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I needed to ride somewhere new and since I had some time off this week, I decided to head north to a place I'd never been to before - Crater Lake in southern Oregon. My trip almost didn't happen however when I tweaked my lower back, struggling to mount new rubber on my rims the day before I left. The joys of getting old! Fortunately, after stretching and a handful of Ibuprofen, I was good to go the following day.

The ride up was boring - straight up Interstate 5 past Sacramento to Mt Shasta, where I spent the night. I've learned that I'm good for about 6 hours of riding...after that, my butt is just screaming for relief. No Iron Butt awards for this wimp! Was so tired, I made the rookie mistake of covering my bike before the pipes fully cooled so I now have some patching to do. Melted plastic on the pipes is not a good thing. Anyway, a hot shower, fresh clothes and a few beers with my chile rellenos that evening and I was feeling no pain.

Next day, I get up, pack the bike, head for the local espresso shop and I nearly had a heart attack. Smoke was pouring out from under my bike!!! Turns out, that plastic from my bike cover was cooking on my pipes. Not a great way to start the day but it certainly woke me up. Back on Interstate 5 North for a few more miles and then it was time to hit some of the backroads just north of Mt Shasta.

Loaded down and headed north near the CA/OR border...that's Mt Shasta in the background. I brought enough gear so that if I needed to or felt like camping, I could. Turns out, I motelled it both nights...after a long day in the saddle, a hot shower was just too tempting! My ride from Mt Shasta to the southern entrance of Crater Lake was just 144 miles.


Crater Lake used to be Mt Mazama, a volcano that erupted 7,000 years ago and then collapsed, forming the 5 by 6 mile, 1,949 foot deep lake (the deepest lake in the US). This is a view of the (almost) entire lake. It's so big, that even my 14mm lens could not get it all in one frame. That's Wizard Island in the foreground, a cinder cone volcano that erupted a few hundred years after Crater Lake was formed.


The lake is so deep and the water so pure that the combination creates an intense blue that is difficult to convey in a photo. The white smudge you see in the water is actually a reflection of a cloud. I couldn't have asked for better weather on this trip.


The road around the lake is 45 miles long and often hugs the lip of the crater, 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the surface. One little push and my bike is in the water!


There were so many scenic viewpoints to check out that I ended up just taking my gloves off and kept the camera around my neck as I rode around the lake. Was easier that way.


And at each scenic viewpoint, there were these little well fed beggars to entertain the tourists.


The cinder cone on top of Wizard Island. That's water, not sky in the background.


And along the edge of Wizard Island are shallows reflecting all different shades of blue and turquoise.


This is the other island, appropriately named Phantom Ship Island. This is where I'll build my retirement cabin.


Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little photo tour of Crater Lake. I definitely plan to go back and explore the area. I only spent a short afternoon there before I had to head back home. I spent the 2nd night in Ashland, Oregon (147 miles from Crater lake) and then home the next day (400 miles). A quick 3 day 1,000 mile tour but worth it and I lucked out as I was passing Mt Shasta on the return trip - saw this beautiful cloud covering the summit like a pancake.

Great pics, Michael! Beautiful blues...
T.

So many of you guys/gals can frame a shot and get just the right picture for the rest of us. Thank you.

That last one with the cloud wrapping the mountain....how'd you do that!?!

Man, thanks. I can relate to the sore back after tire changing (have one right now---where is that bottle of Aleve?) and the 6 hour days wherein camp turns into a motel. Seems I learned that lesson myself recently.

Michael, many thanks from an appreciative audience.

Michael, Just Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Den

Mamma Mia! Simply AWESOME!!!
Thank you for sharing.

Great shots Michael! What make and model camera are you using? And what lenses?
David

Beautiful pictures of an incredible place. I've added it to my list of things to see. I hope I live long enough to see them all. Thank you for the report and the great photography!! You are going to be very lonely in retirement if that is where you build your retirement home

Kristi,
Your typo is priceless!!! Or WAS it a typo?
Cliff AKA Toner

Brilliant pictures..all postcard quallity...thanks heaps...your bike gooks great..and reminds me of mine...(sigh)...I hope your back is feeling better.

DJ

toner87 wrote:Kristi,
Your typo is priceless!!! Or WAS it a typo?
Cliff AKA Toner

ooooops.
I don't know how that happened. I don't know what I was thinkin' about.

No need to be embarassed, it was cute...

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.

