Northwest Cycle Report

Day 1

Crater Lake has been on my “to ride” list for quite some time. I have been waiting for a good 4-day span of weather to make the ride. Earlier this week things looked good. Of course we are talking weather and that is something no one has any control over. That said, the weather took a bit of a change and the night before we were expecting rain. We got that rain! In the morning Mr. Weatherman assured the public that the weather was in fact moving North. There would be intermittent rain showers South but nothing ugly. We were headed south so this was all in our favor.

August 1st, 9 AM. I was loading the remainder of my gear. I had most of it packed and ready to go the night before. Once Lloyd arrived we were off, heading up I-5 and then to Highway 512 to Steel Street. This is a back way to avoid all the lights on Pacific Avenue. Our first stroke of luck came in the form of a road closure that put us on to Pacific Highway. We slowly made our way to the Roy “Y” and continued left on the mountain highway. About this time we were given a nice rain shower. In fact I think the same cloud followed us all the way through La Grande, Alder and into Elbe.

We stopped at Scaleburger for lunch as the sun was trying to cut through the clouds. After a burger and a Chocolate Malt shake, we departed Elbe and rode towards Morton. As we made our way up highway 7 through Coal Canyon our friend the rain paid us yet another visit. This time the rain stuck with us through Morton, Randle and NF-25.

NF-25 is 37 miles of twists and turns that will definitely put a smile on any rider’s face. Unfortunately for us it was raining. The early sections of NF-25 were in pretty bad shape. There were a lot of deep dips and potholes. The road crew did patch some sections and improve them but it seems it just gets worse every year.

As we neared the Windy Ridge turn it was clearly posted that NF-99 up to Windy Ridge was still closed. Rumor has it the forestry service didn’t have funding to do an early plow and waited for the snow to melt. Once they got up there they found many sections of road are washed out. As of yet there is no date published for an opening. We followed NF-25 all the way to the NF-90 junction. The rain stayed with us the entire time. We have great rain gear so we didn’t get wet or cold.

We followed NF-90 enjoying some nice turns in the rain. There was a two-block section of road that had an oily residue that caused our tires to push out a bit. NF-90 is a short but sweet 9.2 miles of paved forest road with ample twists and turns. This section of road is amazing when dry. We rode NF-90 to Wind River Road. Wind River Road stretches for 27.3 miles and intersects with Highway 14. Approximately 1.5 miles down Wind River Road and we were treated to 5.7 miles of fun twisties. After that there were sweeping turns and relaxing straights until we ended up on US 14 Westbound. We followed this until the bridge crossing (50-cent toll) that would put us on the Oregon side of the Columbia River.

We rode I-84 Westbound for 19.2 miles and all of it in the sun. Yes! The sun! But it didn’t last long. When we turned off on to the Mt. Hood Highway (US 35) we were staring into some angry clouds. As we neared Mt. Hood it was as plain as the clouds that hung over the mountain that we were not going to enjoy a spectacular view, or any view for that matter, of Mt. Hood. We just blazed on by riding 39 miles on Highway 35, still enjoying the rainfall that has stuck with us like a bad cold.

None of the rain bothered me one bit as I knew we were in for a treat when we got to Crater Lake. Cresting the pass brought not only more rain but colder temperatures. I was glad when we started down the other side. The further south on US 35 the better the weather got. We were due for some sun and we got it. It went from one extreme to the other.

We soon turned on to US 26 as we ventured out into Oregon’s desert. 13 miles down US-26 we entered the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.  We came across a bunch of fire fighters battling a grass fire just off the highway. The fire was mostly contained but they had a ways to go.

As we were making our way down US 26 we came across a bridge that spanned a large canyon. We pulled over to take some photos. The view was great. The canyon was very deep and looked like a mini version of the Grand Canyon. I was impressed and started to take a liking to the terrain.

The temperatures felt like the low 80’s as we pushed on. US 26 finally brought us 39 miles across the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and to a couple of campgrounds in Deschutes Canyon. This is where we planned to try to find a camp site for the night. This was a last minute, no reservations, sleep where you can ride. I was really hoping we would get lucky and find some place to rest for the night that wasn’t roadside.

