Day 13, Final Day:
I spent last night reviewing some routes and came up with a much better plan, leaving Ashland and heading back to Bend, including a stop at Crater Lake. The ride up Hwy 66 was great, with no traffic to deal with, but at the top of the climb, I took Hiatt Prairie Lake Road heading NE rather than staying on 66 into Klamath Falls.
The road was quiet, and it was considerably more beautiful than it would have been heading into Klamath Falls. At the North end of Hiatt, I took Dead Indian Memorial Road to 140, and Hwy 62.
It has been several years since I visited Crater Lake, and I came into the park from the south entrance, riding the West Rim Road. It was a gorgeous day, and the lake was as stunning as ever. It feels like it isn't real, and the scale of the mountain and the 2,000-foot deep lake is remarkable.
From Crater Lake, I rode out to Hwy 97, then west on 58 to catch the Crescent Cutt-off Road and the Cascades Lakes Highway. There was no traffic, and I sailed along at 95 mph until I stopped to grab a picture of South Sister Mountain at Elk Lake, and the Northwest side of Mt. Bachelor. From there, I hauled downhill into Bend, and stopped at my KTM dealer to line up a service for the bike, order tires, and catch up with them in their awesome new location where the old Wildhorse Harley used to be. Today was the first day they were open in the new location, fitting that I was there. And according to my contact at Cascade Motorsports, KTM is bringing a 690 Adventure R to market!
That was 13 days, and 3,200 miles, and every day was an adventure. I travelled roads I have ridden dozens of times before, and others for the first time. Each ride brought a big smile, and riding consecutive days was just as incredible as always. I will make some relatively minor tweaks, but the luggage worked flawlessly, and the bike was perfect, despite being thrown to the ground last week in my oil-in-the-road crash. All the replacement parts (and a new helmet) have been ordered, and the bike will look as good as new.
On my next multiday trip, I will try to stay two nights in some locations and build in a rest day. I felt good each day, but towards the end, I was getting tired. I didn't let the accumulated fatigue affect my fun or safety, but 5 days of riding, a day or two off the bike, and then five more days of riding sounds like a good strategy. I am still processing all of this, so who knows? I also wonder how much the crash took out of me. I would have been tired at the end no matter what, but bouncing off the pavement undoubtedly took a toll.
Thanks for following along!
because Forks is 100% not my thing.
.