We left Sweet Home warm and cozy. But all around, rain clouds popped up. Route 20 showed us the way out of town. The gas gauge was low, but Sisters, the nearest town didn't seem that far. Until we started climbing over the mountains. Suddenly, running out of gas could be the latest adventure. When you're thirty miles away from the next gas station, in the mountains, on switchbacks, praying for a hill to coast down, adventure takes on a new meaning! But we coasted into Sisters with fumes to spare.
Out of Sisters, the Cascades once again grabbed us with their power. Mount Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack and the Three Sisters lined the horizon to our right shoving their snow caps into the sky.
Heading South toward Crater Lake, dark rain clouds hemmed us in, but one patch of blue stayed over our heads. We had our first view of the lake after climbing a slope of crushed lava rock. Wind gusts ripped across the water's surface and caught me off guard with their power. I almost lost my footing as I peered over the railing and the ground fell away (with my stomach) to the lake below.
With a depth of over 1000 feet, it is the deepest in the US. Crater Lake is a caldera lake formed after the volcano, Mt. Mazma, collapsed 7000 years ago. It is filled by rain and snow only, so the water is pure.
We rode the rim, stopping to catch different views of the icy blue water, Wizard Island and the eerie Phantom Ship. The road around the entire rim had just opened two days before, so our timing was perfect. Drifts of snow edged the way as we climbed the craggy peaks surrounding the lake. Yet another wonder of our country left us in silent awe.
Navigating tree lined roads that stretched into the horizon for miles ahead, we rode West. Sparsely populated, we felt ourselves fortunate when the small town of Prospect announced lodging. Turned the bike in to find the charming historic Prospect Inn. Our options were limited, but we could still book a lovely old room.
Dining at the Inn seemed a little too stuffy for us, so we walked to the Trophy Room Bar down the street! What a local treat that was. Amazing mounts of regional animals clung to the walls and looked down on bar patrons who were a mix of loggers and bar flies. The fun really began when the Karaoke DJ arrived. Local talent included two women with amazing voices, one country and one Janis Joplin, an eighty year old grandma and a few random others.
Enjoying the show, we had so much fun that we stayed out past our "curfew" and returned to a locked hotel. It appeared that no one was around to let us in and we contemplated sleeping on the porch, when the owner walked up and instructed us on how to unlock the door.
Inside, we climbed the stairs and fell asleep where Teddy Roosevelt, Jack London, Zane Grey, John Muir and many other famous names have rested.
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