Knowing that today was going to be long and hot, we set off early.
The sky was filled with smoke and the area full of firefighters. In fact our hotel was occupied mostly by firefighters. We left Alturas through their outlying farmlands.
We passed over the Pit River.
We rose into the Modoc National Forest.
We could see the results of wildfires from a few years ago.
We rode along Hat Creek which is a popular fishing spot. We couldn’t figure out how or why since it is so narrow and hidden. We did see several ospreys so there must be fish.
The air was so smokey that we could barely see Mt. Lassen. There are currently multiple wildfires in Northern California. On a clear day both Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta can be seen. We did spot past volcanic activity.
The heat became more intense as we approached the valley but the smoke lessened.
We stopped in Red Bluff to charge our cooling vests since the temperature was 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The remainder of the ride was a trudge through orchards and hot fields.
In Marysville we stopped to take off the cooling vests. They were just another layer at this point. Cathy also took off the cameras because when the bike says it’s 106 degrees Fahrenheit, you don’t want any additional baggage.
We pulled into our driveway around 3:00pm and our rears were feeling all eleven days of being in the seat. We were ready to be out of boots, earplug free and on anything but a motorcycle seat. We unpacked the bike, showered and poured cool drinks. Tomorrow we’ll recap the trip.
Many great barns today but here’s our pick of the day!
Monkeybutt Chronicles 
Thanks SO MUCH for sharing your trip. A little over a year ago I was rear-ended in my truck and it did great damage to my neck. My favorite recreation/sport is long distance motorcycling. I fear it may never happen again and so you sharing brought back such memories for myself. It allowed me to relive in part the most awesome vacationing!
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