Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - August 13th
Day 112: Tuesday 13th August Trail 1,078 – Crater Lake Rim
Smoke had cleared during the night and it was already warming up by the time I
reached Mazama Campground store early in the morning. At the store I met “Slim Tim”
who was hiking from Sonora Pass to the Canadian border. His supply situation was a bit
confused. For some reason he had missed his supply package at Fish Lake (an alternative
to Lake of the Woods) and had gone up to Crater Rim Village to buy supplies.
Unfortunately there was only a café and souvenir shop up there so he had to return down
to Mazama store. The store didn’t really have food suitable for the backpacker, really
catering for the car-based camper. He had thought the Post Office was here, but again he
was mistaken since it is at the National Park Visitor Centre halfway to Rim Village.
I picked up my supply bag and found it didn’t contain a gas cylinder so I was going to
have to go easy on fuel for a few days. Fortunately I still had a good amount left from the
previous supply.
After picking up the bag I walked up the road to the Visitor Centre as I wanted to
post films and my journal home. Unfortunately the Post Office wasn’t open until 1pm so I
joined the tourists at a film show about Crater Lake. “Rogue” was also waiting for the
Post Office to open. Again he had far more in his supply bag than he could eat and I
supplemented my supplies with tuna and other “luxury” items.
In the afternoon I walked up the road with “Rogue” to Rim Village. The PCT didn’t
actually go up to the Crater Rim, but virtually every thru-hiker ignored the official route;
not surprising since Crater Lake is one of the Wonders of the Natural World. The crater
is 6 miles across and the intensely blue lake is about 2,000 ft deep. There is no outlet to
the Lake, but there is a balance between rainfall into the caldera and evaporation from
the lake. Before the volcano settled down several volcanic outbreaks produced volcanic
cones inside the crater and one of these, Wizard Island, rises above the water.
Already at Rim Village were the two Joes and “Wild Child”. They had made it from
Campo to Etna Summit, but didn’t like the smoke or the heat and had decided to hitch up
to the Canadian border and then complete the walk north to south. Since all three were
more at home at a party than in the wilderness; I doubt if they will have the
determination to complete the route now that they have taken a long break. While I was
at the café, “Chucky V”, Teresa and “Cheddarhead” turned up. They had hitched up from
Mazama Campground, but would need to wait until tomorrow to leave, as they needed the
Post Office. “Chucky V” was one of USA’s top tri-athletes. He was banned from
competing at the moment for accepting help during the Hawaiian Iron Man race. He had
drunk a can of beer given to him by a spectator! He was taking advantage of his
suspension to thru-hike the PCT. Although he was very fit, he was sensibly taking his
time and enjoying the walk rather than treating it as a race. Teresa, on the other hand,
was doing 30 miles/day. Before I left Peter and Ed turned up, also waiting to get their
supplies from the Post Office tomorrow.
I left Rim Village with “Rogue” in late afternoon. There wasn’t a trail along much of
the rim so we had to walk along the road, which had been built for the tourist traffic. We
had dinner at Wizard Island Overlook and then continued to the rim above Merriam
Point. Camping isn’t allowed on the rim, but it was getting dark and we found a spot in
the cover of trees with a superb view of Crater Lake. Smoke was finding its way back into
the crater by the time the sun set.
Day 112: 19.6 miles 7.30 hours Camp: Crater Lake Rim
Smoke had cleared during the night and it was already warming up by the time I
reached Mazama Campground store early in the morning. At the store I met “Slim Tim”
who was hiking from Sonora Pass to the Canadian border. His supply situation was a bit
confused. For some reason he had missed his supply package at Fish Lake (an alternative
to Lake of the Woods) and had gone up to Crater Rim Village to buy supplies.
Unfortunately there was only a café and souvenir shop up there so he had to return down
to Mazama store. The store didn’t really have food suitable for the backpacker, really
catering for the car-based camper. He had thought the Post Office was here, but again he
was mistaken since it is at the National Park Visitor Centre halfway to Rim Village.
I picked up my supply bag and found it didn’t contain a gas cylinder so I was going to
have to go easy on fuel for a few days. Fortunately I still had a good amount left from the
previous supply.
After picking up the bag I walked up the road to the Visitor Centre as I wanted to
post films and my journal home. Unfortunately the Post Office wasn’t open until 1pm so I
joined the tourists at a film show about Crater Lake. “Rogue” was also waiting for the
Post Office to open. Again he had far more in his supply bag than he could eat and I
supplemented my supplies with tuna and other “luxury” items.
In the afternoon I walked up the road with “Rogue” to Rim Village. The PCT didn’t
actually go up to the Crater Rim, but virtually every thru-hiker ignored the official route;
not surprising since Crater Lake is one of the Wonders of the Natural World. The crater
is 6 miles across and the intensely blue lake is about 2,000 ft deep. There is no outlet to
the Lake, but there is a balance between rainfall into the caldera and evaporation from
the lake. Before the volcano settled down several volcanic outbreaks produced volcanic
cones inside the crater and one of these, Wizard Island, rises above the water.
Already at Rim Village were the two Joes and “Wild Child”. They had made it from
Campo to Etna Summit, but didn’t like the smoke or the heat and had decided to hitch up
to the Canadian border and then complete the walk north to south. Since all three were
more at home at a party than in the wilderness; I doubt if they will have the
determination to complete the route now that they have taken a long break. While I was
at the café, “Chucky V”, Teresa and “Cheddarhead” turned up. They had hitched up from
Mazama Campground, but would need to wait until tomorrow to leave, as they needed the
Post Office. “Chucky V” was one of USA’s top tri-athletes. He was banned from
competing at the moment for accepting help during the Hawaiian Iron Man race. He had
drunk a can of beer given to him by a spectator! He was taking advantage of his
suspension to thru-hike the PCT. Although he was very fit, he was sensibly taking his
time and enjoying the walk rather than treating it as a race. Teresa, on the other hand,
was doing 30 miles/day. Before I left Peter and Ed turned up, also waiting to get their
supplies from the Post Office tomorrow.
I left Rim Village with “Rogue” in late afternoon. There wasn’t a trail along much of
the rim so we had to walk along the road, which had been built for the tourist traffic. We
had dinner at Wizard Island Overlook and then continued to the rim above Merriam
Point. Camping isn’t allowed on the rim, but it was getting dark and we found a spot in
the cover of trees with a superb view of Crater Lake. Smoke was finding its way back into
the crater by the time the sun set.
Day 112: 19.6 miles 7.30 hours Camp: Crater Lake Rim
Pumice Flat
Slim Tim at
Mazama Store
Mazama Store
Crater Lake
Cheddarhead,
Chucky V and Teresa
Chucky V and Teresa
Crater Lake
Wizard Island
Rogue on Crater Rim
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