Crater Lake Rim Ride
 

I was able to do a preview of part of one our Cycle Oregon routes yesterday. I rode Rim Rd around Crater Lake. It was 34 miles with 3500’ of hills. We will also do the loop next week including the 13 mile climb from Diamond Lake. Perfect weather and incredible views. Traffic was light and very manageable.

I was glad to be out of the car. Pretty good drive from NC! I was wondering how my legs would feel after not riding for a week or walking 18 holes plus sitting in a car for 5 days. I actually had fresh legs and they were stronger than my cardio.https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c99d620a0.jpeghttps://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...331732dc8.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...71c351fe6.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...299b211f4.jpeg


Cycle Oregon starts tomorrow with a 60+ mile ride to Rainbow.

Good luck,may the wind be at your back!

Looks like
One of the best rides in the world.
Crater lake rim ride is top ride on my to do list .

:thumb:

I visited Crater Lake a few years ago, without bike. Riding back to Eugene would have been a blast. Riding back up, not so much...

Mazama Caldera
 

Gotta agree. Sweet pavement around the rim. Awesome views. This ride was a bucket list item for me and did not disappoint. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...18bda557e.jpeghttps://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7202a7557.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...405715d7b.jpeg

Looks delightful. Thank you for posting.

Have done it twice. First time climbed up to the rim (13 miles) from Diamond Lake. Second time climbed up from Ft. Klamath. Imagine it's much less strenuous if you drive up and just circle the rim.

I did the short ride up to Cloud Cap but left Pinnacle Point up to my wife in the car.

I've done a bit of hiking and XC skiing around the rim trails and roads, but not cycling.

One thing that's always amazed me, with the views: how darned rich and deep the blues are, in the sky and the lake. There's something crisp and clean about the air, generally, in all the days I've been up there. Never gets tiring.


Thanks for the post. Nice spot.

Thursday, Cycle Oregon, was my second time riding up and third time there, but the first time I really got to experience it. After college, my roommate and I drove to the rim on an overcast, late October day. No one else up there to be seen. We were very aware that mountain weather can change very fast and that we had a lousy car if it did so we stayed maybe 15 minutes. 2012, Cycle Oregon went up the south entrance from Klamath Falls (I'm guessing that is what indyfab referred to), then around the rim clockwise. I made the mistake of going left at the fork and descending down toward Diamond Lake. I had to climb back to the rim from the meadow at 6000' on my 42 x 23 fix gear. From there it was survival. I rode the rim and down to lunch, but I did not experience it, instead just focused on "gotta get to lunch".

This time, the ride went very well. Same bike, same gear, but all according to plan. I rode it for my mom who I witnessed passing two weeks to the day before. Many stops as she would have wanted. It was still very hard. 7 years older at my time in life does that. Crater Lake is a special place. It was to the people before us who witnessed it being born from the now non-existent Mt Mazama. It now will be special to me forever.

Oh, and one of the best fix gear descents anywhere - the rim down toward Diamond Lake and that meadow. 42 or 43 x 12 (95" or 97") is perfect. It was the descent to die for when I was going the wrong way. Done right last week - it still is.

Ben

Added to my 'bucket list' of rides. Gonna do some SF Bay area stuff next spring, maybe do it next fall.

FWIW: I've been up there, probably 20 years ago, and it was awesome on a clear fall day (rained like h3ll the next day in the afternoon!). Its somewhat like Lake Tahoe - clear, deep blue colored water with an equally clear blue sky above.

It's the deepest body of water in the U.S. and the 9th deepest in the world.

Don't wait to late in the fall or you might hit snow. Rain/snow is predicted for next Friday.

My wife and I were fortunate enough to be backcountry ski patrollers at CLNP for 22 years. We have a tradition of trying to get up there on the 4th of July to do a little tele-skiing and cycling. It is our favorite place, especially in the winter. Unfortunately, or fortunately for the last 10 years we have been on bike tours on July 4th, and have broken our tradition.

4th of July (and the 5th)! Often the road is not open enough to ride all the way around the rim, but that may be changing.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...382cae96_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b4a4ed24_c.jpg



https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2cea8295_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4be59945_c.jpg


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b2c91c9d_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5b9282a0_c.jpg

I thought about you guys as we were driving back across Oregon on Route 20. It was very much reliving the XC ride in ‘16 for me. I patted myself on the back and mentioned your wife and you to my wife and reminded her about your suggestion to follow 20. Kudos to you two for all the camping you did.

I greatly enjoyed getting back out your way to do more riding. The hills seemed longer and steeper than they used to be!!!