Day 18. Crater Lake

Day 18. Crater Lake

Crater Lake NP boundary (1814.3) to Rim Village

7/27/19

I first saw Crater Lake during a father-daughter road trip when I was on summer break in college. My dad and I stayed in the Crater Lake lodge and sat in the rocking chairs on the porch with an incredible view of the blue waters. 

As I lay in my hammock eating breakfast, I scroll through the photos I dug up of that first trip. Bringing up sweet memories.

My dad and I at Crater Lake in 1996.

On a hike near the lodge, my dad and I traversed a snow field. It was one of the scariest things I’d ever done. My legs quivered as I placed each of my steps carefully in the steps my dad kicked into the snow. But it was also one of my favorite memories because it always reminds me that I can do difficult things if I just focus on one step at a time. And it never hurts to have a good steps to follow!

That memorable hike.

These memories makes me think about the things that can inspire a life-long passion for the outdoors.

***

I’m packed up and hiking well before dawn. There is no way I’m going to miss my park ranger friend’s trolley tour and I want a full day to enjoy Crater Lake.

The first half dozen miles to Mazama Village fly by. I rush to shower and do laundry so I won’t offend the other people on the trolley tour. Then I hike another half dozen or so miles up to the rim with plenty of time to spare.

A ranger program about pikas is happening right when I arrive. I love pika and it’s so neat to learn more about them. Even though the program is for kids, I hover at the edge and try to look like I belong. I watch the game the kids play (that demonstrates the challenges pikas face from climate change) and it seems like one I can adapt for my students back home.

My friend’s trolley tour is incredible and I love playing tourist for a few hours! We ride around the whole lake and get out at several overlooks which all highlight different perspectives and geological features. We learn why the lake is blue and the geological history of how the lake was formed. A cool thing is that it only took 300 years for the lake to fill up! Another highlight is learning that the lake is home the Mazama Newt that is only found here. Later I find out that they are a genetically distinct subspecies that are closely related to the newt I saw a few days ago in the Russian Wilderness.

After the tour, I catch one last ranger program about the geologists that have studied the lake. Watching all these ranger programs makes me so happy! I'm so hungry for natural history information and for a deeper understanding of the beautiful places I'm passing through. 

I also love sitting on the same porch I sat with my dad so many years ago rocking in the rocking chairs I remember so well. I watch kids with their parents and wonder if any of these young people will grow up to hike the PCT because of trips like this one.

After my friend gets off work, she takes me down to the town of Klamath Falls where she lives and we go out to eat. We talk about our time in Montana State Parks Americorps and how the things we learned in that program helped us get our jobs with the NPS. So many memories! What a full day!