“Phil are you sure this is the way to Trinity-Shasta Lake?  I don’t think this van is built for all terrain.” Phil showed me the GPS and pointed to the blue line indicating that forward was the correct direction.  Looking through the windshield at the rock infested glorified hikers trail of a road made us think that perhaps GPS can be wrong or at least misinformed.

After some discussion returning the way we had come seemed to be best.  Our trusty GPS finally updated our route and put us on the “right” road.  For the next 20 miles the students and staff got a breath taking view of northern California as we climbed up into the Trinity Alps mountain range.  The scenic single lane forest service road soon became the single most anxiety-provoking event of the whole trip.

After arriving at our campsites for the weekend we all were ready for some comfort food and relaxation.  All enjoyed Smores, Magic the Gathering, and simply swapping stories around the campfire.  We had planned on spending time at Trinity Lake but according to some seasoned campers it was at its lowest in 20 years.

Saturday morning brought the promise of going to Water Works Park in Redding or the Lake Shasta Caverns.  Students who went to caves enjoyed the tour that took them across a lake to the remote and beautiful caverns.  The students who went to the water park found that even the 30+ ft. drop of the Avalanche seemed tame compared to what we had already been through on the ride through the mountains.

With Klamath being a small town students were excited to have a chance to shop at a “real” mall and visit a “real” game store.  With a full day of exploration, water slides, and shopping behind us the only thing left to do was eat some good grub.  What is the point of going to California if you don’t stop at In-N-Out?

Students and staff both learned several important things:

1.) Shorter routes are not always better

2.) Sunscreen works best when applied

3.) Look on-line to see the water level of the lake before you plan a trip to it

4.) One triple stack burger animal style with fries and a shake is more than enough food for one person.