Diamond Lake 4 Daze Ride
Moderators: Tawmass, Bonnie Meadowes
Diamond Lake 4 Daze Ride
I went up to Diamond Lake last week and rode 4 days 4 ways. Staying at Diamond Lake campground, the dirt starts at the end of their access road. Wednesday I headed out across highway 138 on the old snowmobile “trail” called Chemalt. But I took a bunch of detours that kept me up against the edge of the Mount Thiesen wilderness, quite nice. This took me up to highway 58 (eventually) where I ran into the new “Three Trails” OHV area. I found a trail map and proceeded south through the east side of the park. I hopped into Chemult for gas and tried to follow the RR tracks back to the west area of the park. Well I got turned around 4 times, coming back into Chemult from different directions, the first time bonking out of a fire road onto highway 97 just as a sheriff drove by and began to slow down, I did a fast U eee. The last time I was headed towards Fort Rock when I realized the trees were getting smaller and drier (wrong way). By 3 PM I was headed back to Miller Lake on the Chemult when the sky darkened, the rain started. As I climbed up in altitude the lightning started going off in front of me. Then came the hail storms, the mud flows, the lakes where dust bowls had been an hour before. Of course I left my jacket at the truck, it was 90 something when I left, but now Ah 40 something. Hailstones eventually covered everything and they were bigger than peas. It got real noisy as they ricocheted off by helmet, chest protector, and fenders. I got back by 430 but the hail got worse until 530, it was dark, rivers of muck were flowing around my bike and motor home. Warm Sake was brewed, ahhhhhh.
Re: Diamond Lake 4 Daze Ride
I slept very well. The next morning the magic hail fairies had been busy all night turning areas of well churned dusty silt into tacky moist loam, I rolled on the MRA’s Sunday 2013 September roll chart and headed up to the Cinnamond Butte lookout, then over to Lemola lake, on up to Summit lake, then Crescent lake. Everyone I stopped to talk with said the hail rain had hit hard 330 to 530 PM and the traction factor was great. I went around the top of Mt Thielsen and back down the Chemult side to Diamond lake. The trail now had porta potties and little pink flags everywhere ? I went into the lodge and found out a foot race rally was going from Diamond lake to Bend the next day, a 24 hour run, poor fools, it was 90 degrees the next day and they were going to use the powerline, absolute 6” deep dust sand over there, I had just waddled through it, YUCK. I slept very well.
Re: Diamond Lake 4 Daze Ride
The third morning I made my own roll chart off several maps and By God it worked!
I headed out over the back dirt road at the top of Crater lake Park, and down a series of jeep roads that skirted the eastern edge of the park. After the rain I saw absolutely no tracks anywhere, just mine. I was doing around 40 miles down that side and thought oh Brother, better not f up, cause no one will ever look here. But all went well, I saw absolutely beautiful terrain. Down near the bottom the road system was unmarked so I did a little “extra mile thing” (I always do those extra mile things, that’s why I have the 4 gallon tank, I can ride the first 3 gallons out then set my bike on fire with the last gallon). I eventually found the road to the pinnacles I was after, but someone had dropped trees on it and I finally gave up on that road. Next I headed down to a state park next to the most emerald green water I have ever seen. I glows blueish green. From up on the mountain the lake is shaped like a two mile long serpent. There was only one couple camping there, lucky them. Next I jaunted over to highway 62 that goes up into Crater Lake park. I went by a fire base, saw choppers with water bags, met up with a lady ranger at one of the lookouts there, and learned they had 18 fires going, the sun was orange. I got back over to Union Creek and took my favorite road (Lake West) back up to Diamond. I slept well.
I headed out over the back dirt road at the top of Crater lake Park, and down a series of jeep roads that skirted the eastern edge of the park. After the rain I saw absolutely no tracks anywhere, just mine. I was doing around 40 miles down that side and thought oh Brother, better not f up, cause no one will ever look here. But all went well, I saw absolutely beautiful terrain. Down near the bottom the road system was unmarked so I did a little “extra mile thing” (I always do those extra mile things, that’s why I have the 4 gallon tank, I can ride the first 3 gallons out then set my bike on fire with the last gallon). I eventually found the road to the pinnacles I was after, but someone had dropped trees on it and I finally gave up on that road. Next I headed down to a state park next to the most emerald green water I have ever seen. I glows blueish green. From up on the mountain the lake is shaped like a two mile long serpent. There was only one couple camping there, lucky them. Next I jaunted over to highway 62 that goes up into Crater Lake park. I went by a fire base, saw choppers with water bags, met up with a lady ranger at one of the lookouts there, and learned they had 18 fires going, the sun was orange. I got back over to Union Creek and took my favorite road (Lake West) back up to Diamond. I slept well.
Re: Diamond Lake 4 Daze Ride
The last day I put in the MRA’s September 2013 Saturday roll chart which heads down the west side of 62 to Union Creek and back up the east side of 62 to Diamond lake. It was pretty hot and I took quite a few (intentional detours) to go up to lookouts and campsites I had only rode past before. Just a slow tour. I got into the single track and was confronted with a whole new situation, rock slides, trees down. I spent an hour on one logjam building a bridge of dead trees over it. It was quite an “IFFY” proposition. I got by there and found myself by the swimming hole that MRA uses for a check, you know the one with the blow up doll? I stripped down and cooled down for a few minutes, didn’t see the blow up doll anywhere. Headed into Union creek and back up the east side trail system, guess what, more trees down. I got up by Lake West (where they have logged the north side of the road, and hopped over 62 to go up in the hills above the three lakes trail. There I found a ski cabin where you can camp for free, it was really remote on one of those FJT’s as Countdown calls them, Faint Jeep Trails, very faint… A family from Trail was just getting there, we chatted, nice people. On back to camp, slept very well. I still had half a knobbie left in the morning but like a fool, went home to work.
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Re: Diamond Lake 4 Daze Ride
Looks like a good time!
You don't stop riding because you grow old, you grow old because you stop riding.
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