I shipped my dad out at the Bend airport in exchange for Ally. Our plan to make our way back to Tahoe, do a little MTBing and visit Crater Lake – which has eluded me a few times now. We left Bend and headed to Sisters, on to the McKenzie River Trail, through Oakridge and finally made it to Crater Lake for the evening light. It was cold so we spent just a few minutes at the rim, snapping a handful of shots from West Rim Drive. We had plans to round the lake the following day but were foiled yet again as we woke up to not just chilly conditions but socked in snow. The rim of crater lake sits around 7,000' and the first of October was also the first of winter!
The mountain biking we got to do in Oregon was superb. McKenzie river trail is generally done as a one way with a shuttle but with the pup and one car that was not doable for us, so we did the first 10 miles of it as an out and back. More scenic splendor than rad riding but it is definitely a ride I would repeat. Alpine trail in Oakridge – done as a shuttle with a local company – was just spectacular with over 4k of descent and smooth and fast trail. Oregon has their MTB shit together to say the least. I'm looking forward to getting back and getting on the Umpqua River Trail and some of the other goods around Ashland...
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| Got the lady and made a quick stop at an Alpaca farm |
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| Cute little ladies |
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| Every once and a while the babies would make their way over |
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| Only to get shoved out by the mammas |
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| A post shave snack |
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| The latest fire lookout at the summit of Back Butte |
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| the most recent of several structures on the top |
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| Ally & the pup checking out the previous living spaces |
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| This one will be removed soon |
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| Not a bad view from the living room |
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| Mt Hood way off in the distance, Mt Jefferson in the foreground |
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| Headed back down the trail |
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| Evening glow on Mt Jefferson as we make our way back to town |
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| Gearing up for our ride, camped at Clear Lake |
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| Great fall colors on the river trail |
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| Narrow bridges |
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| North side of Clear Lake |
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| Chasing Ally |
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| Too narrow to ride |
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| The McKenzie River |
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| Great dirt |
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| Ally presents Sahalie Falls |
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| Sahalie from above |
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| A land lost before time |
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| Down the trail we find another stunning falls at Koosah |
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| Enjoying a riverside lunch |
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| The place is prehistoric |
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| Tamolitch (Blue) Pool was our turnaround |
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| The river disappears below the bassalt and reappears magical at Tamolitch |
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| Returning back over the many bridges |
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| Roadblock |
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| Beautiful sky at camp |
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| Preparing dinner |
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| Views from Alpine in Oakridge |
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| Meadow near the top of the ride |
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| Awesome light in an awesome forrest |
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| Just two miles... |
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| Two years and she's still playing hard to get |
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| Until I catch her and she's a little scraped up |
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| The land of covered bridges |
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| Late afternoon at Crater Lake |
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| Catching the last of the day's light |
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| Crater pano |
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| One way to warm up after a chilly night |
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| Umm, it's snowing? |
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| We hit the road to see the lake |
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| Snow is sticking |
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| Snow on a downed tree |
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| How's that view? |
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| Phantom ship through the fog |
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| The seasons have turned, and then we brought the snow to Squaw |
