Crater Lake is OH MY GOD country

The day started beautiful and improved from there. Twenty miles out of Ashland I stopped for breakfast beside the road and the first two pictures show the ranch that was for sale there that consisted of 380 acres with irrigated pastures, barns and two houses. It seemed quite the bargain at a mere 1.3 million. My salivation was tempered slightly by the thought of snowy winter chores to maintain the 90 head of cattle that was running on the place. What a place to ride horses and make a life.

 Two hours after leaving Ashland I was almost to Crater Lake when I broke out in a valley that was wet and green and teeming with cattle. The whole valley was ringed with mountains seemed pretty ideal.

 I parked at the park entrance next to a shower which is always a great way to end a ride and the photo ops began in earnest. This ride became one of the five best of my cycling history. That, with Ashland Mt. makes two in a week. This one also came in at 115 feet of climbing per mile which always makes for good ride in my book. Go through the pictures slowly as this is just a circular route around the lake with photo-ops all the way around and the lighting was changing as I moved around. The sky was a star performer in many of the shots. and toward the end there are a few that look out over the beautiful valley I came through on my way to the lake. I actually culled out a bunch of shots that on any other day would have been exceptional on their own.

This one gives some idea of the steepness of the roads that surround the lake.
 

After taking a shower I decided to head on to Mt Bachelor, west of Bend Oregon so I could get in a ride early the next day. This put me setting up camp after dark which would have consequences later.