{"id":249,"date":"2014-08-21T21:04:42","date_gmt":"2014-08-22T04:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/?p=249"},"modified":"2014-08-21T21:06:05","modified_gmt":"2014-08-22T04:06:05","slug":"crater-lake-1000k-jeff-loomis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/?p=249","title":{"rendered":"Crater Lake 1000k – Jeff Loomis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Crater Lake 1000k<\/strong>
\nby Jeff Loomis,
\nphotos by Noel Howes & Shan Perera.<\/p>\n

\"Andy,<\/a>

Andy, Jeff, Noel and Eric Peterson at Crater Lake (by Noel Howes)<\/p><\/div>\n

Thursday before the ride<\/strong><\/p>\n

I took the day off to sleep late, get my bike ready, pack and nap before the 10:30 PM start.\u00a0 In the morning I got my bike all tuned up and was ready to declare it \u201cperfect\u201d when I decided to loosen my pedals to make sure they weren\u2019t stuck.\u00a0 I knew I would need to remove them with a small wrench for the trip home from the finish.\u00a0 Pedals were fine but I noticed what looked like a crack in the left crank.\u00a0 Closer inspection revealed it was cracking from both sides.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t feel safe riding\u00a0 this for 3 days and nights.\u00a0 Uh-oh, panic time!\u00a0 I called my buddy Andy who is a great mechanic with a large parts stash.\u00a0 We were planning to do the ride together along with Noel and Shan, some other riding buddies.<\/p>\n

Me:\u00a0 I can\u2019t do the ride, I just found my crank is cracked
\nAndy (paraphrasing):\u00a0 You idiot, just take the left crank off another bike
\nMe:\u00a0 duh, OK, I\u2019ll call you back<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The left crank on a neglected bike looked like it would fit so I made the swap.\u00a0 Everything looked fine initially until I noticed the cranks wouldn\u2019t line up with each other.\u00a0 It turns out my TA Carmina crank (the cracked one) has the square taper such that the sides of the square are parallel to the crank arm.\u00a0 Every other square taper crank I have encountered, including the Sugino I was trying to substitute, has the taper at a 45 degree angle.\u00a0 I call Andy again:<\/p>\n

Me:\u00a0 I can\u2019t do the ride (explain the problem)
\nAndy:\u00a0 Your commute bike has 46-30 chainrings right?\u00a0 (the same as the rando bike I am trying to fix.)
\nMe:\u00a0 Uh, yeah (mumble, mumble some misgivings\u2026)
\nAndy:\u00a0 throw both bikes on the car and get over here<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With the help of Andy\u2019s fully equipped shop we swap the cranks and bottom bracket from my commute bike to my Boxer randonneuring bike in record time, adjust the front derailleur for a slightly different chainline, and the ride is saved!\u00a0 We also notice my right crank is starting to crack as well.\u00a0 Whew, that was a bullet dodged.\u00a0 I\u2019m not impressed with the design of the cranks because it seems to focus the stress in a way that will cause these cracks.\u00a0 The original chainrings are still in good shape but the cranks are toast.<\/p>\n

After a panicked pack due to all the wasted time my wife gives me a ride to the ferry dock along with the drop bags for the guys (they are riding to the ferry.)\u00a0 Waiting for the ferry we run into most of the other riders, including Hahn, a super strong rider who decided to do the ride at the last minute.\u00a0 The rest of us have booked train tickets for Monday or Tuesday after the ride finish on Sunday afternoon\/evening.\u00a0 Hahn is so confident he booked a Sunday morning train ticket.\u00a0 He isn\u2019t using a drop bag, planning to ride the entire way with only the contents of his handlebar bag.\u00a0 He even forgot his water bottles but fortunately finds some water that fits from the ferry cafeteria.<\/p>\n

