August 14

Distance: 13.6

Mile marker: 832.6

Lunch: J – chili and rice (A-), A – chili and rice, but a different batch (B+)

Dinner: J&A – hot dog (A+)

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We decided to see the sunrise over Crater Lake this morning. That meant an early 4am start to the day. We made it to the rim just before 6am and had a glorious view as we drank coffee and read the Wikipedia page about the lake (Wikipedia is actually really small in terms of data storage needed. Jason has it downloaded to his phone for offline learning in these situations.)

We followed the Rim Trail around the lake, even climbing up to the fire lookout tower for an aerial view.

We stopped for lunch at an actual picnic table where some rangers were unloading rocks from a trailer, then ate lunch, then left the rock pile behind. Hm. Upcoming construction? As we finished lunch, a couple from Montana offered us a soda and candy bar. They saw our dirty clothes and oversized backpacks, and correctly assumed we were hikers. They were planning to meet their northbound daughter later in the day further north, but were spending the day at the park.

As we circled the lake, we came across a few critters; lots of Clark’s nutcrackers, ground squirrels, chipmunks, and juncos. We also saw a mole(?) digging out its hole. And, we came across a fawn munching on a tree.

When we finally reached Rim Village, the visitor center area, we learned from a northbound hiker that the next sections were pretty dry. We’re planning to camel up and be prepared for heavy packs full of water. We went to the lodge and got some ice water and an order of fish and chips. (Jason here. Total aside. I’ve been trying to figure out how to distinguish Aussies and Kiwis without outright asking. I asked a guy from the UK if he knew a good way because maybe there’s something about being in the Commonwealth that gives you this insider info? He said that Kiwis pronounce the “ish” sound more like “ush.” His example was “fush and chups.”  That phrase has been stuck in my head since. It’s amazing how we have seemingly infinite time for our minds to wander and imagine, but they get stuck on one thing like one line of a song or the phrase “fush and chups” for hours on end. Maybe we’re going crazy.)

We decided that Crater Lake is pretty neat and we want to stick around a bit. We lucked out and got a boat ride ticket for tomorrow afternoon. We’ll have to figure out how to get to the boat ramp, but that’s a tomorrow problem.

As we were about to leave and find our campsite, we ran into a ranger about to give a ranger talk. He taught us about the origin of the volcano/lake from the geological perspective and the local tribal stories. They have lots of parallels! We can and should learn a lot from the native peoples.

Finally, we headed down to the campground to grab our tentsite for the night and our resupply boxes. Alex also got new shoes! New shoe day is an exciting day all hikers look forward to. Her new shoes are a full size larger than the last ones – it’s common for hikers’ feet to get larger due to all the pressure. Her toes have been pretty cramped at the front of her shoes the past few weeks, so the new ones feel wonderfully roomy! She’s also switching brands, a somewhat risky move since our feet got so adapted to our shoes over the past 800 miles. Hopefully all goes well, but if not, the next resupply town has shoe stores.

Jason also got new socks he ordered from REI, which he is elated about. He was down to a single pair of Smartwool socks after his Bombas socks practically disintegrated over the last two weeks. He held them together with Leukotape and hope. Bombas makes great socks, maybe just not for 20+ mile days back to back. His new socks are Darn Tough. Does the brand of sock really matter? Maybe? Do you, as the reader, really care about our sock and shoe brands? Probably not. But, by writing down the brand names on a public website, perhaps word will get out and these companies will offer to send us free stuff to win our hearts. Worth a shot, at least. It sorta worked for Jason’s Osprey pack.

Crater Lake is arguably more impressive than the Grand Canyon. It’s certainly had a more exciting history. Grand Canyon is just erosion. Crater Lake is a volcano gone mad. 10/10 would recommend visiting. The boat tour in the lake tomorrow should be spectacular.