Just recently I shared with you our discovery of a long-forgotten blink of a town known as Hilt. It’s  just a few miles south of the California Oregon border.  When I told a friend of mine about our discovery, she asked me, “Did you know there is a Buddhist Temple just beyond Hilt?”  Um, no!

A Buddhist Temple

Well, of course we had to go back to find it.  Seriously, a Buddhist Temple in the hills above Hilt, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  It was just too good to pass up.

A Detour

This time though instead of heading straight for Hilt via Interstate Hwy 5, we took a detour up to Mt. Ashland.  It was a cold crisp day but the sky was blue and we thought it’d be a great day to take in the spectacular views.  Unfortunately, we forgot about the fact that it was Saturday. All of the spring skiers were enjoying the swoosh of snow under their skis.  The parking lot was jammed packed, but we did manage to capture a couple of great shots.

Approaching Mt. Ashland ski bowl.
Approaching Mt. Ashland ski bowl.
The Back Road to Hilt

We made our way back down the mountain and found what we believed to be the back road to Hilt; a beautiful wooded drive.  I’m not sure how many miles it was, maybe only 8 or 10 but it seemed a bit longer. I guess because it was just a packed dirt road with a lot of twist and turns, but it sure was a pretty drive.

Colestin oad connects Mt. Ashland road to Hilt, CA.
Colestin road connects to Mt. Ashland road, which leads to Hilt, CA
The only place we would dare stop in the middle of railroad tracks!
The only place we would dare stop in the middle of railroad tracks!
In the Middle of Nowhere

And there, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, we turned a corner and came upon the Buddhist Temple.  Go figure!  It is perplexing to find such a place on a hillside outside of Hilt, but at the same time it makes perfect sense because it is such a peaceful hillside.

Tashi Choling Center for Buddhist Studies
Tashi Choling Center for Buddhist Studies
There was no one on the property so we parked the car near this little pond and had a car picnic.
There was no one on the property so we parked the car near this little pond and had a car picnic.
DSCN3605

And that my friends is how we spent our day, taking in the spectacular views and finding a peaceful temple on a hillside in Hilt, CA.

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