First leg<\/strong><\/p>\n

We roll out at 10:30 and after a fast start south out of Bremerton the pack quickly divides into the racers and the plodders.\u00a0 We decide early on to let the fast group go.\u00a0 It\u2019s a long way to Klamath Falls.\u00a0 I run over some debris on the shoulder of route 3 and notice a rubbing sound.\u00a0 I ignore it for a while but Andy is sensitive to any noise from a bike.\u00a0 \u201cAre you going to stop and fix that rubbing?\u201d\u00a0 I decide to stop and Andy stops too.\u00a0 We discover a thick, stiff wire wedged between my rear tire and fender.\u00a0 Andy can barely turn the wheel with it in there.\u00a0 Yikes another disaster averted.\u00a0 We are now all alone at the back.\u00a0 A strong effort lets us rejoin the slower group but we notice that Shan is gone, having hung on with the fast group.\u00a0 We joke that he will pay for that effort later\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Noel,<\/a>

Noel, Jeff & Andy on the long Astoria bridge crossing (by Shan Perera)<\/p><\/div>\n

It starts to drizzle as we ride familiar roads through the night, passing Belfair, riding along the Hood Canal then past the prison to the first control in Matlock.\u00a0 We find tireless ride volunteer Vinny sleeping in the van with the drop bags, but he has left us some water and coke.\u00a0 It\u2019s nice to ride these roads with minimal traffic in the quiet of the nighttime rain.\u00a0 The weather is warm enough I don\u2019t bother with a rain jacket and it is light enough I don\u2019t get really wet.\u00a0 We are all happy for our fendered bikes and think about the faster crew who mostly removed them to save weight.\u00a0 Somewhere around here we find Shan who has been shelled by the fast group and is now beat.\u00a0 Leaving the control we notice Eric, a rider from Chicago, has left the wrong way going back the way we came.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t hear our yelling and we hope he figures it out before putting in too many bonus miles.<\/p>\n

After Montesano we head south towards Raymond.\u00a0 Empty log trucks are passing on the way to their morning pickups.\u00a0 They mostly give us plenty of room but one driver lays on his air horn right behind us and passes uncomfortably closely with the horn blaring the entire way.\u00a0 The road is completely empty so I guess he just hates bikes and doesn\u2019t mind possibly killing someone.\u00a0 Entering Raymond around 7 AM we debate stopping at McDonalds or the Kosy Kitchen Caf\u00e9 for breakfast.\u00a0 I vote McD\u2019s for speed but Andy hates it.\u00a0 He is outvoted and we make an uncomfortably slow McDonald\u2019s stop.\u00a0 The tiny early morning staff prioritizes the drive through customers.\u00a0 Conclusion:\u00a0 always listen to Andy.\u00a0 Somehow we never learn.<\/p>\n

\"Jeff,<\/a>

Jeff, Shan and Andy in McD’s (by Noel Howes)<\/p><\/div>\n

The route continues south to Astoria where we make a scary bridge crossing and look for lunch.\u00a0 Andy knows a great \u201chippie caf\u00e9\u201d downtown but decides it will be too slow.\u00a0 We settle for a bad burrito.\u00a0 Our first sleep stop destination is Pacific City.\u00a0 The route is hilly but nothing too crazy.\u00a0 Sometime in the afternoon Noel jumps ahead.\u00a0 We regroup in Cannon Beach and make a quick ice cream stop.\u00a0 Unfortunately Andy and I end up dropping Shan and Noel pretty quickly on one of the many climbs along the coast.<\/p>\n

We decide to look for dinner in Tillamook so we can just go right to sleep in Pacific City.\u00a0 We crave Teriyaki but don\u2019t find anything so end up settling for the Chinese steam table in the Safeway.\u00a0 We look for Noel and Shan but they end up passing us while we eat.\u00a0 We arrive around 8:30 to see them headed to the Mexican place by the motel where the organizer has booked some shared rooms.\u00a0 Vinny is sleepy and confused about the room assignments but we eventually agree to get up at midnight and sack out for 3 hours.\u00a0 400km done.<\/p>\n

Second leg<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Day<\/a>

Day 2 begins (by Shan Perera)<\/p><\/div>\n

We roll around 12:45AM after some snacking with a plan to stop in Newport for a real breakfast.\u00a0 There is a detour to an info control up Slab Creek Road where the coastal bike route skirts some dangerous bridges on 101.\u00a0 Near the top of the steep climb Noel\u2019s GPS says the info control is here but we don\u2019t see the described sign anywhere.\u00a0 The mile marker matches the cue sheet also.\u00a0 We hunt around for a while but eventually give up, figuring we will get the answer from another rider.\u00a0 The other side of the canyon is a screaming descent down dark, twisty roads.\u00a0 Shortly afterward we hit Lincoln City and get some rando gas station food.\u00a0 I make the unwise choice to eat a microwaved Jimmy Dean egg and sausage bagel that burns my mouth.<\/p>\n

