Another blazing-hot morning at Paradise Lake, Henry Coe State Park

I drink my strong, hot coffee outside. Yesterday, I insisted on drinking my coffee in the tent to avoid the flies. However, it's so hot this morning that I am willing to tolerate the flies in exchange for the privilege of being outside the tent.

I've packed up the bike for a mountain-bike ride up to the top of Red Creek Road

This is the first and only mountain-biking day excursion that I do on this trip without carrying everything, leaving my home-base campsite in place.

On my way out of Paradise Lake, I stop by the dam and pump six litres of water for the day

I've been told that Hatch Spring up Red Creek Road will probably have water, but since I haven't been there before, my best bet is to load up here.

I follow the road across the west end of Paradise Flat and then dip down into Red Creek

The big hill in the background should be Mississippi Ridge, with County Line Road more or less following the ridge line up on top.

Red Creek Road turns out to be a lesser road than I was expecting

This part of the road looks like it's underwater during the wet season. Red Creek Road follows Red Creek for over five miles and I'm wondering if most of it will look like this.

It's a slow bumpy ride and it's fun to try to follow old tire tracks in the grass and stay on the "road"

However, you can't really get lost in the narrow canyon, whether you're on the actual road or not. This whole area is part of the Orestimba Wilderness, and thus off-limits to bicycles, with the exception of Red Creek Road itself.

I take a break at the junction of Robison Creek Trail; I'm almost four miles from Paradise Lake now on another hot, sweaty day

If I hiked 5.5 miles up Robison Creek Trail here (it's closed to bicycles), I would reach the spot where I turned around yesterday at the north end of Orestimba Creek Road. That would make an interesting trip one day.

Suddenly, the lost trail in a dry grassy creek bed becomes a well-graded fire road that rises up a hill

I'm guessing that the road got graded during last year's brush fire to facilitate movement of emergency vehicles.

On the way up the hill, I reach a fallen oak that blocks the road

At first, I think I'll just lift the bike over it, until I realize that it will be easier to pick up some of the branches and throw them off to the side of the road.

Looking back at part of the little climb here out of the Red Creek canyon

Red Creek Road gained about 300 feet of elevation on this one-mile stretch.

I stop for a map check to see if I'm getting close to Hatch Spring yet

I don't want to do like I did yesterday again and miss points of interest!

The road drops back down to dry Red Creek

I'm still a half-mile or so from Hatch Spring.