Day of the Birds

We saw so many birds today.  The Klamath Basin, which we biked through, is known as a bird hotspot.  It has numerous National Wildlife Refuges and beautiful Klamath Lake, the largest lake in Oregon.  Our day started with a long, frigid descent from Crater Lake into the flat basin, where the sun was shining and the air much warmer.  Hawks and kestrels were abundant, and we also got a great look at a prairie falcon!  

Photo credit: ebirdr.com

I wish I had taken this photo!  The falcon we saw looked a whole lot like this.

We filled up our water at Fort Klamath and set off on the west route around the lake.  It turned out to be perfect for biking.  Because that way is not the shortest route to anywhere, few cars passed.  And, because the road follows the edge of the trees, we rode in the shade as opposed to the hot sun of the prairie.

The road took us by Klamath Lake, where we saw grebes, pelicans, mergansers, more hawks and kestrels, cormorants, blackbirds, egrets, herons, gulls, and more!  Many were firsts for the trip list.  

We also went over Doak Mountain Summit, from which we could see Mt Shasta looming large and snowy on the horizon.

A few miles down the road, we both ran out of water.  It was hot today: in the 80s, a rarity in October.  Expecting to see a gas station at the junction of the big highway, we kept on pedaling.  But when we got there, no businesses were to be found.  We kept on; still nothing.  Eventually we turned towards the Klamath Falls city center and went a few miles off route to get some water.  The first place we came to, unfortunately, was Wal-Mart.  I'm disappointed, America.  The vast majority of people were overweight (with many wearing pajamas of some sort), and not a single person acted remotely friendly.  I hadn't been to Wally World in awhile, and I hope not to go again anytime soon.  But we were very thankful for the cold water!

At this point we were getting tired, so we biked a few more flat miles to the small town of Merrill, did some grocery shopping, and called it quits as the sun went down.  We biked 87 miles and probably saw over 30 species of birds!

A Day At Crater Lake, October 3

Today was full of adventures!  Some of the highlights were:

- eating breakfast while watching the sun rise over Crater Lake

- swimming in and drinking from the lake

- meeting and talking for awhile with two Swiss cyclists, Mario and Raffael

- hiking to the top of Mt Scott, the highest point in the park at just under 9,000 feet. From the top we could see Mt Shasta in the distance!

- biking to Cloudcap Overlook, the highest paved road in Oregon at just under 8,000 feet

- learning about flag trees, whose branches are all on one side due to constant, strong winds that make them look like flags in the wind

- hiking to Sun Notch and Tam doing a painting of the Phantom Ship

- biking the hilly 27 miles of the East Rim Drive

- ending the day with all-you-can-eat soup and salad. Yum!

Up to Crater Lake, October 2

We woke up this morning to frost everywhere.  It motivated us to get moving and on the road.  We got out of camp within an hour and went to the nearby post office to pick up a package.  We will be enjoying the goodies for weeks!  Thanks, mom!

Then we headed south on highway 97.  We had been anxious about the 30-mile stretch of this big road that we could not avoid, but it wasn't so bad.  We had a decent shoulder and even a tailwind for some of it!

The miles passed quickly, but we were still relieved to turn onto a smaller road up to Crater Lake National Park.  We ate a quick lunch at the junction then headed up the road.  We were greeted by a big hill up to Cascade Summit at about 6,000 feet.  

It looks steep, but it was really just very straight.  At the top we turned onto another road and, tired but excited, we entered the park!  The lake is only 7% of the actual park, so it took us awhile to reach it.  On the way, we talked with a touring cyclist who had come from Maine and spent the day riding the 33 mile road around the lake, and we passed through the Pumice Desert, which looked exactly as it sounds.  Up and up we climbed.  

The lake level is around 6,100 feet, and the caldera containing it rises up steeply to the edge.  So we had to go above 7,000 feet to see the lake.  But it was worth it once we got there.  

The lake was stunning: steep cliffs rising straight out of the rich, blue water, their reflections mirrored in the surface.  Furthermore, because we were up so high, we had a great vista of the surrounding mountains with the sun setting over them. A great way to end the day!

Autumn Chill

October 1! Autumn!

We woke up to the most decadent breakfast I think I have ever had, prepared by Marsha.  Waffles (with secret ingredients), fresh fruit, yogurt, omelets, orange juice... It was the best way to start the day that I could have imagined.  Then Marsha drove us back up the hill, stopping to grab some California maps on the way.  We commented to each other multiple times that she in John are some of the genuinely kindest people we know.  Thanks again!

We started out moving fast, trying to make it to a post office about 40 miles down the road before it closed.  It turns out they closed much earlier than we thought, so we had no chance of making it.  All the better, really, so we could relax and enjoy the solitude and beauty of the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway.  

Few cars passed, and Tam and I rode next to each other, talking and listening to music.  The weather was clear, another crisp fall day. We stopped a number of times at info boards in turnouts, learning about all kinds of interesting geographic features.  One board told of the eruption of Mount Mazama, where Crater Lake is now, over 7,700 years ago.  The eruption covered everything in up to five feet of pumice and ash!  Because the pumice's high porosity means it loses heat faster than other rocks, some areas, especially basins, are colder than they usually would be.  These areas are populated only by lodgepole pines, which seed better than the predominant ponderosas in cold weather.  Pretty neat!

Only lodgepole pines down there (the rest are dead from a 2003 fire)

We're camping tonight at a forest service campsite just off the road.  Should get cold: 27 is forecasted.  Then 71 tomorrow!  Then 26 again tomorrow night.

Back To Bend, September 30

Yesterday we met a nice couple, Marsha and John, who invited us to their house in Bend.  Unfortunately we had just come from there, but then they offered to drive us to Bend and back up the hill to our trailhead!  Can't refuse that!  So we hiked a few miles out and got picked up by Marsha.  She had apples and sandwiches for us in the car, which was fantastic by itself, then we went to their place and hopped in the hot tub!  It was wonderful to hang out there for the afternoon.  Then we had dinner, a magnificent spread of great food and interesting conversation with John, Marsha, their daughter Hilary (who's our age), and Hilary's friend Elena.  And then we had a big bed to sleep in!  We are truly thankful for their generosity.

John, Marsha, and Topsy

Elena is a nordic skier who is currently training to represent the under-23 American team for the world championships!  Check out her website here:

Beaeliteteam.wordpress.com

Using John and Marsha's computer last night, I was able to upload my pictures to flickr.  Check them out under Gallery!