My final morning at Paradise Lake, I'm up early in an attempt to get packed up before the hot sun becomes unbearable

It's cool enough by Paradise Lake this morning that I have to wear my sweater, but only for an hour, and then the heat sets in. I only drink one cup, instead of two, of my beloved strong Peets coffee this morning due to the heat.

I pack up the disorganized mess that my tent has become after living here for three nights

If I had more vacation time to spend here, I'd probably stay another night and hike up to Robison Mountain as I intended to do two days ago.

Finally, the tent comes down and my departure from Paradise Lake is now imminent

The sun has come over the hill and the day is heating up quickly, even at this early hour. Sweat drips off my face as I pack my saddlebags and assemble the 10-ton bike.

I park the 10-ton bike at the bottom of the hill on the road that leaves Paradise Lake

I walk down to the lakeshore to filter 4.5 litres of water, which should be plenty to get me to Pacheco Camp a few hours from now.

I can smell the plant growth in the lake under the hot morning sun as I pump water through the water filter

Quite a few yellowjackets are buzzing around and I'm watching them carefully due to my wasp allergy. They seem busy gleaning vapours off the water's edge and uninterested in me, even though I'm transpiring enough to become attractive to them.

I carry my saddlebags up the hill separately from the bike and reassemble the rig at the top of the hill in a shady area

I'm feeling so lazy this morning that I didn't even want to try dragging the bike up the short, slippery hill here, a few feet at a time, like I do on longer hills of this sort. Maybe I should have camped up here in the shade...

After riding a mile down Red Creek Road across Paradise Flat, I'm back at the gravel of Orestimba Creek

I'm hot already, so I stop here in the shade for a few minutes while it's available.

The gravel crunches beneath my tires on Orestimba Creek Road

I'll have to come out here some year during the spring to see what this looks like when it's underwater. It's only around 10h30, but the gravel is already giving off lots of heat.

Orestimba Creek Road climbs out of the creek, then drops back down into the gravel, then back up on dry land

I meant to watch out for the trail that leads over to Mustang Pond, just like I did when I was out here last year. But I got into the rhythm of mountain biking and missed it again.

I forgot to look for the trail to Mustang Pond, but I haven't forgotten to look for the trail to Kingbird Pond; here it is

Kingbird Pond is only a half-mile down this dead-end trail and I have plenty of time today. I leave the 10-ton bike here and do the short hike to the pond to check it out, since I haven't been there before. It might make a good future camping spot.

Kingbird Pond Trail dips down to a dry (in summer) drainage, then rises up the other side

I munch on Clif bar as I walk down the trail. The dry stream at the bottom of this hill would channel overflowing water from Kingbird Pond down to Orestimba Creek during the wet season, but not today.

Kingbird Pond Trail crosses a dry area studded with ceanothus shrubs

Ceanothus bushes stay green all summer, through the drought months, and can put on an incredibly vivid and fragrant flower show for a few weeks in the spring. The whole bush will become white or blue, depending on the flower colour.