Off Road- By Bike and Jeep

I spent Monday morning on a mountain bike with a family friend near Shasta Lake. (a 30 minute drive from my parents home) After a slow start--two flat tires--including a trip to the bike shop we set off on a wonderful trail.  It was a trail suited for beginners.  There is no fear quite like being hooked into the pedals of a mountain bike.  The course is so rough and my skill is quite weak! The road is my comfort!

The beauty of the Northern California is outstanding.  It is so easy to forget about the beauty of my home town. The fires this summer devastated huge areas and we could see this from both the bike and jeep rides.   

The same afternoon I went on a jeep ride with my dad.  We were not able to ride the track he wanted due to fire damage.  So sad. A ranger even made darn sure we were not going to break the law and go beyond the "no trespassing" signs.   We opted for a drive to Shasta Lake. 

I've never seen Shasta Lake so low. Typically we'd be just at the water where the photo was taken. My dad got his off road fix by driving on the emerging land masses below the usual boat ramp. I held on for dear life...but not that hard. He's more skilled at off road driving than I am(on the MT. bike). 

This trip home I've spent one on one time with each parent.  It has been a treat. They each took off 2 days of work on different weeks.   I'm grateful for the time.