Wet, Cold, Hot, Dry. A Motorcycle Life.
I say McCloud to Wolf Creek. Actually, I was about 10 miles from McCloud but it was closest so it gets the credit. It rained during the night so it took a little longer to get going at the start but the clean air was worth it.
I have tried to get to Crater Lake for several years. Three year in a row I got thwarted by fires and then two Covid years. This year, for the first time ever, I rode the 'Volcanic Byway' from Lassen Volcanic NP to Crater Lake NP. An incredibly scenic way to travel between the two parks.
I had showers and fog to start the day then had beautiful weather for the north end of California and southern Oregon. Traffic was moderate at worst and I had clear riding all the way to Crater Lake. Well, except for a couple of rain showers just before I got to the park.
You gain quite a little elevation as you head for the Lake itself, and it was foggy and moist all the way up. At the bottom of the last climb was a sign announcing 'Lake Views Restricted'. It was so foggy you couldn't see the lake.
Then the fog lifted. It didn't go away, just seemed to go straight up about 1000 feet. Crater Lake was different from any time I had seen it before. Subdued, perhaps.
I could see Wizard Island, which is actually the original top of the mountain after the volcano blew this huge crater that is now the lake out. The peak of the mountain settled into the crater and after the crater filled with water gave us one of the most scenic spots in the US.
It was really an incredible experience with the fog, and the fact that it lifted some just when I got to the top. I've always said I'd rather be lucky than good.
I stopped at the visitors center at the bottom and bought a wonderful long sleeved souvenir T Shirt. I love the shirt, but the real reason is that I needed more clothes! It was cold for my desert body. I left Crater Lake and headed Northeast to find dry and warm,
I found it in east central Oregon. This is Wolf Creek, the campground is named for it. A really pleasant place that I had all to myself. This is what is called the Industrial campground, huge sites with places to park big rigs for log crews and big RVs.
Lots of room, shade and sun to choose from. It was a wonderful campground that I couldn't appreciate fully. I no more than got set up when I sneezed about 20 times and suddenly didn't feel right. A really big clue that I wasn't well? I wasn't hungry, didn't eat anything but a few tortilla chips for dinner.
I did drink lots of water and coffee. This is a pretty good look at the way I set up for camping. The black topped box is my 'kitchen' and the all clear one is the coffee box. You can see the stove coffee stove right in the center with the 'big' stove on the far end of the table. That skillet is also the cover for the dutch oven. You can clearly see my garbage bag anchored with the hatchet. Surprising how well that works.
Eastern Oregon is known to be dry and fairly inhospitable but this place was lush. I saw deer and elk scat all around the campsite, it obviously wasn't used much.
I may have been just one day from my brother's place except for one thing. I woke up for the next leg of the journey with Covid. It'd be two more days until I reached Kennewick, WA. That will be part of the next installment. Thanks for riding with me this far!
All words and photos in this post are mine. For better or worse.
Wow my sister and I were just talking about Crater Lake this morning. She lives in Klammath Falls and went a couple of days ago and told me about it and we were making plans for when I go see her at Christmas. We went one time in the fog and it was really cool, like you said.
Oh and my brother and his family lived in Wolf Creek for awhile. They now live in Medford!
Share My World: Hiking Crater Lake in the fog
Crater Lake is just a gem. No other way to say it. At Christmas you are liable to see deep snow, and the photographs I've seen of that are just spectacular. The fog was just stunning to me. I'm still amazed.
If I'd have had an idea how sick I was going to get I'd have stayed an extra night at Wolf Creek campground. It was just beautiful and peaceful.
Always really great to see you ackhoo! Thank you!
Ride appeared spectacular, quiet calm off the lake with mist, extremely calming effect from prior life being volcanic.
Soft green in fields with flowers, gentle stream flowing through, those tall majestic pines all fill one with awe at the greatness found in wilderness region.
Glad to see you did have the fog lift, enjoyed reading a seeing brilliant photography shared.
The whole area is just lush and beautiful. I just talked to a friend that is planning to be there on Christmas. Should be deep snow and absolute beauty.
Where I camped (further east) tends to be drier with pockets of lush. That campsite was just beautiful, all of it.
Each season it is like a completely different trip, will be good to go for Christmas something to plan ahead for. Visiting campsite you are familiar with makes it easier on next visit as to plan where to put up camp.
Over the years we have tried to be in snow, always missed by a week, our snowfall is not a given, nor does it stay on the ground in low laying areas for long.
What an enjoyable trip through so many beautiful places. Stay healthy and have many more trips like this @bigtom13
Thank you, I hope I can and will. My fall plans are active right now. I'm sure I'll get to Great Basin National Park, and I really want to get back to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, too.
Thank you for the words and the support.
Looks like an awesome ride Tom! Love the clouds, it’s really cool when the fog lifts and the clouds go upwards. I’ve experienced that once before, though nowhere as cool as crater lake! Maybe one day we will make it over there. It would be nice to get a camper and go across the country and see these things one day.
It was just dumb luck catching this weather condition. Crater Lake is normally sunny, or at most scattered clouds. This was just amazing.
There is a lot to see 'out west'. A camper is a great idea!
Great shots Tom. I need to make my way back to Crater Lake. It’s been like 5 years since I went. Stay safe out there.
Thanks Wes. It's been more like 15 since I've been there, and not always for lack of trying. A few years ago (4 I think) I darn near rode all the way around trying to get ahead of the fires that were burning. I mean I covered like 270 degrees of the map and couldn't get in. I'm really glad I got there for this foggy day.
I would wish that you were here then. The photography potential was nothing short of awesome.
Love the scenic view by the lake. Is it cold there? Too foggy.. Looks amazing.
It was pretty cool, temps in the 40s (f). Crater Lake is generally fair and mild weather, this day being an exception. It is an amazing place, the lake is only part. Some seriously good hiking trails there too.
Wow, that looks really beautiful. The campground looks really cool too. Crater Lake is definitely on my bucket list of places to visit when I get the chance to head out that way. That sucks that you got Covid on your trip. My parents both just finally got it. They made it through thankfully, but it was scary there for a bit.
Crater Lake is a place that needs to be seen. The lake itself is like a gemstone, how it looks depends completely on the light. And it is pristine, no boats (well, there might still be a tour boat. I'm not sure). It is an amazing place for a fact.
Another nearly abandoned Forest Service Campground. No potable water, but good pit toilets and the campsite was wonderful. Plus Paulina, OR is the closest place, population 45. A general store/gas pump/tavern and one church in the place, I loved it. I can't find my pictures of Paulina. I don't know where I put them, I've been through every file from my trip. It's a shame.
Sounds like a great place. I know a lot of little towns like that in Michigan. I used to hang out in one of them all the time. Their little market has one of the best meat counters around. The bar had a good burger too.
I didn't try the burger, but I definitely liked the store keeper :)
Amazing post and nice photos. I also writing about beautiful place in Vietnam. Please visit my post to see more.
I have always loved this area and we visit it often.
!PGM
BUY AND STAKE THE PGM TO SEND A LOT OF TOKENS!
The tokens that the command sends are: 0.1 PGM-0.1 LVL-0.1 THGAMING-0.05 DEC-15 SBT-1 STARBITS-[0.00000001 BTC (SWAP.BTC) only if you have 2500 PGM in stake or more ]
5000 PGM IN STAKE = 2x rewards!
Discord
Support the curation account @ pgm-curator with a delegation 10 HP - 50 HP - 100 HP - 500 HP - 1000 HP
Get potential votes from @ pgm-curator by paying in PGM, here is a guide
I'm a bot, if you want a hand ask @ zottone444