Yesterday evening’s thunderstorm cooled the night air. I put on my down jacket and zipped up my sleeping bag during the night. On the bike at 6am for a chilly, 7-mile descent to Emigrant Lake then 4 more miles to the Morning Glory Restaurant in Ashland. I arrived at 7 but the place didn’t open until 8. Thus, I rode to a Safeway and bought food for the next two days plus a New York Times. I visited with Raven who said he’d biked from Longmont, CO. He gave me some Cliff Energy Chews, and I gave him $2. The breakfast at Morning Glory exceeded my high expectations based on my visit in 2014 on the PCT. Well fed, I continued north to the Bear Creek Greenway, a paved bike path that I followed to Medford. Much of the riparian area along the creek plus adjacent trailer parks were burned (see photo). I saw many spots where homes once stood. At Medford, I left the bike path and headed east on Hwy 62. Lots of traffic and a wide, smooth shoulder. I stopped in Eagle Point for a cold drink and bought another Tony Hillerman paperback in Shady Grove along the Rogue River. I continued the gentle climb for 16 miles to Joseph Stewart County Park seeing hundreds of dead and dying butterflies hit by cars. At the park, I scored a terrific camp site with heavy shade under tall Douglas-firs and a soft, duffy tent site. Set up camp, shower, checking maps, and reading my new book. A short day with 53 miles, not much climbing, but I was tired when I stopped.
