| The above will search Ashland Daily Photo. |
Historic Columbia River Highway
A beautiful highway to drive, it’s even better on a bike. In fact, the worst part of the Historic Columbia River Highway was the cars. I imagine it is lovely in any season, but with the leaves changing colors, late October was a great time of year to do this ride.
Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge
The first, of about eight or nine, waterfalls on our ride was Latourell Falls. I wasn’t able to include all of this waterfall’s 250 feet in the photo at 18mm from this vantage point and also include the stream the waterfall feeds. You can probably see about 180-200 feet of Latourell Falls in this picture. A wider angle lens would have been nice at times, but when you are riding a bike for 10 miles, carrying multiple lenses isn’t much of an option.
A train cuts through the meadow during autumn in the Columbia River Gorge
Today’s photo is from the same location as yesterday’s pic. At 200mm and with a bit of a crop you can see that the details of the valley below are just as gorgeous as the wide-angle view.
I have marked the location of this scene with an X on the map below.
Just to the north of this location is Rooster Rock State Park which is supposedly a nude beach. It wasn’t part of our tour. 😉
In late October we went to Portland for a couple nights. On the only whole day we had in Portland we took a Pedal Bike Tours bike ride called “Columbia River Gorge Tour” (mostly) down the Historic Columbia River Highway. While I took a few hundred photos along the way, I will spare you all but seven of those pictures over the coming week.
Our first stop on the tour was the Portland Women’s Forum, a state scenic viewpoint. However, today’s photo is from our second stop, the Crown Point Vista House.
Ashland Springs Hotel at night during December
Moments after taking this photo there was a nasty fender bender in front of Starbucks. No one was hurt, but the sound of the cars crashing, glass breaking, etc. was pretty scary.
Nick on bass for Atriarch
Tenguska opened for the band I really went to see on Thursday night, Atriarch.
Atriarch's magic box - inside are the tools of distortion which can transport the careful listener into another realm
Brooks lights the ancient oak, filling the place with smoke before blackening his eyes with the ashes
Lenny on vocals for Atriarch
Brooks on guitar and Maxamillion on drums -- the drums were the only instrument that sounded anything like "normal"
Atriarch put on an incredible show. I only hope it isn’t the last time I get to experience the atmosphere they are able to create with their live performance.
Tenguska (doom metal band from Ashland, Oregon)
Tenguska @ Johnny B's in Medford, Oregon
You can’t see him in these photos, but the Tenguska drummer, Garrison Mau, dedicated their performance to David Grubbs, his best friend.
Lithia Park's Japanese Garden - May 2011
Winter is my least favorite time of year in Ashland. Grizzly Peak has turned brown, flowers are gone, only the pines retain any green, and the temperature is too cold to spend much time outside anyway. Sure it can be pretty at times, when fog creeps through the valley floor or when we get a fresh dusting of snow, but the six months it will take to get to scenes like that above seem to crawl by awfully slowly.
David Michael Grubbs reward poster
Less than three weeks ago, Ashland experienced a shock that still weighs heavy on the minds of all the citizens. David Michael Grubbs was murdered for no apparent reason. His killer remains at large.
David Grubbs memorial on Ashland Bike Path
I visited the site of the crime yesterday morning for the first time since the murder happened. When the temperature is above 50 degrees I ride the Ashland Bike Path three times a week, but I haven’t done so, due to the cold, since late October. I expected the murder to have taken place in a more hidden and remote section of the path. Actually, the location is right next to the parking lot behind the tennis courts. The murderer could have jumped in their car immediately after the act.
A memorial has been created on the spot of his death. People have dropped off photos, cards, and other artifacts from his life. Others have written things on the bike path itself. I didn’t know David, personally, but I shop frequently where he worked (Ashland’s Shop’n Kart) so I recognized him immediately when I saw his photo on the news. I’m sure he helped me several times at the store over the years.
May justice and karma be served (and soon).
You may remember this Buddha, meditating with the grapes. The grapes in the vineyard are long gone, and the Buddha waits patiently for their return.