We slept in. A non-negotiable after spending the past few weeks selling and/or storing everything we own, and saying farewell (even if temporarily) to everybody and everything you’ve known for the past 17 years.
All nine of us had lunch at the Pioneer Hillside Pizza in Shingletown – a combination bar and diner, separated by a plywood-paneled wall and recycled glass door, and little more than a kitchen with five plastic tablecloth covered tables. It was a true local joint – no tatted, hipster chef; no craft beers on tap. It was a place where our waitress also cooked the food and the only beer available was mass-produced in St. Louis or Milwaukee.
Mmmm, pizza
Chasing Brett
After lunch we headed over to the Hat Creek Subway Cave at CA-89 and CA-44, near Old Station. The Subway Cave is a self-guided 1/3 mile long lava tube that is completely dark. We came prepared with flashlights and jackets (it’s a cool 45 degrees inside) and made the journey through the tube twice. The second pass through was without any lights – the boys feeling their way along the edge of the tube, and without incident except for a nearly lost pair of sunglasses.
Five friends ready for the underground
The short hike to the cave entrance took us past towering pines
Descent into Subway Cave
Mark in the middle of the largest chamber of the cave
A moment to relax on the other end of the tube
No one can see you in a pitch black cave, right?
Scrambling over boulders at the cave entrance
Back at camp, we settled down to a relaxing dinner. Of course, after the boys hit the trails on their 4×4 pedal car.
Austin and Timber
First group dinner
The boys hitting the trails in the pedal car
