As I teased in the previous post, this entry of Putz’n Around will provide a recap of our lowest point while out on the road (figuratively speaking, see this post for our literal lowest point), which happened to coincide with our stay in Myers Flat, California – deep in the Redwood Forest.
Fortunately, the trip through the Redwoods wasn’t a complete disaster from the outset, and we were able to enjoy the drive into California before the wheels fell off (not literally, thank God, now that would have sucked). Getting to Myers Flat was a relatively easy, enjoyable endeavor – just a quick jaunt down highway 101 which eventually left the coastline and began to venture inland into the beautiful, mysterious temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest.
Myers Flat could barely be described as a “town”, and I’d say it is closer to a “village” than anything else. The area was quite run down and easily one of the worst places that we have been, from a socioeconomic standpoint. After quickly driving through town, which was essentially a series of rundown shacks, mobile homes, and RVs in various states of disrepair, we arrived at our campground – Giant Redwoods RV. Complete with river access, a suitable site to park our rig for the week, and an 8 ft fence to keep out the riff raff, our accommodations were perfectly adequate for our needs, at least for a couple days. Thankfully, we were able to enjoy ourselves somewhat – skipping stones on the river, exploring the park grounds (complete with gigantic Redwoods), and driving the nearby Avenue of the Giants highway before the “snow” rolled in and threw a wrench into our lives.
It rained for most of the time we were in Myers Flat, and the forecast called for more rain plus occasional flurries, but nothing major, so we didn’t think anything of it. Well, it was just as I was about to drift off into blissful slumber that evening when my heart suddenly sank into my stomach upon realizing that the faint symphony of mechanical clicks which pierced the pitter-patter of the raindrops was actually the sound of all our electrical devices simultaneously losing power and shutting down in unison.
Apparently, the storm was heavier up in the higher mountains, and since those trees aren’t normally exposed to snow, the accumulation resulted in widespread tree damage causing several power lines to go down. After establishing that the outage was widespread and not just confined to our trailer, we were still weary but allowed ourselves to go back to sleep, optimistic that the power would be back on the next day. Nope! That entire next day came and went with no hint or indication that the electricity would be flowing again any time soon. Optimism began to wane with each passing hour in the cold, wet darkness.
It was chilly, but not too bad when we had the furnace running. Thankfully, we had plenty of propane to continue running the furnace for the next few days. However, the primary issue that we soon discovered had to do with the battery running out of juice. We hadn’t realized just how much electricity was required to power the fans which distribute the warm air from the furnace around the trailer, and how quickly this would draw down our battery without an external power source. Since we rarely boondock off the grid, we haven’t had much need for a heavy-duty battery bank or a generator – except for this moment when we would’ve gladly paid a hefty premium for a simple little generator that could top our battery back off.
To make matters even worse, this crappy time also happened to overlap with the low point in our wedding planning process, which turned this shit storm into a shit hurricane. With all the Colorado COVID restrictions growing gradually more draconian with each passing week, we came to the realization that our original venue simply did not allow for the number of guests that we wanted to invite – forcing us to cancel our dream venue and begin the search process anew. Let’s just say that there were a few tears spilt over those long hours in the darkness. Hell, there was even a moment when Sam said that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue traveling in the trailer!
Team morale was at an all-time low, the battery was slowly dying, and there was little indication that the power would be coming back on anytime soon. We had to get out of there!
Ultimately, we opted to cut our losses and abandon our spot amongst the Redwoods in search of greener pastures. Thanks to a much-needed stroke of good luck, we were able to get in a few days early at our campground in Napa. After realizing we had a viable escape plan, we packed up quickly and got out of that hell hole as fast as we could!
Spirits rapidly improved as we put Myers Flat in the rearview and made our way further south – chasing the sun (and warmth) as fast as we could. I can gladly say that, once she was properly thawed out, Sam’s bubbly demeanor began to return as well as her commitment to the RV lifestyle (still on the road six months later if that means anything)!
Tune in for the next installment of Putz’n Around where we’ll detail our stay in the iconic Napa Valley. It will me much more positive than this one – I promise!