The goal on this day was not to get an early start, but we were up and on our way nice and early because of a scheduled breakfast at the Crater Lake Lodge. I tried for months to get reservations to stay at the lodge, but when it did not materialize, we settled for breakfast. We had a good table with a view of the lake. The meals were definitely a bit overpriced, but Conrad could not stop talking about just how great his breakfast was and how it was the best he ever had. In reality, it was a mediocre meal for an expensive price, but he thought it was fantastic and I was happy to have a hot meal to start my day. Jacqueline, unfortunately, forgot her credit card at the lodge which made things complicated for her in the next few weeks, but we went about our day completely oblivious to that.
My time with the family was coming to an end, but we had one more trip up our sleeve before calling it quits. We really had wanted to take a boat ride out to Wizard Island to do the hike out there and see the lake. Unfortunately, the boats were not running yet. We decided to do the next best thing which was just do the hike down to the lake. This was on the Cleetwood Cove Trail. We drove the road out to the furthest point we could get to do to the road construction and here we went on down the trail. It wasn't quite the most relaxing hike as this was the trail to take the boats and the people who were operated were obviously getting ready for the season. We had to make quick work of it to stay ahead of the ATV's on the trail. The trail was all downhill to the lake, but not quite as steep as I was anticipating. It felt good to be hiking without the heavy pack for a while and to be alongside the family. It was a short hike down to the lake where I made sure to touch the water. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be by the shore, but I am sure that in the middle of the lake it would be quite chilly. There wasn't too much to do other than take some photos and then head back up the trail. Everyone did really well hiking up the trail including Grandpa Tom in his mid 70s.
From there it was time to drop me off at Highway 138 to begin the second leg of the journey. I wasn't feeling anxious either way at this point because I had no real itinerary to stick to. I was just going to go out today and get as many miles as I could. We all hugged goodbye at the trailhead and it was sad to see them go. Instantly, though, I was transported back to a world of many trail miles to put in. Today I was going to go by Mt. Thielsen, which is one of my favorite mountains in Oregon. The trail almost instantly comes out at a trailhead where there was a ton of water stored for PCT hikers. Not needing any extra water, I went right by that and headed up the trail. This was a section of trail that was uphill, but it was not particularly steep. It was forested and provided some long views of Diamond Lake. Soon Mt. Thielsen would come into view as the trail opened from forest to ridgeline. As I got to the top of the hill, I ran into some people I knew. We talked for a little bit, but being in my 40s, I typically let the young people have their little groups without me getting to into it. We were cordial, but I knew that I was seeking lifetime friends on the trail.
I continued on my way where I saw Quiet American at the first water crossing. He was hiking with his sister who lived in Eugene. I ended up talking with them for quite some time as we had a bit in common since I lived in Eugene a couple of years. This water crossing was pretty fantastic and the views of Mt. Thielsen were amazing. I had switched filters also at Crater Lake and although my old filter was heavier, I was much happier with the flow I was getting out of it. I was able to fill and get on my way pretty rapidly.
I was moving quite well today and even though I had no itinerary, I was okay with making this a late night. Having been dropped off in the early afternoon, I hadn't anticipated having a big day. I was feeling really good, though, and enjoying all the people on the trail as I went. My legs were feeling much stronger and I wasn't having any issues with my knee. The trail continued to climb even after getting to the flanks of Mt. Thielsen. I talked to a European couple who were just finishing dinner and it seemed they were going to continue for some time also. I was enjoying meeting people on the trail and had learned that mostly what was talked about in conversation was how far were you going that day and where would you camp.
I was a bit nervous about snow, but a southbound hiker made it seem like it was not a big deal. This made me feel good as I continued up to Tipsoo Point, which was the highest point in Oregon or Washington. It was rather anticlimactic, being just a sign in a field and the snow was not a big deal either being rather patchy. The trail hugged the ridge for some time after this and there was this fantastic camp site with many hikers choosing to camp for the night. Not being one that sought out company for sleeping, I continued on, but quickly regretted it after the mosquitoes showed back up. Almost the entire day, I had been free of them, but as a descended the ridge down toward Maidu Lake, I knew they were going to be my constant companions.
After just a little bit of hiking past the ridge, I found an opening off the trail in the woods that looked like it could work as a camp. It was not a campsite per se, but just a spot that I choose. It had a flat spot for a tent that I quickly got up with the constant harassment of mosquitoes. It would be a quiet evening where I ate my freeze dried meal and got to bed. The dirty feet always made me a bit uncomfortable sleeping, but on this night it wasn't too bad with only one day of grime on the body.
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