The first camp ground (Pelton Park) was full. We proceeded up the canyon road past Pelton Dam to Lake Simtustus. There was a small camp ground called Canyon Camp. As luck would have it, they had two sites left. We took the larger of the two for $25 a night.

The lake was gorgeous as was the road that twisted its way along the east canyon walls. It wasn’t the greatest camp site and the ground was not level but we had a private deck that was hanging off the side of a storage shed. We pitched our tents and set up camp. There were showers available in a single wide that was converted into a shower/restroom.

Once we had camp set up we headed back to the reservation to the only diner for miles. It was a rustic place called the Deschutes Crossing Diner. We ordered country fried steak and waited 15 minutes only to be handed menus once again. They were out of steaks! I settled for a sandwich and a cup of chowder. The chowder and sandwich were great but it took forever to get our food and our check.

Once back at the campsite the sky slowly turned dark as the sun went down behind the canyon walls. I was amazed at how the stars lit up the sky. We don’t get that in the city due to all the mercury vapor lights that wash out the sky at night. We just sat around talking and watching the sky. I was lucky and got a glimpse of a shooting star. It was short lived; maybe 2 seconds. We soon turned in.

The ground was not comfortable at all but it was a small price to pay for this kind of experience. I lay in my tent with the front open watching the sky and  wishing the ground was a little softer. I was soon treated to a glimpse of a second shooting star. It was soon after that I faded off to sleep.

Day 2

Our first night camping under the stars was a great experience. I woke around 6:30 AM, just in time to see the sun rising. The lake looked like a sheet of mirrored glass reflecting the image of the canyon walls. I took a few minutes to just look at the beautiful surroundings then decided to break down my tent. While I was doing so, Lloyd opted for a shower up at the double wide. My tent broke down fairly quickly and in no time I had it and my sleeping gear strapped to the rear seat of my Goldwing. As Lloyd returned from his shower I found my way up the path to the double wide for a shower and shave. The showers were free and clean; something you rarely find in a campground. I have to say I was pretty impressed with this little campground.

Once showered, I headed back to camp in time to watch Lloyd secure his camp gear to his bike. We were now ready to hit the road and find some breakfast.

We took a few minutes to gaze out at the canyon and lake. The sun was higher in the sky and the canyon walls were now lit up by the sun light. We warmed up the ‘Wings then made our way out of the canyon to US-26. The ride out was gorgeous as the images of canyon walls and trees reflected in the mirror like surface of Lake Simtustus.

Once on US-26, we rode 11.7 miles into the sun and on to US-97. We were now entering the town of Madras in search of breakfast. We approached a diner named The Black Bear Diner. We pulled into the lot and parked our Goldwings. The diner had customers and appeared to be very clean. Once we entered we were quickly greeted and seated. This time I got my country fried steak and eggs! The food was awesome and the orange juice was the best I have had. The prices were fair as my steak and eggs, orange juice and coffee came to a little over $11.00.

After a great meal we were heading west on US-97. 24 miles of almost straight-as-an-arrow US-97 brought us to Redmond, Oregon. This was followed by an even straighter 12 miles to Bend, OR. I was wishing that US-97 would throw us a curve or some sweepers but it just went on for another 15 miles until we came across the Newberry Volcanic Monument.

This was not on my Garmin Maps. I have placed a way point in the map file for this ride so those of you who use a Garmin will be able to find it with ease. The fee to enter the park was $2.50 per rider. We made our way up a red dirt road to the volcano’s summit. The summit (Lava Butte) is 5,020 feet above sea level and 3,600 feet above the desert floor. The last eruption was over 13,000 years ago. Every where we looked we saw lava rock and pumice. There are small trees sparsely placed growing in the crater. There wasn’t a whole lot of vegetation in the crater with the exception of the trees and some weeds. There is a small building on the rim of the crater with information. Looking north we could see the Sisters Peaks. If you wish to see the lava tube you will have to walk a trail a ways. Someone there mentioned it was the longest lava tube in the US. If you do decide to visit the tube dress warm and bring a lantern not a flash light. The lava tube is about 45 degrees and pitch black dark!. We made our way down to ground level and over to the visitor center where we looked at some of the displays and artifacts. All in all this was a great break from the very straight US-97.