MikeCam - Hope your back is better. Struggling with those tires can be a real chore. Regarding the Mt Shasta cloud photo - it was there and I pushed the button on the camera. What more can I say, other than I was lucky to be there at that particular time?

David - I was using a $300. camera and a $3,000. camera on the trip so as you can see, it really doesn't matter the brand or type of camera. What's most important is taking the time to react to what you see and record it with the tools you have on hand. I'm fortunate enough to have a great assortment of lenses to use so that certainly helps. For this trip, I brought along a 14mm, 16-35mm zoom and a 100-400mm zoom. If I had more room in my panniers, I would have added my 24-70mm zoom.

Kristi - I hope you live and love long...both are good things! BTW, have a great time in Alaska. I'm soooo jealous!

DJ - Hope your bike is quickly repaired, looking like new and you're back entertaining us all with your great ride reports and photos.

Toner - When are we gonna ride together again? It's been too long!

Tao,
I hope to get out for a ride soon... I'm doing a Don Giovanni with Festival Opera in Walnut Creek and it opens tomorrow night... I sing the role of the Commendatore, the guy Don Giovanni kills at the beginning of the opera & who then comes back to life to take Don Giovanni to hell at the end of the opera.
I sit around a lot waiting for my final entrance;however, my final scene is WAY cool and the makeup is amazing... Pros from SF Opera make me look like a charred, blistered zombie... I'll post pictures when I get 'em...
T.

Shot from the c0ckpit is great(nanny won't let me use the letter 'o' here ). Makes me feel like I'm driving it - there's a speed sensation. Way cool!

taosports

fantastic pictures

I want also again in this great area

I've been putting off commenting on these great pictures in hopes that I would think of something to say other than, "WOW!"

But, that's all that comes to mind.

WOW

Fantastic pictures, beautiful, really. I keep coming back to them. This is by far my favorite section of the board. Thank you taosports.

DSKYZD

Tao - as usual, your pictures are fantastic. That is a great part of the country. I did part of that road around Crater Lake once. Why not all of it you say? It's only 45 miles! I was on snowshoes in early spring with about 40 feet of snow on the road!

Got a great shot of the moon coming up over the lake!

As to photograghy:

it really doesn't matter the brand or type of camera.

I agree. My first Nova Scotia trip was with a Nikon and 3 lenses and the pictures sucked. Didn't focus on the photos, just stop and click! 2nd trip was with a cheap rangefinder and much better results because I gave the shots some thought.

wncbmw wrote: ... My first Nova Scotia trip was with a Nikon and 3 lenses and the pictures sucked. Didn't focus on the photos, just stop and click! 2nd trip was with a cheap rangefinder and much better results because I gave the shots some thought.

I don't think the difference you saw in your photos was as much due to the camera gear as it was to the "taking time to give the photos some thought." Any gear will take good photos, but the gearhead behind the camera often makes all the difference.

That said, there is often no replacement for quality lenses for getting beautiful color, clarity, and sharpness. Not so important for web and e-mail, but noticeable differences when you make prints, particularly enlargements.

Enough of that ... great pictures Tao! You were using a 14mm for the wide shot ... are you using a Canon Digital SLR? Remember you're not getting a true 14 mm, the sensor size multiplies the focal length by a small factor. You can also take a series of shots and photo stitch them togther for a nice panoramic. Stunning photos though - you couldn't ask for better light!

Also, is there any way to actually get down to the lake? From the photos it looks like there aren't any roads down to the water. Even looks a little dicey for hiking down! How beautiful though, certainly on the must see list. But the pictures make me want to jump in!

So Michael, when are you going to do that BMW Ride/Photography seminar for all of us?

darcym wrote:...You were using a 14mm for the wide shot ... are you using a Canon Digital SLR? Remember you're not getting a true 14 mm, the sensor size multiplies the focal length by a small factor.

DarcyM,

That 14mm shot was taken with a Canon 5D which is their relatively new digital body that gives you a true focal length just like the old film bodies. I also use a few Canon Mark IIn's which still gives you the 1.3 X conversion factor you're referring to. I chose to take the 5D on this trip because I knew I'd need a true wide angle lens and it's less bulky and lighter than the Mark II's.

darcym wrote: Also, is there any way to actually get down to the lake? From the photos it looks like there aren't any roads down to the water. Even looks a little dicey for hiking down!

There is access to the water from only one spot, a 1 mile steep trail down to the waters edge where you can board a boat for a tour of the lake. They'll even drop you off at Wizard Island and let you hike it. That's on my list of things to do next time I'm up there.