Black Oak Way

26 Sep Black Oak Way

From Tolman Creek Road to Clay Creek.

Two blocks long, Quiet street.

Photo essay published in 2022.

Gravel road

Black Oak Way is a two-block gravel (not paved) street that begins at Tolman Creek Road and ends at Clay Creek. I don’t understand why it is still gravel, since it has been slowly developed from the 1960s up until 2004. I walked Black Oak Way on a cloudy morning in September 2022.

The first block of Black Oak Way

The first highlight I noticed was a massive Ponderosa pine tree, perhaps as old as one hundred years. Here are several photos of the Ponderosa pine and how it dramatically frames the entry to the house.

I spotted a few items of interesting art in the front yard gardens along Black Oak Way.

The homes on the two blocks are mostly ranch style architecture.

The second block – a “Dead End?”

To reach the second block of Black Oak Way, you take a jog left on Bellview Avenue and then turn right to face the big yellow “Dead End” sign. In person, and in the photo above, you can see the tree-filled end of the street where Clay Creek cuts through town.

When I reached the “end” of the street, I was scratching my head. No, it is not a “Dead End.” Maybe it was 20 or 50 years ago. Now the street takes a 90-degree turn at Clay Creek and continues south until it connects with Bellview Avenue again.

Clay Creek

Unlike most of the original creeks that ran through Ashland, Clay Creek still meanders above ground all or most of its way through the town. The small canyon is quite wide here at the end of Black Oak Way. 

I couldn’t help taking this photo, which makes the fire hydrant look as though it is all by itself in the countryside.

Gates on Black Oak Way

I enjoy finding unusual gates, and Black Oak Way came through with two. One is special because of the art incorporated into the gate. The feature photo of this article shows a close-up of this gate art.

The other gate and fence is unlike any I have seen in Ashland. The fence part looks like either weathered steel or Corten steel. The gate, on the other hand, may be stainless steel. It appears to be a work in process. I would like to learn more about this fence and gate. 

Closing words

In case you haven’t seen any deer walking in front of your house or your car today, here is a photo of a healthy looking buck on Black Oak Way for you.