Clouds on the ground.

Looking up Tolman Creek Rd. was like looking into a big cold glass of milk. We would soon be the cookies, dunked in the milk.

Do watchmen still exist, and if they do they should spend more time in school learning to spell. Perhaps the fog was in his brain when he made the sign.Colors lighten the view.

This picture looks straight from a science fiction movie. This man I see all over. He drives this old truck with a homemade camper, you can't see the front but there is a small greenhouse above the cab that is home to herbs and garden plants. I see him migrating around Ashland, finding nie areas to park his truck-house. A friendly fellow perhaps the next time I see him I'll stop for a more detailed look at his home.

This big bright thing started to appear. We weren't sure if it was a searchlight, or, yes, the Sun!

Phenomenal. Notice the sunlight reflecting through the water on the pine to the left.

This is the big screen nature version of shadow puppets.

We could hear angelic voices echoing through the valley.

My beard served as a good way to harvest the ambient moisture from the fog. Reminds me of the water vapor catching devices they have in place on some of the mountainous slopes in arid regions of South America.

Not a cloud in the sky because they were all on the ground. After a bit of climbing we emerged, and treated to glorious, blue sky, very warm weather, crisp clean air gave amazing views! You can see Mt. McLoughlin in the distance here.

This ride had it all, one lane paved road, fire road, single-track, regular road.

Clouds are water, here they reveal their fluid flowing tendencies.

Looking south, Mt. Shasta visible.

Sweet Melissa found some robust new friends. The chatted for a bit, discussing the finer points of mountain gradients and the joy of going uphill. The groomers will be out there soon enough, though this day, late October, felt far from ski season.

The clouds lapped up on the mountain sides like waves on the beach.

Tropical Island Chain in the Applegate Valley?

John, just before the B.R.T. (Big Round Thing) The last 1/4 mile of the climb is some of the steepest, with big gravel, over 7,000 feet, and after already more than 15 miles of climbing.

I like to call this structure Paul Bunyan's golf ball, though it is known as The Big Round Thing, or B.R.T. to Ashland locals. It sits on the summit of Mt. Ashland and is a bit garrish, though probably enables my amazing cell phone reception at the top so I can call to make sure the Queen and I are still on for tea and crumpets.

Always strange to see chair-lifts when the mountain is bare. You would be able to see Ashland below, except for all the fog. It was amazing to enjoy low 60 temps on the mountain, sunshine, warm fresh air, all day long when there were people who didn't see the sun at all in the valley.

Thanks to melting snow making for some granite silt mud I was able to get my daily allowance of minerals every time I had a sip, especially magnesium and calcium, important for sweating bodies.

Amazing. Smooth singletrack sunshine long riding day.

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