Speaking of which, we were back on US-97 heading West 19 miles into La Pine. La Pine is a very small town and a place to fuel up. We decided to push on and fuel up down the road. Crescent was the next town just 17.8 miles up US-97. About 10 miles from Crescent my fuel injection light came on. Oh God! What now! The bike didn’t seem to sputter and was running smooth as glass. I kept my eye on the temp as well and all looked great.

Once in Crescent I fueled up and the darn fuel injection light went off. I called Henshaws and they recommended I take it to an authorized dealer and have it put on the computer diagnostic equipment.  That was great, but I was in the middle of nowhere. My AT&T 8525 PDA phone was getting a data signal so I used Microsoft’s “Live Search” to locate some nearby motorcycle shops. After a couple calls it was clear as day that there wasn’t one within a reasonable distance. Hey it was running fine and the light was off so I went for it!

There is not much about US-97 I can tell you other then it’s lacking in turns and it runs through the desert. We followed it another 18.7 miles to the town of Chemult. Listen closely… There is a Texaco station in this town. Fuel up there. The pumps are closed at the Mazama Camp & RV Park. Those of you who have smaller tanks and plan to ride to Crater Lake and around the crater will not have enough fuel to make it to the next station. I know of 4 Harley riders who were stuck at our campground who will back this up. If you’re planning on leaving the park and heading up Highway 138 the next fuel station is in Dixonville, 82 miles from the park entrance.

Another 9.8 miles up the road was Highway 138, also known as Diamond Lake Junction. Wouldn’t you know it? Another perfectly straight stretch of highway that took us 14.7 miles to Highway 232. This was the road that enters Crater Lake National Forest. We rode about 5 miles and came across what is known as the “Pumice Desert”.

The ground was extremely flat with very little vegetation. The wind was ripping through this area with gusts of about 25 miles per hour. We took a few photos and then rode another 4 miles to where we came across our first view point. There was a pumice covered hill we walked up and  as we crested the hill we saw the most spectacular view! The crater was incredible. The water was a very deep blue. In the crater near the west side is a small island named “Wizard Island”. Patches of snow still lay on the ground as the elevation provides for cooler temperatures. It was cooler and a bit windy but I was loving every minute of it.

We made our way back to the bikes and 8.7 up Rim Rd where we turned off on to Munsen Valley Rd. From here we followed campground signs for approximately 4 miles to where we came across the Mazama Camp & RV park. We pulled into the parking lot and dismounted the ‘Wings.

As we were taking a breather, I was approached by another biker who was with about 5 others. It turns out I had met him out on the road a year prior and he visits my site from time to time. I first met him when I was riding Hood Canal. We stopped at a park (Potlatch) on the canal and ended up chatting with a large group of riders. One of whom was Douglas; the very same guy with whom I was now shaking hands. They were not camping but passing through and visiting the crater. While I was visiting Lloyd scored us a camp site. The lady was fond of riders and gave us a RV site for $20.00. We said our goodbyes to Douglas and friends and headed for our campsite.

As we rode through the campgrounds we noticed the signs warning of bears in the campground. Once we located our site we set up camp. It didn’t take us long before we had both tents pitched and camp was set up. Nothing to do now but sightsee and find dinner.

We made our way back out of the campground and back to Rim Rd. We headed east on Rim Rd and started to make our way around the crater. It’s about 32 miles around and we were treated to a couple of waterfalls and countless scenic viewpoints that provided different views of the lake. The deep blue color of the lake still amazes me. After many stops and photos we had made our way around the crater.

We returned to the campground and stopped at the restaurant in the very same parking lot. Tonight it was pepperoni and sausage pizza. The prices were a bit spendy: for 1 large cheese pizza it was $16.00

After dinner we sat around the camp site and discussed the day’s events and whatever else spilled out of our heads. We were surrounded by trees and the crickets were pumping up the volume. Once again we were treated to a fascinating starlit sky that produced yet another shooting star. The temperature was dropping and due to the elevation we knew it would be chilly this night. It was nearing sleep time so we put all our food in the steel lock box. This is so bears can’t get the food. I was thinking, yes but they can get to us. I wandered to my tent with that thought in mind knowing the chances of that happening were slim. It obviously didn’t bother me because I didn’t lose any sleep over it.

