So last night I did the camping thing at Carter Lake. I knew going into the day that the Lodge would be full and I was right. So I mozied on down to the Campground, setup shop and got ready for my evening. I didn’t have to cook for myself because there was a restaurant in the campground. I had to have some comforts, right? Supper was good. Fried Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Mashed Taters, and sting beans. Did I forget to mention Sweet Tea?
Ok, so after supper it was off to my portable home to type as much as I could remember and as much as my batteries would allow. So I finished off the laptop battery, the cell phone battery was down to 15%, turn that off, and the Spot Tracker had life, but I have no clue for how long. Recharging abilities? None! Communications to the outside world? Almost none, I had Spot Tracker if needed.
Elevation was 6500' feet in the campground and by 9pm it was getting brisk. The forecast was 32, but that was at the lodge and it was 73 or 7500 feet. When I laid down to go to sleep, I could feel the brisk air but it wasn’t that bad. When I rolled into my sleeping bed, mmm, snug as bug in a rug. I didn’t stir until 5am. Birds! I tried to get on back to sleep and laid there for 45 minutes and said, light enough, let’s start packing. Took me an hour to break everything down and pack it all back on the motorcycle. That’s including getting warmly dressed.
Rolling out the campground the thermometer on the bike read 42, so that might have been the low. As I drove back up to Crater Lake to get those early morning shots with no people insight, the temps quickly dropped to 36 degrees. This is the point the BMW starts flashing the temperature warning about freezing roads. As I rolled around the western side of the lake, I lost another 2 degrees to 34. Ok now, it’s getting pretty close to the freezing point and there is water on the roads. That was it, the temp never got any lower and I made my exit downhill out of Crater Lake. You guys reading this, put Crater Lake on your Bucket List. My pictures do it no justice and you have to see it in person. Just incredible colors.
Ok, so the rest of the day was track east to Baker City, Oregon. The views and roads where suppose to be very nice. Problem? Rain, more rain, and then it rained some more. What do I hate about the rain? I can’t see nothing and I cannot take pictures to show you!! It wasn’t all that bad and I did manage to get some nice shots. Some of the good roads with curves were dry, so that was fun. But riding in the rain, just spoils my view. I got the gear, so that is not an issue. It’s all about the view.
Rolling into Baker City the plan was to stay in a motel that was built in 1889. Nice place and I took some internal shots, but no external shots. Tomorrow when I leave, I promise to take the external shots as long as I remember. Hell, I’ll be 52 shortly and sometimes I forget things. Very nice hotel and restaurant and I love these old restored motels.
So I have one more little story to tell and I’m done for the evening. I’m waiting to be seated in the motel restaurant when the Hostess finally ask how many. I said, just me and the ugly bike out front. She didn’t smile! What’s wrong with her? She points to the back as we are walking and said pick a table and I point to the one in the center up against the wall. Sorry that’s reserved. Fine, that one over there will do. Couldn’t she just seat me somewhere? So as I’m eating, the people that reserved the table sit down at the special table and they were a bit older than me. They might have been my parents. I hear the word anniversary. So when my waitress handed me my check, I asked, “What year anniversary is it?” She said, “52.” I said thanks and I have a request. Bring me their check please. She gave me a very strange look and then walked up to another waitress and the other waitress looked my way and smiled. I paid their bill, scratched out the amount due and wrote $0.00. On the backside of the bill I wrote, Congratulations to the both of you, and pay it forward. Then I left.
Tomorrows ride is looking very gloomy rain wise for me. Does it matter? Yes, I will not be able to see and you will not get pictures. Let’s hope that it eases off the 80% prediction. I‘m riding to Hell’s Canyon and ending in Missoula, Montana.
Gorgeous pics!
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