| Crater Lake Bike Tour |
Wednesday was the much-anticipated day when we would arrive at Crater
Lake. 
The itinerary was complicated. First, ride to Sisters for
breakfast, then ride to Bend for lunch at mile 40. Then shuttle to the
base of Crater Lake where those wanting to ride the rest of the way
would set off for the climb to the rim of Crater Lake. That morning
we figure the temperature was in the 30s. Everyone was cold and
several of the bikes were not shifting properly. Jaz could get only
her front derailleur to shift, so she had only 3 working gears, and I
had to fiddle with my shifter to get the chain to drop down the rear
cogs. Pete had us put the bikes in the sun while we ate breakfast so
that they would warm up. Judith was frozen solid. After a meal of
pancakes that Bill said were the size of manhole covers, we headed off
for Bend through open ranch land with rolling hills. The bikes
started cooperating, and we shed our full fingered gloves and jackets
as the temperature warmed up. The mountains loomed in the distance.
Judith holed up in the van.
At wonderful Drake Park on the Deschutes River in Bend, we set up our
lunch of bagels and fixings. 
Judith had decided to jog into Bend, but
forgot to bring her cue sheet, so she had to ask the locals where the
park was. 
She caused quite a stir with her "foreign accent" and
everyone she had encountered wanted to know where she was from. After
lunch we got into the van and a rental car for a 2 hour drive to
Diamond Lake. The group was not very lively. Just out of Bend
everyone fell asleep. We perked up when we arrived at Diamond Lake.
Looking across the lake I saw what appeared to be mist. Smoke from
wildfires! That direction was where we were headed in 2 days. No
time to worry about the smoke as we re-mounted our bikes for the
assault on Crater Lake. Ten riders set off for the 13 mile climb
from about 5000 feet to 7000 feet. Others got a boost in the van.
I 
led the group about as far as the Park Service toll gate, then
Marco, Mark, and Mitch took off, leaving the rest of us in their wake.
The climb was steady and long, but not that steep. However, the wind
picked up and the temperature dropped as we climbed. I left Bruce,
who was taking photos, and continued on so I wouldn't get cold,
sometimes riding with Jaz. The wind-swept pumice desert opened up to
the right of us. I passed Jaz and then Bruce caught up with me and we
rode together up towards the rim.
Eventually we could see the silver
speck of the support van high above us in the distance. Finally we
made it to the top and caught our first look at Crater Lake. 
It
looked like the ocean in the late afternoon sunlight. 
The wind was
fierce. Pete gave me a big hug and told us not to leave our bikes
near the edge; good advice, if they went over the side, they would
drop 1000 feet down to the lake. I got in the van and put on all my
extra layers of clothing that I'd left in my daypack. We still had
about 6 miles to ride to the Crater Lake Lodge. 
Judith and Lynn were
in the van and congratulated me for making the climb. Bruce and I
rode counterclockwise around the rim road to the Lodge. With the
crosswinds, I was scared to ride on the far right of the road because
of the shear drop off. The climbing adrenaline was beginning to wear
off and daylight was fading. The afternoon light gave an unearthly
quality to the already awesome landscape. We got to the Lodge just in
time to avoid being really cold and miserable.
Brian treated us to a beer at the Crater Lake Lodge that night to celebrate the climb. The lodge recently was renovated and was very cozy with fireplaces blazing. The walls of the main floor were lined with tree bark, and tree trunks supported the structure. Several other biking groups were there, as well as numerous senior citizens. Our room had an old-time feel and a view of Crater Lake. I managed to bop my head several times on the dormers near the bed. My knees were aching from the cold and windy ride up the mountain.
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