sugary meditation

Day 111 ~ miles. 1834 - 1861.4

It took so much willpower to make myself get up while it was still dark out, but I didn't have a choice.  We had to turn out 27 miles to the next water source, over what turned out to be some really difficult terrain. 

The morning miles were slow, across the overabundance of steep ups and downs around the rim of Crater Lake.  It was fun hiking with Thor and Ferntoe, and the breaks were plentiful to snack, take photos, and just to take in the beauty of the Lake.  Crater Lake lies within the top of a collapsed volcano, Mt. Mazama.  The water is the deepest blue.  The trail took us probably halfway around the rim of the lake, before we got our final glimpse of the spectacle and hiked on. 

Into business mode we switched, after a lengthy lunchbreak with a short nap.  Toward Mt. Thielsen and a creek of the same name we headed, motivated by our thirst and limited supply of water.  I snapped into the zone after a short break, during which a large amount of Sour Patch Kids were consumed.  I outhiked Moonshine, and he was physically unable to catch up with me as we ascended Mt. Thielsen.  I was hiking so fast, so effortlessly and mindlessly.  I'm not sure if it was the sugary candy that fueled me up the mountain, but I was definitely in some sort of amazing meditative state.

The sight of the creek beneath the sharp and dramatic peak of Mt. Thielsen was a thing of beauty after an exhausting day.

into Crater Lake

Day 110 ~ miles 1811.25 - 1833

Seventeen-ish fairly easy miles led us to Mazama Village in Crater Lake National Park, where hikers had taken over the picnic tables in front of the general store.  We retrieved our package of food from the bustling store, full of firefighters, hikers, and vacationers.  According to the firefighters, there are 20-something fires currently in the park, though none of them  affect the PCT at this time.  After indulging in the usual (chips, ice cream, soda, etc.) and organizing our food, we quickly did laundry and showers and headed back to the trail in the company of Thor and Fern Toe, who we hadn't seen in several days.  We hiked, mostly in the dark,  to the last on-trail water for 27 miles, where we'll call home tonight and rest up for an exciting, yet long and waterless day tomorrow.