Day 3

After a long chilly night I was glad to wake up to the sun cutting through the trees. All I could think about was “hot shower”. I gathered my toiletries and headed for the public shower. As luck would have it there was no line. This seemed too good to be true. 7 AM and no line at all. I was feeling pretty good until the meter accepted my 3 quarters and didn’t turn on the water. It also failed to give the quarters back when I pressed the coin return. I hate it when that happens!

Once back at camp Lloyd had just crawled out of his tent. He got a good laugh when I told him about the shower fiasco. He couldn’t get it to work the night before.  We decided to just break camp and get on with it. Another quick tear down of camp and we were ready to hit the road.

We made our way past Crater Lake while enjoying several spectacular views as we rode by. We each had a half tank of gas and there were about 90 miles between us and the next fuel station according to my Garmin. We made our way down Highway 232 crossing the Pumice Desert. The view was breathtaking to say the least. Highway 138 was nothing short of amazing as it fed us twists, turns and high speed sweeping turns. We made several stops for pictures.

We rode through some great countryside paralleling the Umpqua River the entire 80 miles to Dixonville. Here we finally came upon an older fuel station and store. I wasn’t sure where the next chance for gas
would be so this was it. We fueled up and I bought a Dr. Pepper for the road.

Once on the road it was a brief 6 miles to Roseburg, Oregon and Denny’s for breakfast. It was already getting warm outside and I could tell for those in these parts of Oregon it was going to be a hot day. We on the other hand, were heading to a much cooler coastal area. I had the chicken fried steak again, orange juice and coffee. Hey, it works for me!

Once watered and fed we pulled out of Denny’s and on to the on ramp to I-5. The ride up I-5 was a painless 12 miles to our next turn on to Highway 138. The terrain had gone from desert to green forest and back to dry grass lands and farm fields. Any green in this area was due to irrigation. Highway 138 took us another 24 miles and it was loaded with turns and again we rode parallel to the Umpqua River most of the way. All I kept thinking as I navigated the turns was that it just doesn’t get any better than this.

The road conditions were flawless allowing me to confidently take each corner with speed. I can’t say that about NF-25 in Washington. At the end of the 24 miles of fun we came to the Highway 38 junction. Highway 38 is a 36 mile stretch of road that intersects with US 101 on the Coast. This highway paralleled the Umpqua River as well which made for a nice ride.

As we approached the coast I could feel the wind pick up and become cooler. US 101 took us another 12 miles to the edge of the Oregon Dunes National Forest. There was a banner up in the previous town stating it was Dune Fest. I noticed on the way in there were a lot of trucks and RV’s with ATV’s and dirt bikes in tow. I couldn’t help but wonder how much fun they were having ripping up the dunes.

Soon we rounded a bend a got our first glimpse of the Ocean. This was a great opportunity to pull over and take some pictures. It felt good to get out of the saddle and stretch. Rich’s Seats here I come!

The wind was very strong and gusty. It was also a bit on the chilly side. Being an ex-boater I have a love for the water; especially saltwater.

We continued riding US 101 for another 54 miles enjoying every view of the ocean and beaches. We made several stops for photos. One of which was at a lighthouse.

We stopped in Newport for lunch and as we ate we started re-thinking our game plan. We originally were going to ride all the way up US 101 into Washington but the side winds were very strong and chilly. Instead of proceeding another 50 miles and then rolling the dice on finding lodging, we decided to take Highway 18 to Portland and then iron man it up I-5 to home.  I originally wanted to make this a three day ride anyway. After lunch we did just that.

We rode on to Highway 18 for a warmer 44.7 miles to I-5 where we fueled up. From here it was 11.7 miles and one wrong turn and we were passing through Portland. The remainder of the trip was 149 miles of I-5 and traffic going 75 mph. We made a few stops as my back side was starting to feel the 509 mile day in the saddle. As we neared Olympia the sun was going down. By the time I arrived in Tacoma the sky was a dim shade of pink. I couldn’t wait to get the shower I didn’t get at the campground. Other than that this trip was amazing!