Day 14334

I'm back from my trip. Time was extremely precious this week and I'm afraid I wasn't able to take all the photos I wanted. Fortunately, I'll be back in Paradise next Thursday and Friday and will take some of the actual town then.

For now, these pics feature views from my commutes into Chico from Paradise taken between 6:30 and 7:00 AM. The first 3 pics were taken from the overlook just southwest of Paradise on the Skyway on Day 14331. This pulloff allows one to view the Butte Creek Canyon. It's springtime now, so the hills are covered with pretty, mostly green vegetation. Come summer, the grass and other plants will dry out and turn brown, creating a major fire hazard. Besides attracting shutterbugs, this overlook is popular for viewing 4th of July fireworks and for those unfortunate souls wishing to say goodbye. Out of respect, I took no photos of the cars at the bottom, nor the calvaries at the top.


Above is a view of Butte Creek Canyon looking towards the north. Paradise sits on the ridge to the right, above the canyon floor. I am sitting near the ledge of the eastern canyon wall.


Here we see some wildflowers clinging to the edge of the canyon, along with a portion of my right leg! Annoying, but I still like the flowers.


And, in what has turned into a running gag, here is the most recent photo of myself - my shadow on the left canyon wall! We are looking west down Butte Creek Canyon. Chico lies at the mouth of this canyon, about 12 miles away and, through the haze, the hard to see mountains on the horizon are the Coastal Range.

The rest of the pics were taken on Days 14330 and 14333, again between 6:30 and 7:00 AM. During these commutes, I drove down Honey Run Road, which I used to live on. This road is about 15 miles long and is very twisty. Over half of the road is one lane only, which makes for some interesting encounters. On Friday, I came across 4 oncoming vehicles at this early hour - used to rarely see a single one! More and more people are taking this road between Chico and Paradise, making it increasingly dangerous. Too bad, but I do understand the attraction.


So, a view of Honey Run Road in the one lane portion - this is probably the longest straight section. I took this pic because I liked how the road seemed to disappear into the growth. It looks fake.


This is a tiny waterfall, about 1 foot wide and 25 feet high, right next to the road on a sharp curve. It is hard to see because of its size and location behind the trees. It is easiest to find by turning off the stereo and listening for the sound of water. I don't know if it is named.


So, the waterfall flows into Butte Creek, which carved the canyon. Built in 1894, this bridge is called the Honey Run Covered Bridge and is one of a kind. Its claim to fame is that it's the only covered bridge in the U.S. with three distinctive roof lines.


Shortly before leaving the canyon for the flat orchard land surrounding Chico, we find this old, moss-covered fence. In the foreground is the older rock portion, with the zig-zag design of the newer timber section behind.


Besides the moss, here's some more evidence of the somewhat higher humidity at the bottom of the canyon. Yes, we have fungus among us. Mmmm, shrooms.

I usually took Honey Run Road in to work at least once a week when I lived in Paradise and took it back up the hill at least once a month after work. Back when it was rarely driven, it was an incredibly relaxing commute. I miss it and the way it brought me back in touch with nature. Big change from dealing with the traffic generated by the foolish sprawl that has become Sacramento.

Oh, have I mentioned how much I love spring?

Anyway, more pics to come next week. Goodnight!