compensation

Breakfast is included so I go down to the ground floor to fill up. It’s the usual hotel fare but thankfully many hotels these days are offering fruit and yoghurt as options, as does this one. I leave my room just before 11 am to check out wondering whether any compensation will actually be offered after the vent issue.

It is. $20. I express incredulity that $20 is hardly reasonable. Me: “I don’t expect to pay nearly $300 for a room then have to put ear plugs in to get to sleep!” We go back and forth a couple of times but Roberta recognises that I’m not budging. She goes to get the manager.

We talk the issue through but then the “chief engineer” appears from a room behind the desk and says Christine called him last night about the problem. He starts to explain but the manager shuts him up, presumably to try and retain control of the situation without someone else interjecting.

The manager goes on to explain that the vents are now a mandatory requirement on all new build hotels. By law, he says, they cannot be turned off or blocked. I say that I cannot believe in the three years they’ve been open that no-one before me has complained about the noise. He says not.

He ups the compensation to $50 off the invoice. I’m keen to get going, so accept. He then says he’s going to go up to the room now to check it out. He offers a handshake and apologies then goes off. Roberta tries to sort out the invoice.

But she can’t. She doesn’t know how to process a refund on the rate that my room was booked in at. She promises to get it sorted later when her supervisor comes in. I say OK and depart the hotel.

The Tragedy of Wildfire

I’m greeted outside by a bright and sunny day, and a reasonably warm temperature. Back on the road, US-97 S, it’s south to Susanville. Across wide open fields of farming country, there’s little traffic. The road is mostly flat and straight at first. I pass a gas station advertising “Last gas station before California prices.” I recall that California gas is among the most expensive in the USA. Despite not needing much gas, I turn around to fill up to save a few cents.

On the move again and mountains loom in the distance. Then I spot the big one. I missed it at first because its summit is covered in snow and there are white clouds drifting around it. But every now and then, Mount Shasta’s outline is there to see. It dominates the skyline as I drive ever closer to it.

I’ve driven through lots of forests on the Byway, as mentioned. There is however another significant feature of every forest I’ve driven through. Wildfire damage. Vast swathes – huge areas – of fire-damaged trees, blackened trunks with few or no branches, and certainly no leaves. It’s a very sad sight. In places the Forestry Service has cleared areas, leaving huge piles of black trunks piled high on top of each other.

I saw some similar evidence on the Cascade Loop but the damage to the Byway’s forests is on another scale altogether. Many, many trees remain untouched and in bloom, but wildfires have inflicted a massive tool here.

Just north of Weed, very near to Mount Shasta, further carnage is visible. Hopefully in time nature will repair itself. By now I’m in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest having started the day in the Klamath NF.

Up the Mountain

I’m heading for the Everitt Memorial Vista Point. I know this is a little way up Mount Shasta and that I will have to backtrack down the same way. On the outskirts of the town of Mount Shasta I turn left and get on the Everitt Memorial Highway to drive up the mountain. I figured the Vista Point should give good views of the mountain.

Wrong. The Vista Point is anything but when I get there. I can’t see anything, it’s completely overgrown with trees. It also appears to be a vista point looking away from the mountain back out onto the valley below. Not what I expected.

I decide having come this far to drive further up the mountain in search of a better view of the summit. A few miles up the road there’s a turnout with a pretty good view of the mountain.

Photos taken, I turn around and head back down towards the town. And what a good downhill drive it is. No tight switchbacks but sweeping bends, just a couple of tighter corners but overall it’s a fun and fast drive.

McCloud and Burney Falls

Down the mountain and into town, I stop at a grocery store for a drink and cereal bar to keep me going. Back on CA-89 S, I pass through McCloud. Soon after that I turn right to the McCloud Falls complex. I visit the Lower Falls first, then up to the Middle Falls and finally it’s the Upper Falls. Each is different but all are spectacular.

Entry ticket

Onwards after the stops, it’s through more forest-lined roads, most straight, some flat, others undulating. The road then starts to go up and begins twisting. I soon arrive at Burney Falls. It’s $10 to get into the State Park, which is not too bad.

These waterfalls are ‘only’ about 130 feet tall but they look amazing. There’s a path down to the pool at the bottom, which I decide to walk down to get a better look. Well worth it.

