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Day 452 – 455 Ashland OR. To Mt. Shasta CA. – 73 Miles

12/8/2015

20151205_120609My stars must have been aligned for my return to the state where this adventure originated. The climb to the top of the Siskyou Mountains wasn’t too taxing. Even with powdery snow in the mountains my roads remained dry. The sun was out and I enjoyed my continued rolling of hills. The last climb of Oregon lasted several miles but the legs pushed through. It was a much lighter workout than the steep mountain backroads of a few days earlier. The payoff came a little over four thousand feet. I trotted over the hump and let gravity go to work. The next seven miles at a six percent downgrade ushered me into California. There was no Welcome to California sign greeting me by the road but I did find my way into a rest area and visitor’s center...

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Day 449 – 451 Grants Pass to Ashland OR. – 53 Miles

12/5/2015

20151202_110245We were very fortunate that Doug from the Holiday Inn Express had agreed to host us for an extra night. We were located relatively close to the town of Medford but we had an extra day before we needed to get there. I decided to knock off a few miles so that I would have a light day before my mom arrived. I left the hotel right after breakfast and found that I would be running in a light sprinkle. The sky remained cloudy and dark for a few miles. After I turned a corner and passed Rogues River, the clouds parted and the sun made an appearance. Despite the nip in the air I was covered in sweat and happy to keep moving forward. The stretch of road from there to Gold Hill was the historic 99 hwy. I had run all of sixty six on my run across America. This time the numbers were flipped...

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Day 447 and 448 Azalea to Grants Pass OR. – 41 Miles

12/1/2015

20151130_104801Our trailer had a film of glassy ice covering the steps. Crystal rang the RV repair shop to confirm that we were getting our debilitated heater motor was being ordered. He ensured her it would arrive the next day. The news calmed our fears and allowed me to hit the road with a clear mind.

20151130_122743From Azalea I began to cruise towards forest. Cars disappeared and wildlife played. Each step took me farther away from the loud noise of the five freeway. I could taste the cold damp air with each inhaled breath. As the elevation began to climb my legs began to burn. I could feel my velocity drop even though I was working harder. I looked to my side and suddenly I found myself high up in the mountain. I could see the top of neighboring mountains as well...

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