Took 99 north to Chico, CA, after a quick stop in Sacramento to grab a lifejacket and inner tube at Big 5 Sporting Goods. My mission is to scope out the local tubing spots. Using a web page as a reference, I checked out the Sacramento River tubing spot, which is calm water, and Butte Creek up in the foothills, which is more rapid and shallow (and colder). Both locales are absent of tubers, so it must be much too early. This stuff probably starts around Memorial Day at the earliest. I have the info now though, and I will return here later in the summer. With no tubing possible at the moment, I still have to occupy myself, so the mountains beckon once again. I head off to Lassen NP. Both the drive up and
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