Day 124 – Callahan’s Resort to Hyatt Meadows – 21 miles – pct mile 1748
We forced ourselves back to the trail today after a good lunch and a few last cold drinks. It was very hot and humid and we went through our water much faster than normal, so it’s a good thing we brought more than usual. We roadwalked for a mile down the highway before regaining the trail and climbing back into the Siskyou Mountains. Water was sparse. We had to hike into the dark to get to our source for the night – a spigot that turned out to be dry. Just as it was getting too dark to hike without a light I tripped and faceplanted and banged my knee. For just a second I thought I’d ruined the rest of my hike but luckily I hadn’t twisted anything. I’d probably have a bad bruise but it was fine to hike on. We thought we’d have to push on another few miles to the next water, which would take a long time in the dark, but not long after the spigot we came over a rise and heard water – lots of it. A little further down was a big open area perfect for camping. Things went from bad to perfect in that second and the day ended on a good note.
Day 125 – Hyatt Meadows to near Brown Mountain – 25 miles – pct mile 1773
It was hot again today. Lots of downed trees on the trail this morning. Some of them forced us off trail in order to get around them. We lost time at lunch looking for a spring off the trail. When we finally found it the water was flowing well – cold and delicious and worth the effort. We cruised over flat trail through partially logged forest. Welcome to Oregon! We stopped at the Brown Mountain Shelter to get water from the hand pump there. It would have been a really nice place to spend the night but we wanted to make a few more miles. We were finally encouraged to stop by rumbles of thunder. The rain held off just long enough for us to find a flat spot, set up the tent and get our gear inside. It didn’t go on for very long so it might not do much for the humidity tomorrow.
Day 126 – near Brown Mountain to past Christi’s Spring – 20 miles – pct mile 1773
It rained again this morning, just as we were getting ready to leave the tent. We dawdled for a bit until it let up, then jumped out and packed everything up. It started up again just as we were leaving but, like last night, didn’t last very long. Within two hours it was sunny again. We hiked through fields and fields of black lava rock boulders, thankful to whatever master trail crew had built this section. We walked on a layer of crushed red pumice – much nicer than the black rock around us. We reached a highway and tried to catch a hitch to the west, where the cafe at hiker-friendly Fish Lake Resort called to us for lunch. No one stopped for us and after awhile we but the bullet and walked there on the road. Happily, it turned out to about half as far away as our map indicated. We chowed down on burgers and fries and bought a sodas for that night. As we were packing up to leave the thunder started up again with rain right behind it. We had no choice but to head out into it. The road walk wasn’t bad but the trail had become a river. Our feet and lower legs were soaked almost instantly. It was really unpleasant hiking, but at least our climb up the slopes of Mt. Mc Loughlin was gentle. After a few hours the rain and near-constant thunder stopped, giving us a few more hours to dry out as we hiked. I got my second sting of the trip when I brushed past a shrub and apparently irritated a wasp. At first I thought the plant I’d touched had been a nettle, but once I saw the bug he didn’t last long. When we stopped at Christi’s Spring to get water for the night we were surprised to see hail on the ground. If we hadn’t stopped for lunch we’d have been hiking in it. It had gotten very cold. Our wet feet especially were feeling it and our breath was steaming. Two other hikers had built a nice fire at a nearby site and we shared the warmth for a bit before hiking on. We didn’t make it very far before deciding that, damp and cold as we were, setting up before dark would be a good idea. Slipping into dry clothes and a down bag was heaven. It took me a lot longer than I expected to warm up.
Day 127 – past Christi’s Spring to burn area – 26 miles – pct mile 1818
This morning was cold – in the low 40’s – and still very damp. It took us a while to get going. When we finally did the forest was foggy with steam from scattered rotting wood. We hiked through piles of hail from yesterday’s storm. In some places it looked like a coating of snow. We’ve been so lucky with weather timing over the last few days! A few southbounders said they’d been hailed on for 30 minutes and rained on until dark. At least we had time to dry out and didn’t have to set up in the rain. Towards lunch we walked a ridgeline in the Sky Lakes Wilderness and saw our first really impressive views since entering the state. The last mile or so until the creek where we planned to eat was an exercise in avoiding the tiny frogs that were everywhere. Brought out by the rain, maybe? The rest of the day was uneventful, mostly easy hiking through forest and a large burnt out area. At least this made it easy to find a spot to camp. Tomorrow we reach Crater Lake, our third-to-last national park and a sight I’ve wanted to see for a long time.
Day 128 – burn area to Crater Lake – 15 miles – pct mile 1833
We did ten easy miles to Mazama Village at Crater Lake NP his morning over forested, mostly viewless ridges. The rim – the part everyone comes to see – is another 4 miles up the trail, but most of the facilities are down at the base of the volcanic cone in Mazama. We fought with the coin-op showers, did our laundry without a hitch, and commiserated with other hikers about the storm two days ago. Most importantly, we feasted at the restaurant. $10 AYCE salad bar? Yes please! It was an awesome way to load up on the vitamins we probably don’t get enough of in our dehydrated meals and energy bars. The texture of fresh lettuce was so satisfying. We visited the store for sodas, ice cream and our resupply boxes. This leg – 6 days and change – will be our longest since leaving the Sierra Nevada and our packs are heavy with food. We intended to hike out that night but were dreading carrying the weight up to the rim. Just as we forced ourselves to saddle up and head north, a nice couple we had been talking to offered us a ride up. We gratefully accepted and 7 miles later – the road is longer than the trail – we were looking out over the lake. It was incredible. Such a huge, silent expanse of water, empty of anything to lend a sense of perspective. It was hard to tell exactly how large it was. To our north we looked down on Wizard Island jutting 800 feet out of the water. It was less than half as tall as the rim itself. Along the edge of the crater the Watchman and Hillman Peak towered another 500 feet over us. Thankfully, the trail goes around them instead of over them. After a few long minutes of staring, we turned away to hike down the PCT for a short distance. The park doesn’t allow camping directly on the rim and we’ve heard stories about how strictly enforced this rule is. We went down far enough to find the first flat spot well away from the road and made camp. Tomorrow we’ll get up early and hike back up to the rim to see the sunrise.
– Posted from the PCT
Location:Pct mile 1833