Back Woods

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US 101 and CA 36 travel through the back woods of the North Coast. They pass through places where you see more Dickies than Bonobos, more Duluth Trading than Stitch Fix, more lunch pails than bistros.

Back woods towns are called Laytonville and Scotia. Back woods rivers are the Van Duzen and Eel. Everything about them is hard working.

So, when Walt Gabler said he’d be driving north on 101 and then on 36 to repair the wood-burning stove at his back woods cabin, I suggested he snap the color. “No one’s reported from there, yet,” I explained.

Now, I see why.

It’s Near Peak along 101 and 36 with bigleaf maple all yellow and lime, but the back woods folk have likely been too busy walking fence lines and splitting fire wood to report it. The black oak are characteristically dark orange, though a tint of haze from recent wildfires has dampened their luster. No doubt that haze has kept people busy with other things, back woods things.

• Redwood Highway, US 101 (243′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.