Cycling Oregon, Crater Lake
Hello all, this is my road bike ride at Crater Lake in Oregon yesterday. I originally wanted to cycle around the lake, but after speaking with a ranger, the road was most likely snowed over and unpassable. They said 'come back in July'... Anyway, the shot below is wizard island that rises on one side of the lake.
The ride was almost 37 miles and 3,700 feet of climbing. (It was a long day for me on the bike)
GPS data is from a Garmin Vivoactive HR uploaded to Strava.
I parked 6 miles down from the crater and it started off around 50*f or so. If there are patches of snow on the ground, you could guess that the mornings are brisk. When I got up to the lake, there is a visitors center and a convenient cafe for food and drink.
When you get to the lake, the road is NOT flat, there is quite a bit of climbing. Did I say there was patches of snow? Well there was more above the lake level which is at 6,178 feet above sea level. I did not check the daytime temp, but I think it got up to the mid 60's which is good for climbing.
This plaque mentioned that the lake was 'discovered' in 1853 by a group looking for a lost gold mine. Imagine hiking over a crest and seeing this lake for the first time, amazing!
My trusty Giant TCR did very well on the descents. I have it setup with double water bottles.
Looking away from the crater also had some pretty good views.
Back at the visitors center, there is Crater Lake Lodge if you would like to stay sometime. (My guess is that it would probably be a 'little' expensive).
Here is the view you get from a lake view room. See the lodge on the upper left of the photo? Amazing views! I could stay for a month and wake up to that view!!!
Here is a shot of the entire lake, I took a panoramic shot with my Galaxy S8 and cropped it.
Even if you are not a cyclist, I highly suggest visiting Oregon and swinging by Crater Lake. It is a natural wonder and beautiful with it's rugged cliff lines, snow, alpine trees and pristine water. If you a cyclist, it's even better!
Gorgeous photos. Crater Lake looks stunning. Hard to believe this is almost summer.
When I planned this trip, I thought most of the snow would be melted and I would be able to cycle around the lake.......nope. If there is a next time, it will probably be in July.
Wow, absolutely beautiful! That's a hell of a ride, especially at that elevation, and I can't believe how much snow is still there!
Yes, cycling at 6000 ft+ has less oxygen and it makes you breathe harder, if that is possible... In any case, your body wants more oxygen on the climbs. The views are worth it though..... Snow to July as per the rangers...
wow what a beautiful journey.
It's a very dangerous journey especially the high levels and how much snow there is here.
But your photography has been very nice I have liked your photography too. Choosing your place was very nice.
thank you for sharing your journey with us
Hi, thank you for the complements! Glad you enjoyed my ride and post!
I thinked that I have beautiful landscapes but this are insane.
booking tickets to this places :D
Great cycle ride @glennolua and beautiful scenery. The photograph showing the depth of snow alongside the road is incredible. We only had a dusting of snow where we live on the south coast of England.
Thanks for visiting the blog and yes, there is quite a bit of snow for June. But I think that is normal at the elevation that I was at. 6500 ft+
37 miles with 3700ft climbing, wow man... That is awesome. . I think you should be having low lactic acid formation now as u are used to it.. Great job..
Thanks, it was a big ride for me. The views are worth the suffering on the climbs.
Young man what a nice blog and amazing scenes. You are so strong and working so hard. Thanks for sharing.
I am not young, when your as old as I am, this type of cycling takes a lot of effort.
The panorama does justice to the place.
I have always wondered and so will ask now. When you have your bike setup so aggressively, isn't it more difficult while descending? Your posture is forcing you to look down to road near your front wheel rather than up and further ahead. Coupled with the faster speeds while descending and it appears rather dangerous. Is it so?
When you have your stem slammed and you are riding the drops, your center of gravity is lower. It makes it easier to rail turns which is why almost ALL of the professional cyclists have their stem slammed.
Do you think going around a turn at a high speed with a high center of gravity is safer? Think about it...
When your in the drops, the lower you can get yourself the more streamlined you are and the faster you can go. But, you need to look up which places stress on your neck. It's hard to descend for a long period of time for me being and 'older' guy...
Yes, that's what i meant. For a race with closed roads it is perfect. Because speed is all that matters. But riding on public roads, one would want to be sitting a bit more upright to be able to see oncoming traffic earlier.
And then as you mention, comfort. Craning your neck at an awkward angle is not possible for longer durations. Even if we remove the age factor.
You know one of the good things about your bike is that you can set it up any way you want. My setup is for racing, even through I do not race, it is setup for maximum speed. I specifically sacrifice comfort for speed.
If I were ever to get another road bike, it would probably either be a touring bike or a gravel bike. I would not slam the stem so I could ride it for hours without discomfort.
You have a nice view of the lake^^
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