Posted by Curtis Knight on March 20, 2007 at 11:53 PM
Hi folks, I have a 4-day weekend starting this friday. It's kind of a spur-of-the-moment trip. I'm going to Redwood NP, and I need some advise on where to go. Due to my trashed knees, I'm pretty much limited to "road hunting" at this point. I can probably get in a one mile round trip, but that's about it. Any advice you can give will be appreciated. I'm also willing to sleep in the truck if necessary...
This is probably my last chance to take this kind of trip for some time. It's a long story, but the short version is I have a total knee replacement scheduled for April 24, and I'll be several months in recovery/rehab. my left knee is now down to bone-on-bone, so there's just no other option. Next year I'll be considering have the right knee done as well.
I bought a new truck in November and I've been dying to take it on a road trip, so that's another incentive to take this imprompru trek.
Posted by John Lehmkuhl on March 21, 2007 at 12:54 AM
Don't have any clues to help you with, but I wish you a great trip and good luck on that surgery. I'd go to the California forums and ask there... you'll get more local advice, I'm sure.
Posted by Erik Lundh on March 21, 2007 at 10:26 AM
Curtis,
I know someone who had two knee replacements, both within 9 weeks of each other. She is in her 60's and was walking within within 3 weeks. It was a long recovery but now(about nine months later) she is pain free and glad she did it. Good luck and I hope everything goes well. If you have any questions, I can ask for you or maybe you can email her.
Posted by Tomas Kaspar on March 21, 2007 at 11:35 AM
I just got back from Redwoods. Just get to the visitor center, get the map, and drive all the roads. There is plenty to see from the road. Howland Hill road is a must from the car. Also coastal drive is cool. If you can do some easy hike than do Lady Bird Johnson. It is one of my favorites there.Good luck.
Posted by Andy Drumer on March 21, 2007 at 11:40 AM
Lady Bird Johnson is an easy trek, definetly try it at least. Wouldn't go of the trail, the ground is so covered in ferns you never know what you are sticking your foot into. The redwoods still drip gargantuan drops onto you hours after it last rained so be prepared. Have fun! The redwoods visitor cener is huge and has all the info you will ever need
Posted by Curtis Knight on March 21, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Cool! thanks for the advise! I noticed lady Bird johnson on the map last night. I'll get those spots marked on the map tonight. And yes, I did post a note to the Cali group last night as well.
Thanks for the encouragement Erik. The doc told me it's going to be rough, but since I'm younger than most, the recovery should be easier than most. The disadvantage to my age is that in 20 years, when the artificial joint wears out, I'll be in a bit of a dilema.
Posted by Philip Kuglin on March 21, 2007 at 12:55 PM
Curtis,
My wife as had a knee replacement a couple of years ago and probably your ages are not that far apart. She only had one done, but she was back at more in less that 6-7 weeks and she is on her feet 12 hours a day in a fab. The key is physical therapy of course to get you flexibility back.
You can do it again, but you get shorter...
Good luck with the redwoods, there are plenty of photo ops plus mucho coastal shots
Have a great time. No better excuses for a road trip than a new truck and impending surgery! You'll have a lot to keep your mind's eye busy during physical therapy. No fun anticipating surgery but you'll be beauts! boy! when you're back truckin' around with no more pain. Best of luck. And be sure to post a lot of Redwoods shots!
Curtis, Tried to post last night but the server must have gone down as I was typing. Couldnt send it . Do want to double up on the suggestion to take the Howland Hill rd trip. Slow dirt road, little traffic, places to pull off and take photos. It is in Jedadiah Smith State park just on the north edge of Redwoods NP.
Good luck on the trip and the Knee.
Curtis, one more short stop on your trip. Either coming or going take Hwy 199 between Grants Pass and Cresent City. At Mile marker 17.5 is a very easy to miss sign for the Darlentonia Trail. Just a small parking lot and a .3 Mile loop trail to see several good size patches of Cobra plants. Very easy walk. Worth even turning around if you drive by. Maybe 45 min. of your time.
I recommend Stout Grove which may be part of Jedadiah State Park. The road leading there is rather rough, uncrowded w/ lots of pulloffs to park/shoot.
Posted by Curtis Knight on March 22, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Thanks a ton folks! This ought to keep me busy for the two full days I have down there. That Howland Hill Road sounds like just my kinda road too!
Posted by Kevin McNeal on March 23, 2007 at 12:27 AM
Good luck with that knee replacement Curtis. Results vary quite alot. Some recover really quick. I had hip replacement back in October and I was out for months. To this day I cant hike too far but it was worth it to do it.
Curtis, I am jealous. I plan to make it there when the rhodies bloom. Amy grew up near there and she's gonna lead me around there. I've always wanted to go, but my schedules just never let me.
