Southbound freight was waiting to head down the Cascade line but was too long delayed. The light was so pretty I thought I would post this even without a train. Dougren is south of Springfield and the first siding on the new alignment around the Lookout Point Reservoir.

I just realized I had updated a previous and less cropped version. Anyway, editing improves with time so I hope you’ll find this inspiring as well. You can find it here flic.kr/p/2pETuFd

Coming from Metsovo over Sirrako and then nearing the second Controlpoint of the race I had one of the most vivid sceneries of the Hellenic Mountain Race open up in front of me. Quite a bit more open then many of the very narrow and deep river gorges and with beautiful afternoon light I gazed over the typical „ingredients“ of the Pindus Mountains: steep, deeply forested mountain slopes, wild meandering mountain rivers with little water but wide gravel beds.

As I often do, I just spent quite a bit of time to research what exactly I was looking at there. It is the impressive summit of the Stroggoula, located in the Tzoumerka Mountain Range which is a part of the Pindus Mountains. On its flanks, the Mountain Refuge Melissourgoi is situated. Which hosted the CP2 of the Race.

Melissourgitikos is the name of the mountain river which itself is a tributary of the Kallaritikos river I crossed earlier and is used for whitewater kayaking. And Melissourgoi is greek for „Beekeepers“. How fitting as beehives were a common sight of the HMR. They would line the forest trails in dozens and dozens and you would see probably at least a hundred or even more a day.

So - how much do you liked this bit of hidden Greek trivia research making up for the lack of bikes in these photos? ;-)

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#HMR2025

#HMR2025cap166

#Greece

#nobikesnolikes

#Pindus

#Tzoumerka

#Stroggoula

#Melissourgoi

#ridewithaview

#exploremore

#fromwhereIride

U.S. Army Soldiers from the New York and New Jersey Army National Guard gear up for a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

A U.S. Army National Guard Soldier assists a simulated burn victim of an accident during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

A civilian actor dressed in moulage to simulate an injury stands by to be placed at an accident site during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Supon from the 107th Communications Flight, New York Air National Guard sets up communications for a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard's 2-113th Infantry Regiment provide perimeter security during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

UP 2590 passing the high/wide detector at MP 616 at the head of a long, heavy manifest loaded with lumber for California and beyond.

A civilian actor dressed in moulage to simulate an injury stands by to be placed at an accident site during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers provide medical aid to a simulated victim of an accident during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

A simulated victim awaits rescue during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

Airmen from the New York Air National Guard set up medical equipment during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers assist a simulated victim of an accident during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

Michael Freeman says the essence of street photography is taking pictures of something the photographer, and the photographer only, has seen.

I see street photography allows a moment no one else would know about being captured.

Quantum mechanics says something exists in a specific shape when we observe it.

Who's right? Freeman, quantum mechanics or me? 😊

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers search for simulated victims of an accident during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

20170813_134234_DSC_0903_fb.JPG.. The stone heap is an age-old estate boundary mark in the middle of forest.

A civilian actor dressed in moulage to simulate an injury stands by to be placed at an accident site during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

Airmen from the New York Air National Guard set up equipment during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers from the National Guard set up tents during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard set up tents during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers provide medical aid to a simulated victim of an accident during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers provide medical aid to a simulated victim of an accident during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

With a new lead unit in the form of a BNSF Gevo in place, the relief crew's conductor is on the ground preparing the consist for departure.

1/10/16

Choosing a picture in an ocean of people

U.S. Army Soldiers from the New York and New Jersey Army National Guard gear up for a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

A simulated crash site is prepared for a training scenario at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. The full scale exercise involved over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

A civilian actor dressed in moulage to simulate an injury stands by to be placed at an accident site during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)

A U.S. Army Soldier from the National Guard stands by to decontaminate victims during a full scale exercise involving over 600 Army and Air National Guardsmen from New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 17, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)