The sun is coming up and the views are beautiful as we make our way to Newport.\u00a0 Night riding is a good antidote to crazy 101 RV traffic.\u00a0 Unfortunately our route takes us though a trendy district where everything is closed.\u00a0 We see a bakery and beg though the glass but it doesn\u2019t open until 7 and we are ignored.\u00a0 Andy asks a local if there is a breakfast place in town that is open and it is a mile back on the main road.\u00a0 We decide to press on to Waldport where we find an espresso stand with muffins and scones.<\/p>\n

Traffic is picking up and we notice an incredible number of huge wheeled pickup trucks, often pulling boats or travel trailers.\u00a0 Most people are willing to give us room when there is no traffic but we often get squeezed when there is oncoming traffic.\u00a0 The giant motorhomes are the scariest.\u00a0 We saw one tour bus sized motorhome pulling a pickup truck with an ATV in the back.\u00a0 The traffic and noise are balanced by beautiful views.\u00a0 Rolling climbs are pretty constant.\u00a0 On one we are passed by a couple on bikes carrying small packs.\u00a0 Andy chats with them to find they are doing a credit card tour of the coast.\u00a0 He feels the need to leapfrog them on the next several climbs and I hang on too so we are feeling pretty strong.\u00a0 Noel is just a little way back but Shan is out of sight.<\/p>\n

There are a couple of pretty scary tunnels on this stretch.\u00a0 It is a designated bike route but the shoulders are often narrow or nonexistent.\u00a0 After the final tunnel I stop at a view point and put on sunscreen.\u00a0 When I put my glove back on I get stung by an ant that was inside!\u00a0 Andy finds my reaction hilarious:\u00a0 \u201cyou were screaming like a little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florence is a wasteland of strip malls and traffic.\u00a0 We decide to press on to Reedsport to eat lunch right before the major climb of the day.\u00a0 Now we are in full-on pickup truck pulling sand buggy territory.\u00a0 101 is getting tiresome and I am fighting sleep from time to time.\u00a0 It is unusual for me to get sleepy during the day on these rides but maybe the night start is taking a toll.<\/p>\n

In Reedsport we go to a great local restaurant for sandwiches and milkshakes.\u00a0 The staff is super friendly and quick.\u00a0 Shan texts that he is at the McD\u2019s.\u00a0 I reply that we are heading out:\u00a0 get over here.\u00a0 We don\u2019t see him as we leave.<\/p>\n

The next section thankfully takes us off the main road.\u00a0 We follow the Umpqua river which goes all the way to our next sleep stop in Roseburg.\u00a0 That would be a nice flat ride, but we are not going that way.\u00a0 Instead we turn uphill on Loon Lake road.\u00a0 This is an amazing, fun climb along a beautiful stream.\u00a0 Before reaching Loon Lake, we head onto an even smaller road:\u00a0 Camp Creek Road.\u00a0 We know we have to climb around 2000 feet but the road is very gentle.\u00a0 Ominous.<\/p>\n

We are startled by a pickup truck that pulls up with a redneck straight out of central casting at the wheel.\u00a0 He has a beer between his knees, is chewing tobacco, wearing a trucker cap and overalls with no shirt and has a stereotypical hillbilly accent.\u00a0 He is curious where all the bikes are going.\u00a0 We tell him about our ride and he enthusiastically wishes us a good ride.\u00a0 He and his buddies are fishing and bear hunting.\u00a0 They have to keep moving camp because \u201cthe rangers keep hassling us.\u201d\u00a0 Currently he is on a beer run.\u00a0 We wish him the best and head onward.<\/p>\n

