A natural wonder and battles with mosquitoes

Sitting at lunch on our last day in Bend, I overheard a man saying “it’s supposed to be close to 98 degrees these next couple days.” Over 100 miles of freeway lay between us and Crater Lake. We were in Central Oregon, during one of the hottest months of the year.

The next four days would start a push through Southern Oregon and into Crescent City, Calif., nearly 350 miles from Bend. The thought was daunting, but there was no turning back.

Will prepares for the ride to Crater Lake at Pettibone's house.

Although there was an air of reluctance around the group, we set out Wednesday morning, July 15, from Pettibone and Big N’s house to continue our trek south on Highway 97. Compared to some of our previous rides, this one would be difficult. The day would bring scorching heat, a constant incline and strong head winds that would prove to be tough obstacles to overcome.

Dan and Will would hit several milestones during this ride, completing their first century ride of the trip and also logging more than 1,000 miles overall. I accidentally biked past Dan and Will in Chemult, the last tiny highway town before the junction to Highway 138, which would take us to Crater Lake.

I waited at a gas station on the corner of the junction and at this point on the ride, we had already climbed nearly 4,000 feet.

By the end of the day we would climb 8,000 feet to a volcanic basin known as Crater Lake; at 1,943 feet deep, it is the deepest lake in the United States. Crater Lake was created after Mount Mazama erupted nearly 7,700 years ago and then collapsed into itself, forming a caldera at the top of the mountain.

We arrived in Crater Lake National Park at around 7:00 p.m., just as the sun began to set onto the western horizon. Dan and I had biked ahead of Will as we climbed towards the park. We couldn’t stay in one place for long.

Our first view of Crater Lake after a grueling 8,000-foot climb from Bend, Ore.

As soon as we would stop, a high-pitched buzzing filled our ears and swarms of mosquitoes began to feast on our hot, sticky flesh. I have never seen mosquitoes as violent as this. They won the first battle through a surprise attack, but the war would continue all evening.

As we climbed the final 2,000 feet to the summit of Crater Lake, the ’skeeters continued to attack.

A trail of the bloodsuckers followed us through the entire climb, biting through our spandex and buzzing in our ears. I continued to pedal uphill and running out of energy; it was all I could do to wave a helpless hand at the swarm to keep them away from me. Any mosquitoes that I killed, three would replace it.

Our first view of the lake left us speechless. With mosquitoes landing on every part of our bodies, we hopped off our bikes and quickly got into thicker clothes. I was able to get some bug spray from a car I had waved down and finally, the tiny pests retreated from around us.

We were able to enjoy the awe-inspiring view of Crater Lake in peace, as the sun continued to set over the horizon, illuminating the sky in deep blues, oranges, pinks and yellows.

The sun sets in the west as we reached the summit to Crater Lake.

Words do not do justice to the jaw-dropping sight of the caldera. Deep blue water lies still and undisturbed. A small lava mound called Wizard’s Island interrupts the smooth lake, jutting out of the water like a big pimple.

A mountain range lines the entire ridge and any pictures taken in front of the lake make it seem like a dream, or a backdrop. These are the kinds of sights that stay in your memory for the rest of your life.

As the sun set completely, we found a place to camp in a grove of trees at the edge of a dune overlooking the lake. It was pitch black, but we were thankful for a consistent gust of wind to keep the mosquitoes away.

Will and Dan at our campsite the morning we left Crater Lake.

We worked hard for this view. To actually be in a place of such beauty by your own physical strength, it was that much more rewarding. I slept well that night and awoke to the sun rising on Crater Lake. The morning was cool as a light breeze passed around the lake.

Nature’s wonders never cease to amaze me. As we packed up camp, we would ride to Grants Pass and the team would split up for a day.

Dan would ride to Merlin and Will and I would go to Ashland. I’m slowly catching up on posts, but photos are continuing to go up on the flickr account. www.flickr.com/photos/swae_sports