Monday, July 27th, 2015

Start/End: Crater Lake/Klamath Falls, OR
Mileage: 54+
Weather: Cold morning with warm sunshine :)

Today we said goodbye to our camping experiences in Illini 4000 for this summer and for many of us, that is a welcomed notion. We woke up to a chilly 40 degrees in the Mazama Campground at Crater Lake. Most of us put all of our layers on for the morning to keep from shivering, but some required some group hugs. We packed up everything and ate some large bowls of cereal and were off.

Today’s ride was dedicated to my great grandma who passed away a few days ago. It was such a blessing to grow up knowing her for so much of my life and at 97 years old she lived a pretty exciting life. Unfortunately at one point in her life, that meant facing breast cancer. I am proud to call my great grandma a cancer survivor and wanted the team to ride for the hope of more survivors living rich, long lives in honor of her.

So into the cold wilderness we went! The first 15 miles consisted of pretty gradual downhills from the crater into a beautiful valley full of ranching and some other agricultural production. It had been very cold when we departed the campsite, but once we were out of the forested area and had sunlight, it felt a lot warmer and we shed a few layers. Our first 24 miles seemed to fly by as we made our first and only rest stop for the day.

So we continued along and passed a protected wetland region which was in fact a huge lake which we would follow for the rest of the trip today. There were so many waterfowl everywhere and lily pads along the shores. Also along the shores were some beautiful houses with even more magnificent views of the lake of course with scenic backdrops of mountains.

As we got closer, we rode along U.S.-97 as it was squeezed between mountains the lake and a train track. But it still managed to have a beautiful shoulder with plenty of space for us to bike safely and comfortably.

When we rolled in after our shorter day, we were met with a barbecue feast for lunch consisting of cheeseburgers and hamburgers and great conversations. We were also very thankful for Rodeo Pizza that dropped by with more food, including pizzas and salad. We had some awesome members of the community stop by and talk to us about our organization and their experiences with cancer. We are also very thankful for those who allowed us to take their portrait for the portrait project! We collected 3 or 4 today at least! We also were interviewed by a local radio station and the local NBC news affiliate. Oh! And the mayor of Klammath Falls stopped by to say hello and welcome us to town. Could our day get more exciting?

Well, our stayover is actually a rock climbing gym so many of the riders are trying their hand at some rock climbing in a safe environment with padded floors that we are pretty excited to sleep on tonight. Additionally, a local masseuse stopped by and offered her services to relieve some of the tension that has been built up throughout the trip.

We were so excited to get to Crater Lake, and did not expect anything like the outpouring of support that we have received in Klammath Falls. It has just been wonderful. Though it was a short day, I am sure we will sleep well tonight as we have done so much more than ride today and it has just been a very meaningful day. I think we will all miss Oregon a lot, but we are looking forward to our next and final border crossing day tomorrow!
-LAH