After several miles of gentle climbing we reach the elevation gain.\u00a0 The road just heads up with one steep switchback after another.\u00a0 We see only one or two vehicles in a two hour period.\u00a0 The road has shifted in a couple places such that only a higher clearance vehicle could pass.\u00a0 This is a climb I would love if starting on fresh legs but today I am just looking to survive.\u00a0 I have to stand in my 30×32 granny gear on several occasions.\u00a0 Andy is waiting as I reach the top and Noel arrives a couple minutes later.\u00a0 The descent is crazy steep on fresh chipseal and loose gravel.\u00a0 Andy is gone on his 42mm 650B tires.\u00a0 I am a bit more cautious and Noel brings up the rear, stopping a couple times to cool his rims.<\/p>\n

Once we reach the bottom we paceline it into Roseburg as the sun sets, anxious for sleep.\u00a0 Entering town we decide to stop at Sizzler just as they are closing.\u00a0 Noel has a slow leak so he fixes it in the Sizzler lobby while we finish dinner.\u00a0 I have not been to a Sizzler in decades, if ever, but it is rando heaven.\u00a0 The salad bar includes pasta, meatballs, dozens of salad fixings and a dessert bar.\u00a0 We load up, knowing we will sleep soon.<\/p>\n

Making our way to the sleep stop at the Travelodge we follow a cue that says \u201cmeander through park.\u201d\u00a0 Huh.\u00a0 Good thing Noel has the route in his GPS or we would be screwed.\u00a0 Mark the organizer is waiting for us and has saved a room with 3 beds.\u00a0 Mark also reveals that Hahn is sleeping, having underestimated the course a bit.\u00a0 We leave the bed by the door for Shan who is the last one left out on the road.\u00a0 Deciding we have plenty of time on the final day we allow ourselves 3 \u00bd hours of sleep, setting alarms for 2:30AM.\u00a0 730km done.<\/p>\n

Final Leg<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Andy<\/a>

Andy and Jeff (by Noel Howes)<\/p><\/div>\n

Today is the shortest day but we have to climb around 7000′ to the peak of the Crater Lake rim road.\u00a0 There are a few downhills on the way as well to make a total of about 10000′ of climbing for the day.<\/p>\n

We awake to find Shan has arrived during the night but only slept for one hour.\u00a0 He was at least an hour back at the top of the climb and then made a wrong turn coming into town.\u00a0 His GPS battery was dead and he had a miserable time but finally found the Travelodge after two hours of riding in circles.
\nBreakfast at Denny’s fortifies us for the day and we are on the road by 3:30 or so.\u00a0 There are few turns between here and Crater Lake and we take off enthusiastically.\u00a0 Unfortunately the lack of rest is catching up with Shan and he drops off the back on every climb.\u00a0 Eventually the three of us left decide we are going to ride and hope he catches up.\u00a0 He does find us when we stop for a snack at the Dry Creek store control but then he immediately decides to nap so we press on.<\/p>\n

The scenery today is awesome and the roads mostly have decent shoulder to give us room when the RVs speed past.\u00a0 I fix my only flat of the ride this morning.\u00a0 We climb steadily and are making good pace when we find Mark waiting for us with cokes and snacks in the late morning.\u00a0 I tell Mark I could kiss him when I see the cokes.\u00a0 He isn’t enthusiastic about this idea.<\/p>\n

We stop at the Diamond Lake resort for lunch.\u00a0 Andy says, “This is a resort, but for working people.”\u00a0 Noel thinks it is straight out of the ’50s “like everything in Oregon.”\u00a0 It’s a pretty cool spot that I would like to visit when I have more time to spend.\u00a0 I have a rueben, fries, and a milkshake.\u00a0 Hopefully that will power me to the top.\u00a0 As we leave the resort we pass the biggest campground I have ever seen along the shore of Diamond Lake.<\/p>\n

Once we enter Crater Lake park we lose the shoulder but not the RVs.\u00a0 Fortunately it is getting later in the day so there aren’t too many vehicles entering.\u00a0 The speed limit is theoretically 40 but some cars still seem to be in an awful hurry given that it is a park road.\u00a0 Some of the climbs are getting steeper but I am still enjoying the day.\u00a0 Noel passes us when I stop for a restroom break and I fall behind Andy on one of the climbs.\u00a0 Eventually I reach the rim road and stop to enjoy the views of the lake.\u00a0 There is still some significant climbing to the highest point, and then a fast descent to the lodge and the penultimate control.<\/p>\n

