| Distance | 77.04 kms | 47.85 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 1,162 meters | 3,812 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 5.40 | - |
| Avg speed | 8.8 kph | - |
| Avg climb | 3% | - |
| Max grade | 10% | - |
| Distance | 29,515.29 kms | 18,339.77 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 309,324 meters | 1,014,842 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 2,083.99 | - |
Monday, June 9th, 2014
Wasn't too cool overnight for a change. I stop at a campground/store for a breakfast sandwich in Fort Klamath. The place is run by a couple of earthy-crunchy people who appear very concerned about the world being taken over by GMO's, judging by all the signs they have hung in their store. Before I leave I ask the woman if she can fill up a water bottle for me. I go to hand her my plastic two-liter bottle but she recoils in horror. No she says, fill that thing up at the faucet out front. If my plastic bottle is really that evil then I'm a gonner: I've been drinking out of it for weeks.
Not long after Fort Klamath a big climb starts that will take me up to Crater Lake. About 3,000 feet worth with a few descents mixed in. When I reach the rim of the lake a "Wow!" inadvertently escapes my lips. This place is beautiful. I've never seen water so blue. Reading the signs I gather that this used to be a 12,000 foot volcano that erupted 7,000 years ago. When the magma chamber had emptied the mountain collapsed on itself into the chamber creating this crater. No streams or rivers feed the lake, its water is the result of thousands of years of rain and snowfall. Very cool.
It's not too warm up here with all this snow, with the hour getting late I get going to drop some altitude. At Diamond Lake I see signs for campgrounds, I plan on just checking it out but when I see that they have showers I can't resist. A site is 15 bucks, not a good deal for a lone cyclist, but they've got power outlets, showers, and plenty of wood lying around for a fire. I make a big one to keep off the mosquitoes and the chill.
