The ride to Crater Lake was an optional one. Some
people took a rest day and stayed in camp at Diamond
Lake, some road twelve miles to lunch on the rim and
then returned to camp, and some of us chose to ride
the rim after lunch. This day was one of the most
rewarding days of the trip. There were definite
tough climbs and fun desents, but the scenery of
Crater Lake was spectacular!
Our day started with us able to sleep in a little.
The temperature was probably in the 40s and so was
tropical compared with the other two mornings. We
were able to take our time eating and did not have to
pack up the tent or haul our bags to a truck. What a
luxury!
We noticed that the first twelve miles to the rim had
many riders. It felt like a regular Cycle Oregon day
with the majority of the people taking an opportunity
to see Crater Lake. The twelve miles to the rim
were all up! We did stop at the Pumice Desert
Viewpoint and take some wonderful shots of Mt.
Thielson. It was fascinating how not much has grown
in the pumice over the years. As far as we could see
it was pretty brown.
Lunch was served at a viewpoint right where the access
road meets the rim road. It was hot and so we sought
out a log in the shade for our picnic area. We found
ourselves saying "love the shade" during this part of
the trip. Truly, the ability to cool off in the
shade or ride for stretches in the shade became key
for making this day an enjoyable one.
By noon we had to be riding around the rim or they
would not allow us to go. We found out there was a
strict contract with the park service to even allow us
the ride there at all. We had to ride clockwise.
Anyone riding the opposite way was breaking the
contract and could have been ticketed.
Words cannot describe the shade of blue at Crater
Lake. The whole day was blue, even the sky and our
bike. But a surprise to us was how much we enjoyed
the backside area by Mt. Scott. At this point in the
rim path we could not see the lake at all but could
see beautiful meadows and mountains that surround the
lake.
One thing we noticed right away was that many people
did not ride the rim when we went. This allowed us
to feel we were kind of in a smaller tour. We found
ourselves bonding with another tandem team--KHS --at
many stops and snapping photos. For the most part,
there were around twenty to thirty bikes at each stop.
This was in contrast to the hundreds we were used
to.
The Phantom Ship was a great structure. The trees at
the viewpoint framed the ship for perfect photos.
Wizard Island could be seen from every vantage point
of the lake. Truly this was a day of fabulous views
for our eyes.
A little note: when we woke up, I (Julie) was not
sure I wanted to ride the rim. Taking a break
sounded great after the grueling Day 2 ride.
However, I was so glad we went. That is the deal
with being on a tandem. If I stayed at camp, Randy
would not have had a chance to see Crater Lake.
There were a couple of days when I honestly thought
taking a trip in the sag wagon sounded like fun, but
in the end, I knew unless we had a mechanical issue
with the bike that was not going to be an option.
Looking back on the trip now, we can honestly say we
cycled the entire time without sagging.
A funny note: People back at camp were a little bit
more rested and we noticed more noise outside our
tent. One man stood right outside our tent and had
an intimate conversation with his girlfriend/ wife.
It cracked me up. Finally, Randy unzipped the window
on the tent and the man moved. As soon as that man
left and the noise died down, we were out for the
night...asleep on pinecones!
Statistics; Crater lake was 59.8 miles from Diamond
Lake, around the rim and back again. We gained 6,470
feet in elevation. (no wonder we were tired!)
Interesting tidbit: Diamond Lake was formed as a
result of the formation of Crater Lake. The volcanic
activity formed the land that trapped the water that
makes Diamond Lake.
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