Good luck with the knees man. That can be painful but at least you are taking steps to better yourself. Let me know if you need anything, OK? We'll hope for a speedy recovery for you!
Posted by Ned Fenimore on March 23, 2007 at 1:12 PM
My sister had both replaced - really made all the difference in the world.. I won't tell you about the time she woke up to them pounding one in during surgery.. oops!
Posted by Curtis Knight on March 26, 2007 at 7:09 PM
ROFL Ned! That's not a nice thing to say!
Boy did I relax this weekend. Those trees are amazing. And it was quiet, and peacefull since the tourist season hasn't really started. strolling though those giant trees and the quiet were so relaxing that the camera almost became secondary to my reason for being there.
I came back a day early though. I drove back last night. got home about 1:00a.m. I'm still working on images. I didn't come away with anything spectacular, but I got a few nice shots. I'll post them later. It's a place I need to go back to a couple more times to get that wall-hanger image. The Trilliums are all over, and some tiny white and yellow flowers are sprouting up here and there. Seeing all those rhodies, I'm wishing I could be there later in the spring!
About noon yesterday I got frustrated with constantly being turned around by gates on the roads, so I just kind of started driving toward home, and then about 7:00 when I realized sunset was going to be another bust,I got a tripple latte and headed up 199. This doesn't seem to a great time to go there unless you're prepared to hike. As for the weather, it was perfect for my normal forest photography, but the sunsets were lifless, and there was too much fog for sunrises, and the fog was too thick for the sun to penetrate until late in the day, so no God beams, and my foggy tree pics were a bust.
Photographically, it wasn't very rewarding this time, but overall, I accomplished my purpose wich was to get away, and relax with the camera.
Here's my truck on Howland Hill Rd... I walked across the road to scout the river view for comps, and when I turned around I thought this looked like a cool shot for fun.
Discussion
15 repliesThis is probably my last chance to take this kind of trip for some time. It's a long story, but the short version is I have a total knee replacement scheduled for April 24, and I'll be several months in recovery/rehab. my left knee is now down to bone-on-bone, so there's just no other option. Next year I'll be considering have the right knee done as well.
I bought a new truck in November and I've been dying to take it on a road trip, so that's another incentive to take this imprompru trek.
I know someone who had two knee replacements, both within 9 weeks of each other. She is in her 60's and was walking within within 3 weeks. It was a long recovery but now(about nine months later) she is pain free and glad she did it. Good luck and I hope everything goes well. If you have any questions, I can ask for you or maybe you can email her.
Thanks for the encouragement Erik. The doc told me it's going to be rough, but since I'm younger than most, the recovery should be easier than most. The disadvantage to my age is that in 20 years, when the artificial joint wears out, I'll be in a bit of a dilema.
My wife as had a knee replacement a couple of years ago and probably your ages are not that far apart. She only had one done, but she was back at more in less that 6-7 weeks and she is on her feet 12 hours a day in a fab. The key is physical therapy of course to get you flexibility back.
You can do it again, but you get shorter...
Good luck with the redwoods, there are plenty of photo ops plus mucho coastal shots
Good luck on the trip and the Knee.
Good luck with the knees man. That can be painful but at least you are taking steps to better yourself. Let me know if you need anything, OK? We'll hope for a speedy recovery for you!
Boy did I relax this weekend. Those trees are amazing. And it was quiet, and peacefull since the tourist season hasn't really started. strolling though those giant trees and the quiet were so relaxing that the camera almost became secondary to my reason for being there.
I came back a day early though. I drove back last night. got home about 1:00a.m. I'm still working on images. I didn't come away with anything spectacular, but I got a few nice shots. I'll post them later. It's a place I need to go back to a couple more times to get that wall-hanger image. The Trilliums are all over, and some tiny white and yellow flowers are sprouting up here and there. Seeing all those rhodies, I'm wishing I could be there later in the spring!
About noon yesterday I got frustrated with constantly being turned around by gates on the roads, so I just kind of started driving toward home, and then about 7:00 when I realized sunset was going to be another bust,I got a tripple latte and headed up 199. This doesn't seem to a great time to go there unless you're prepared to hike. As for the weather, it was perfect for my normal forest photography, but the sunsets were lifless, and there was too much fog for sunrises, and the fog was too thick for the sun to penetrate until late in the day, so no God beams, and my foggy tree pics were a bust.
Photographically, it wasn't very rewarding this time, but overall, I accomplished my purpose wich was to get away, and relax with the camera.
Here's my truck on Howland Hill Rd... I walked across the road to scout the river view for comps, and when I turned around I thought this looked like a cool shot for fun.