Road Trip -- Day 8: Bear Camp Road, Oregon

Never again

I've driven my share of backroads over the years. I grew up in northern New England where many of my favorites are little more than old carriage paths. I've driven all throughout the Alps. I've driven coast to coast 7 times and am currently in the middle of my 8th trip, and each time I seek backroads whenever I can. But I have yet to meet a backroad like Bear Camp Road in Oregon.

Turns out it's rather notorious. I can see why. It's a twisty one-lane road 60 miles long that traverses the Klamath Mountains. Several deaths have occurred by motorists using it, as I did, as a short cut to or from the coast to I-5. Some of the searches have lasted for weeks. It is deep wilderness. There are numerous side roads that confuse you at every turn. Rock slides are common. It often changes to gravel without warning. It also changes from two lanes to one lane without warning, sometimes lulling you into thinking you've got enough room just when you meet a raft guide going the other way towing a trailer full of river rafts. There are no guard rails to save you from going over the edge to your death should you lose concentration for one moment.

It took me 3 hours to get from Grants Pass to Gold Beach. It was a full mental and physical workout. I was exhausted. Furthermore, I wouldn't ever do it again.

Other notes:
Loved Bend so much I stayed an extra day. Then headed south to Mt. Shasta, California, then back up into Oregon on my way to the coast. Spent a lovely couple of hours in Ashland. What a pretty town. Lithia Park downtown is a gem. I also drank from Lithia Spring which was like a salty Perrier. Didn't see any road construction on my brief foray into California -- could this be because of its fiscal distress? I paid the highest fuel prices of the trip due to their high excise taxes.

Watching CNBC right now and noting the rally. We have not seen the lows yet.

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I never go back and change stupid things I've said about the market, but I do add comments occasionally. This market call has to be the worst one ever and the most embarrassing. It's what I get from lazily checking charts on the web instead of my trading platform.  Another thing I'll never do again.