Seiad Valley to Crater Lake
Tuesday, 8/1/00: In Which I Pass the Point Where I Have Less Than 1000 Miles To Go and Lose My Map But Not My Way
The watered ground where I was sleeping was hard and that combined with the heat meant a poor night’s sleep. I finally got up before 5, which would be dark in the woods, but there was no lack of light here in the RV park. I ate breakfast in the laundry room and as the sky began to lighten took down the tarp and began packing so I was ready to go at 5:45. Weathercarrot and Laura also got up but weren’t ready yet so I said goodbye and began walking up the road a mile to where the trail resumed.
As typical when leaving town the morning was taken up climbing several thousand feet. At 9 I caught up with Dave and Becky having a break and joined them. What I failed to notice at the time was that at that point near Upper Devils Peak we had about 1000 trail miles to go. I also didn’t notice as I left there that I left my guidebook section behind.
I realized both around noon when I stopped again. I said “hurrah” for the former and “oh, well” for the latter, since I still had the data book pages describing key points on the trail, which seemed fairly well marked. My big concern was water and I decided to carry extra when I found good water, which turned out to be wise given all the cattle I was about to see.
Oregon was few miles north but I spent the afternoon going east. I really wanted to make it to Oregon but that would require a 37-mile day. Water of good quality was hard to find but around 6 I finally had to stop at Mud Springs, which despite the name had reasonable water.
From there I went on a few miles and camped in the trees above a cow pasture having done about 31 ½ miles.
Wednesday, 8/2/00: In Which I Return to the Promised Land – Oregon
I didn’t sleep well again because I kept hearing cowbells ringing. I thought they slept at night but I guess they move enough to clang.
I was off by 6 or so, determined to stop at a creek just before the border figuring it would be less polluted than the cow-trampled springs. Ha! My arrival disturbed several bovines on the bank, but I got water anyway because it had a reasonable flow and I was unlikely to find better.
By 8:30 I arrived at the Oregon border, actually marked by a sign. I took my picture, took one last pee on California and gave it the old EM Davis salute: “Say something for your mother . . . Adios MF!” While I felt better I can’t say the scenery or land use policies changed much over the line—still lots of roads, clearcuts and cows.
The trail weaved back and forth across FS Road 20, a route we took to the Oregon Caves years ago. I met some day and section hikers, but caught none of the Thruhikers ahead of me. About 4 I pulled off trail to Grouse Gap Shelter where I had dinner and tanked up on water.
I had about 11 miles to go to I-5 and hustled along to make that goal. Before dark I crossed under the freeway and up the road to where the trail resumed. There I spent the night having done about 34 miles.
Thursday, 8/3/00: In Which I Hike A Familiar Section and Resupply at Hyatt Lake
I was up early as usual and off before sunrise, interested to see if this section looked any different than in 1997. I couldn’t see much change, at least not for the better. Still lots of cows and clearcuts.
At the piped spring mid-morning I found the dilapidated hut had completely collapsed and swept into a pile. There I met three women headed south: mother, daughter and friend. We exchanged water and trail info.
At Green Mountain Summit I met a guy with two young boys taking them out for their first overnight backpacking trip. He could have picked a more scenic locale.
I reached Hyatt Lake Campground by 4, found the backpacker site, then the shower. I was about to hike a mile to the resort store for my box when another hiker camped there showed up with a friend who worked at the resort. I got a ride there in the back of his pickup. We also picked up two other Thruhikers (Mike and Debbie) that I hadn’t met earlier hitching to the store. I got my box and some ice cream, called home and tried to find the shortcut I was told about to the campsite. I got lost but made it back eventually.
I had dinner, sorted the resupply and was getting ready for bed when the other guy (a section hiker) returned a little drunk. We talked a bit and he seemed kind of strange, especially when he told me he was packing a hatchet, slingshot and .22 pistol. I thought, “Oh, well,” as I went off to sleep.
Friday, 8/4/00: In Which the Elk Stops Near and I Make It Past Highway 140 at Fish Lake
I was up a little after 5 to head to the lighted bathroom with hot water. By the time I finished my granola it was light enough to pack and I left by 6:10. Despite carrying 3 quarts of water and 4 days of food, I made good time and by noon had done at least 16 miles.
After lunch I saw an elk (which I initially mistook for a deer) near the trail—dark brown, large and with the biggest set of antlers I’ve seen on a live animal. I see deer a lot, but nothing close to this one in size or beauty. When I reached for my camera, he bolted.
About 2 I arrived at the South Brown Mountain Shelter with a hand water pump where I met thruhiker Starman. We talked a bit, then he headed out. I followed and we passed each other a couple time later. I was trying to get across Highway 140 and up the trail a bit. I stopped for dinner near where I saw a bear in 1997.
I finally made it to the road by 7:30 and up ¼ mile along a fast-flowing canal. I felt another blister coming on (unfortunately I was right) so I stopped early, washed by feet, tried to figure out water for tomorrow in the guidebook, then went through my nightly ritual preparing for sleep.
