Day 32: To Diamond Lake

September 28, 2008

It was 40F when I got on the road at 8:30. Not too bad because there are few trees to shade the sun. 1.5 miles down the road I turned left onto Silver Lake road which is a lonely 51 mile county road that connects highway 31 with US highway 97. Basically a road to nowhere. That makes it a good bike touring route. Maybe 1 car every 5 minutes.

Silver Lake road starts out in sort of a juniper forest.

The road climbs gently up to 5100 feet, then descends to the Klamath marsh wildlife refuge.

Now I'm out of the Great Basin. This is the Klamath river valley - water flows to the Pacific ocean. I can see the Cascade mountains ahead but not too well because I'm looking into the afternoon sun. I could easily recognize Mt. Thielsen and Mt. Scott. I hiked to both summits almost exactly a year ago, in late September 2007. Both summits had snow then, but not now.

Looking northwest across Klamath marsh towards the Cascade range. The tall peak is 9182-foot Mt. Thielsen.

Looking southwest across Klamath marsh towards the Cascade range. The tall peak is 8938-foot Mt. Scott, in Crater Lake National Park.

After ten level miles of pedaling across Klamath Marsh I got to US 97 at 2:30 PM, earlier than expected. Then I pedaled 15 fast miles north on US 97. Perfectly flat with a tailwind. US 97 has a wide paved shoulder but more traffic than I've seen since Idaho. Interestingly, there is no view of the Cascades because tall pines obstruct the view to my left. At Diamond Lake junction I ate a very late lunch at the cafe. I debated whether to get a motel room there or push on across the Cascades. I've already gone 67 miles but still have 3 more hours of daylight. I decided to press on because the motel is next to the busy highway and truck noise will be bad at night.

Highway 138 climbs perfectly straight through a tunnel of trees to Cascade summit.

1100 feet of climbing on highway 138, straight west in a tunnel of trees. I got to the summit at 6:30.

This is Oregon's highest highway crossing of the Cascade mountains.

My rear derailleur cable broke after I stopped to take a photo at the summit. Fortunately it's all downhill to my campsite at Diamond Lake. I made it in high gear with no trouble.

Descending to Diamond Lake with a broken derailleur cable.

Just before sunset I arrived at the hiker/biker campground on the south shore of Diamond Lake. The campground is not visible from the roads. Access is via the bike trail that goes around the lake, east of the South Shore picnic area and west of the South Shore Pizza Parlor. This is my 4th time to camp here but first time to take pictures. Here's a photo essay of the wonderful Diamond Lake hiker/biker campground.

This way to the FREE hiker/biker campground on the south shore of Diamond Lake.

On the outside of the loop path are 5 campsites, each with a table and fire grill.

In the middle of the loop path is a communal campfire area.

The campground has a heated, lighted bathroom with sinks, flush toilets, and AC outlets. Just for hikers and bikers.

A hundred yards away, just off the lakeshore bike trail, is a lakeside beach and picnic table.

The temperature was 60F in the twilight. Not cold at all for 5100 feet elevation. I set up camp and made dinner. I made a campfire for the first time ever on a bike tour. That was a nice change of pace. I had the campground to myself. Very serene except I could hear traffic on highway 138 only 1/4 mile away. I went to bed unusually late at 11:15 after feeding the campfire for a long time. The broken cable can wait until morning.

Today I did something I didn't think was possible. In a single day I pedaled from the Great Basin to the west slope of the Cascade range. The longest day of the tour. My endurance is excellent after more than a month on the road.

Distance: 87.6 miles (140 km)

Climbing: 3154 feet (956 m)

Average speed: 10.5 mph (16.8 km/h)

Maximum speed: 38.5 mph (61.6 km/h)

Today's ride: 88 miles (142 km)
Total: 1,475 miles (2,374 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	2
Comment on this entry	Comment	0