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!