Saturday, 8/5/00: In Which I Sail Through Sky Lakes Wilderness Seeing Lots of Sky But Not Many Lakes
Happy Birthday, Ellie. No doubt I was up earlier than she to celebrate. I couldn’t think of much to do in honor of the day but hike and was off by 6:10 towards Mount McLoughlin.
I bypassed the trail to the top, though the weather was a bit better than last time I was here. The trail sticks pretty much to the crest so I only caught glimpses of lakes during the day.
I made good mileage and reached the high point between Devils Peak and Lees Peak about 4:30 where I took a couple photos then headed down to water where I made dinner. A little further on I passed last on-trail water for 20-some miles so pumped a gallon. I hiked on until dark and when I pulled off to sleep I’d done about 33 miles.
Sunday, 8/6/00: In Which I Have a Surprise Breakfast, Decide To Do the Rim Trail at Crater Lake and Camp on the Rim (Probably Illegally)
About 11:30 last night I heard the rumble of thunder and then felt the splat of raindrops coming through the Bug Bivy (yep, lots of mosquitoes around but not real bad). I hopped up and got the tarp up quickly with only my tiny flashlight, rather pleased I’d done so well, but upset I had ignored the clouds before going to sleep. Of course, it stopped raining and did not start again.
I slept in until 5:50 so it was quite light when I sat down to eat my granola. When I stopped last night, I followed my typical routine of laying out my sleeping bag, writing until I couldn’t see too well, then mixing powdered milk and granola for the morning and finally flossing and brushing. So the light is pretty faint when I do granola, but no big deal since I know the routine so well. Last night as I poured the granola in the milk I realized I had one of the granola batches I had cooked too long, so it was dark from being slightly burned. Still ok, but nothing great. You can imagine my surprise then when I pulled the lid off the container this morning and stared down at black beans nicely mixed with reconstituted dried milk and protein powder. Not having extra food or time to prepare it I gamely downed the mix. Not bad I tried to tell myself, but I will look a little more carefully at what I dump in the container in the future.
I started out passing through familiar ground with a slight uphill grade that would eventually lead to Crater Lake. I passed Ed’s stealth camp a couple miles from mine but didn’t notice it. He eventually caught me and I let him lead because he set a good pace.
At 9:30 we stopped for a break with the couple I met in the back of the pickup at Hyatt Lake. Ed and I took off together after deciding we would go up to the rim, he to resupply and me to call to confirm my family meeting and do the rim walk. The data book and sign consider the rim the official hiker route while the forest route is for horses.
Ed and I had an interesting talk. Turns out he’s an organic grower in Arcata, specializing in Native American corn. He’s also a part-time student in plant ecology at Humboldt State University. He’s going to send me some of the flour corn seed that he’s developed.
We made it to the Rim by 3 where I was unsuccessful at reaching anything but answering machines, but I did down two ice cream cones. I said goodbye to Ed and Bob, a southbound thruhiker who came in just as I was leaving, and headed for the rim trail.
It was poorly marked and maintained like maybe they didn’t want the tourists to notice it. Then after two miles it was sited on an old roadbed above the current road with no views of the lake for three miles.
When I finally got back by the lake, I decided to spend the night on the rim so I could watch sunset and sunrise on the lake. The only drawback is it’s a little windy, but that’s much better than hot and humid like last night.
Monday, 8/7/00: In Which I Watch the Sunrise Over Crater Lake, Leave and Return
Up early I watched sunrise unfold over the lake. The most notable thing was that the lake, even after the early morning sun shines directly on it, is not its famous blue. There was almost no wind so you see reflections of the surrounding mountains.
From there I hiked less than a mile to the unsigned spot where the trail crosses Rim Drive and heads back towards the original PCT. Being level to slightly down it was easy hiking from there to Highway 138. I ran into Mike and Debbie, who had done the other route and we compared notes, agreeing they had the better hike, I the better lake views.
At Highway 138 they waited to meet her parents for lunch while I walked on to the trailhead to meet Ellie, Carol, Kevin and Kjersten for a ride to Mazama Campground back in the Park. Along the way we stopped at the overlook I had walked past this morning, which felt strange. Rochelle and Yaser showed up near dark to add to the family.
It was great to see Ellie, get a shower and relax. It was a great dinner with garden veggies and then Ellie and I headed to sleep in the Cascadian Condo.
Tuesday, 8/8/00: In Which I Relax at the Mazama Campground
I enjoyed a nice day off at the campground overeating, washing clothes, getting my feet massaged, reading A Walk in the Woods and sorting my resupply.
Kevin and Kjersten took off to hike ahead to Thielson Creek, while Rochelle and Yaser toured the lake. Ellie left a message for Steve, who had shown up and he dropped by in the evening for dessert and to chat. Rochelle, Yaser and I will head off to catch up with Kevin and Kjersten in the morning.