Walking out of Shelter Cove this morning after a coffee, shower, and laundry, it felt palpable that there had been a change in mood for all of us. A pleasant evening by the lake followed by a little extra sleep and the leisurely morning had certainly done me a bit of good, putting me back in the right frame of mind and looking forward to getting back on the trail.
Frustration
Mentally and physically exhausted. That's how I began the day. For me, the surest sign my fatigue is setting in is my utter and complete lack of patience with anything and everything: the disgustingly dirty state of my feet, the rock that I stubbed my sandal on, hell, even the ant that is stupidly clinging to the mosquito netting of my tent as I packed up this morning.
Mini Matterhorn
The day after such an amazing highlight like Crater Lake can easily feel empty, a letdown. Though there may not have been anything quite as stunning as the day prior, the first 10 miles of the day had us rounding Mt. Thielsen, a dramatically sharp peak whose uppermost reaches conjured up the image of a miniature Matterhorn.
Crater Lake
As recently as 8 days ago, today would never have happened. With yet another wildfire burning along the PCT, the trail was closed for several days where it travels through the western portion of Crater Lake National Park. Though the official PCT gets not a single glimpse of Crater Lake itself, inexplicably routing through lower forests…
One More Day
I spent much of today in anticipation of tomorrow: my first view of Crater Lake, a place I've seen only in pictures despite wanting to visit for many years. Thinking about tomorrow often ignores the task at hand, however, and today's task was to cover the remaining 21 miles of trail and to camp somewhere near the rim of the crater. That first glimpse of the lake would have to wait one more day.
Blowdown
Far more often than not, the PCT is an incredibly well-maintained and thoroughly modern hiking trail that switchbacks its way up and down steep slopes, rather than taking a more direct and erosion-prone route. Today, however, the "well-maintained" part of that description was called into question.
Blueberry Forest
Since crossing I-5 outside of Ashland, I've felt closer to civilization in Oregon than any other stretch of the trail so far. The best evidence is the number of consecutive road crossings, many separated by less than half a mile, that we seem to encounter every day here.