Back on the road there are more forest sections followed by open countryside. It’s pretty and scenic but I’m starting to think there’s not much variety to the landscape. It very same-y. And over the course of the Byway there aren’t many ‘attractions’ to break up the drive. Today has been the best with Mount Shasta and both Falls, and I really shouldn’t complain, but there’s only a certain amount of trees you can take…

Hat Creek then Susanville

I come across a small but spread out community called Hat Creek. Most towns on the Byway have been just a few houses but Hat Creek seems to keep going along the road for a while. I turn left and left again but then Maps wants me to divert left again into a vista point. I’m becoming attuned to Maps’ quirks – and hopefully wise so that I don’t drive into a river or something – but I followed this one. The Hat Creek Viewpoint was worth the couple of hundred yards detour off the highway. It gave a stunning view across the Hat Creek Valley.

Hat Creek Valley panorama

Just after Burney Falls I entered the Lassen National Forest. After the Viewpoint it’s a straight run into Susanville on CA-44 E, the Feather Lake Highway. Just outside town, a left turn onto CA- 36 E off the Byway takes me into the center of Susanville.

The town is big compared to anything I’ve seen since Eugene. Its population is just under 17,000 and is a typical US town. I find the Super 8 by Wyndham motel on the other side of town. The place is a lot bigger than I imagined but searching for bars and food I knew I was about 10-15 minutes walk away from them. There weren’t any centrally located hotels.

A Bar For Later

Before checking in I decide to check out where the establishments I’d identified are located.  Back up the road I find the T&A Lounge, the town’s dive bar, and it is walkable. Back at the motel I check in and ask about breakfast timings. It finishes at 9 am. F*** that, I think. I decide to skip their breakfast and “7-11” in my room at a time that suits me.

It appears as if the motel is full of construction workers given the vehicles in the parking lot. They probably want breakfast at 6 am before heading out on site. I however am on vacation and I don’t normally get up until after 9 am. So after dumping my bags in my room I walk to a Walgreens conveniently located just across the street.

I’ve never bought food from a Walgreens before but thought I’d give it a try to see if they did sell it. And they did. I got a good breakfast for $9, which on a $110 room I can handle. I did find there was a Walmart a short car ride away just down the street but thankfully Walgreens came up trumps.

Pre-trip research indicated there were lots of restaurants nearby within walking distance of the motel. Trouble was on my bar recce that I couldn’t find any apart from a Lumberjacks. Reviews said the portions were huge but as I can’t find anything else, it’ll have to do.

Dinner and Drinks

Later on in the restaurant it’s clear they are massively under-staffed. The two lady servers are running about like headless chickens. It’s also apparent the single cook is over-loaded as well. A table of five seated just before me gets up and walks out when the server tells then what the wait time for food is. I didn’t hear what she said, but it was obviously too long for them.

Suited me, given I wasn’t in a rush, and I actually got my ribs pretty quickly after ordering. There was however a steady stream of customers arriving all the time, so things probably didn’t improve. Maybe I got my dinner quickly because it was a single order. Whatever, the ribs were OK: meaty and tasty but as is often the case, poorly prepared so they were quite fatty in places. Meal consumed, I pay my check and walk up the street to the T&A Lounge.

Dead As A Dodo

On the way it’s clear the town is dead tonight. There’s no-one on the streets and hardly any cars driving up and down the main street through Susanville. Inside the T&A, it’s a true dive bar. Cash only, at the point of sale, no draught beer, only bottles or cans, and décor you definitely wouldn’t want in your house.

The barman is friendly enough but the bar itself is like the town streets: dead. There are about 8 people in but reviews said this place was supposed to be the buzzing bar in Susanville. Well, not tonight.

The barman suggests a bottled beer, that I don’t know, but I don’t particularly like it. A couple more people leave making the bar area itself is empty. There is no atmosphere in the place. Zero. I empty my beer bottle and the barman asks if I want another. I decline having decided to leave, telling him I’m hitting the road. As I get off my bar stool, the barman says “It’s quiet tonight, it’ll be better tomorrow.” Too late for me bro, I’m outta town.

I walk back to the motel along the deserted streets. Where is everyone? I pass a gas station and pop in to buy some beers. It’s still early when I get back to the motel, but I settle down with my beers and some chips, plus a couple of magazines to while away the evening. Later on I do a bit of diary and then it’s lights out.