At the lodge we regroup and meet up with Eric and his family who had arranged to meet him there.\u00a0 We get a photo overlooking the lake.\u00a0 There has been a reroute on the final section to get us off US-97 into Klamath Falls and there are two riders from Vancouver who can’t read the cue sheet in English.\u00a0 The reroute isn’t on the GPS route so we tell them to follow us.\u00a0 We all head out and enjoy the winding descent from the lodge followed by a long, fast, straight downhill for many miles.<\/p>\n

We enjoy a tailwind on some rural roads and make fast time to US-97 for the final stretch into Klamath falls.\u00a0 It has high traffic and narrow\/no shoulders in spots so I am designated to lead the train to the turn onto the dirt road reroute.\u00a0 I memorize the turn info and as we take off a cloud of bugs appears.\u00a0 They are so dense they are pelting me like raindrops in a thunderstorm.\u00a0 I try to speed up to get out of the cloud but that makes it worse and I keep dropping the others.\u00a0 They are getting in my mouth, jersey, helmet, glasses, everywhere and I am very agitated.\u00a0 This is actually the worst part of the entire ride for me.\u00a0 Later Noel tells me he just slowed down to keep pace with the wind and barely noticed the bugs.\u00a0 Finally I reach the turnoff and we head away from the marshy lake with the bug clouds.<\/p>\n

Everyone is thinking we have an easy 12 miles to the finish now but there is one more surprise in store.\u00a0 We know about the 6 miles of dirt but it turns into a steep climb and it is now dark.\u00a0 One of the Canadian riders loses traction on his skinny racing tires and goes down.\u00a0 He is OK but very tired.\u00a0 He also has no rear light, his battery having run down.\u00a0 We try to keep him in the middle and flag down a car, asking how far to the end of the dirt.\u00a0 The driver tells us only 500 feet of dirt and then “just one steep climb” before coming down in an old fort.\u00a0 Well, cyclists know that when a driver tells you that a climb is steep, you better believe it is STEEP.
\nIt turns out we have what amounts to a mini mountain pass between us and Klamath Falls.\u00a0 Fifteen or twenty minutes of hard climbing get us to the top, where we start an incredibly steep, twisty downhill.\u00a0 It is now completely dark and I drop my chain for the only time on this ride.\u00a0 Everyone else is gone as I struggle with my inexplicably hard to remount chain, covering my hand with grease.\u00a0 Finally I get back on the road and everyone is waiting for me at the bottom of the hill.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes of easy riding later and Mark is greeting us at the finish motel.\u00a0 The best cold pizza and local beer awaits us.\u00a0 Mark even has a gojo wipe for my greasy hand.\u00a0 He’s the best.\u00a0 1000km done in 71:26.\u00a0 Shan rolls in just after midnight, having skipped the optional dirt road reroute.<\/p>\n

Many of the riders booked Monday morning train tickets or got rides from family.\u00a0 We opted to sleep late, rest, and eat several meals on Monday before heading out on the Tuesday morning train.\u00a0 Tales were told over beers as randonesia kicked in and we were already planning the next ride.<\/p>\n

Andy had everything organized for us to have our bikes ready to go in the Amtrak boxes the second the train station opened.\u00a0 He was first in line to get the boxes and we got all the bikes packed up just in time.\u00a0 Then it was a relaxing twelve hour trip back to Seattle.<\/p>\n

\"CL100-04\"<\/a>

Andy and Jeff packing bikes for the trip back to Seattle (by Shan Perera)<\/p><\/div>\n

Ride details here:
\nhttp:\/\/www.seattlerandonneur.org\/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=483:crater-lake-1000k-acp-&catid=51:2014-brevets<\/a><\/p>\n

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Crater Lake 1000k by Jeff Loomis, photos by Noel Howes & Shan Perera. Thursday before the ride I took the day off to sleep late, get my bike ready, pack and nap before the 10:30 PM start.\u00a0 In the morning … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sir-members","category-rides"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=249"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":266,"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions\/266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.seattlerando.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}