Hereford Ranch Hat Creek Campground

We live in a beautiful state, this state of California. I am reminded whenever we take off for a weekend, the Mendocino Coast, wine country in the foothills, Lake Tahoe.
This weekend it was Hereford Ranch Hat Creek about 20 miles north of the entrance to Lassen National Park. Hat Creek is a world renown fly fishing stream. Hereford Ranch is a great campground and there are some country roads I've been wanting to explore on my bike since we were at the cam 4 years ago. Since we are towing a trailer, we limited to 55 mph so it's a nearly 5 hr drive. I our world, that's a stretch for even a three day weekend.
We ran into hail and  rain showers nearing the Lassen Park entrance, the kind of rain that is just this side of snow. This was the precursor to the rest of the day, coldish rain off and on. It was perfect weather for scouting out fishing spots and taking a drive up a mountain road just because it was there.

It finally stopped raining after dinner to chance a bike ride. I grabbed a plastic bread bag to cover my sopping wet bike seat, shade of my days at UCD where a bike was my only transportation. I was rewarded with spectacular views of Hat Creek and what I am going to call my Magical Ghost Mountain.

There must have been a cold storm cloud just hanging over a particular magical white cinder cone. All of the tree studded peaks around it were dark spruce green, the one in the middle sparkling white. Saturday night rain erased what had been there the day before. The peak was the same green as the peak in front and the peak behind. Only that little flat patch on the top gave a hint as to the splendor the day before.

My Sunday  sunrise ride was just a gift. Sunrise  over Hereford Ranch pond,












mist rising off the cows and meadow grass







Sunrise over Lassen Peak.


Just a bike, an open road, a camera, what possibilities, what a day.