Journey Day 127 | PCT Day 127

Crater Lake was wondrous, although not set up for hikers.

8/21/85

Up, but not as early as my Coos Bay friends. They’re cold, out of camp by 7 a.m. while I eat with newly refurbished stove and last fuel. Out of camp. Hike hard up. Soon in Crater Lake National Park.

Catch them at the road. Break, photos, goodbyes. Hard down road, past entrance. Up to HQ on this road as cars whiz by. Champagne from Sandi, three letters (JB, Mom and Grama),  bags of food. Pack cover, unfixed First Need water filter. No Mom box or Jill box. Mom not sure where she sent hers. Jill probably has already forgotten us.

Organize, talk with several including UPS guy who’s been ripped off on a time share condo. He gives me cookies. Mom talk bad. She botched sending me money. JL and I make final arrangements for meeting. He agrees to bring me money.

Up the winding road I go for three miles. Finally I hit wondrous Crater Lake. Enjoy drink, talk with tourists as I take in this natural wonder.  Hang around rim village, eat. Then hike a ways down, set up outlaw camp. This park is not set up well for campers, hikers especially. As ranger said next day, “A drive through meditate, relax, eat, park.” Some more resort food, as usual was under filling. Great site right on the rim. I relax, but sleep won’t come. When it does, a deer wakes me up. I finally get back to sleep.