Western USA 2003
Crater Lake.
Slept over 12 hours last night. Very tired and need the rest, I was able to find a new more comfortable sleeping position. This morning the electric cooler stopped working, it had made it a total of 14 days on the road. Black Rock Desert and Lost Forest probably knocked the electronics apart.
Spent some quality time in the cold Rouge River washing clothes and body. Bathing in the outdoors one feels cleaner than taking a shower. The sun drying and fresh breeze is a wonderful clean feeling and very refreshing. This is the first bath since Day 8 and getting the dust and grime from the desert off is doubly nice. I linger in camp till 3pm taking it easy and decide to camp here again tonight, the access to fresh clean water, the beauty and solitude of the camp yet close to civilization makes it a perfect spot.
Drive up to Crater Lake National Park and get a 1-year National Park Passport.
Crater Lake is the top of a volcano driving is a long upward switch-back. The campsite on the Rouge River is basically at the bottom of the mountain it was a long upward climb. It is the deepest lake in America and also the bluest. Why is it so blue? It has to do with the deeper the water the bluer and light absorption properties. It's very blue. Very pretty. How many snapshots must exist from Discovery Point, the place where the first white discoverers saw it?
Took some snapshots at the rim at Discovery Point, then headed over to the famous old Lodge and asked the clerk what it would take to get a room for the night.. he said simply "Money!". Normally one has to reserve a room a year in advance but he said there had been a cancellation that night so I could stay for $150. The free campsite on the Rouge River was nicer and more fun so I declined but walked around and saw the lodge, the restaurant menu was 5-star, but could not envision eating there alone in a big blue pool of silence.
Stopped at the Park campground and bought food and supplies and used the park washing machine to wash more clothes and blankets. So happy not to be in an RV. Talked with a lady from Indiana while we waited for the clothes. Passed the Pacific Crest Trail and took a symbolic stroll. The PCT is the Appalachian Trail of the West from Canada to Mexico and I once had dreams of hiking it. This book about hiking the PCT changed my life in many ways about how to travel and live, so even though I was not hiking the PCT I felt so in spirit this trip was due in part to the ideas and wisdom of Ray Jardine.
Dinner tonight is more seaweed/chicken soup, liverwurst, cheese, frozen veggie mix, wine. Feel very good this is the type of food I need to eat more of, the energy boost is amazing. After dark I felt something watching me and thought it was a bear finally saw 2 big eyes coming out of the darkness it was a big animal and I jumped and yelled holding my walking stick. It was a large deer. It sniffed around camp for about 30 minutes fearless and licking its chops probably could smell the salt from the seaweed. I knew it was there before seeing or hearing it, living in the outdoors heightens senses.