I was up and hiking by 6:15, which by now is just light enough to hike without a headlamp. I can't believe how much noticeably shorter the days have gotten recently. It gets harder and harder to get the necessary mileage in just because you don't have the same hours available. The good news is that the weather is cooler which means everything is just a little easier on the body. Not as much perspiration, therefore you don't need to carry as much water. Plus, hiking when it is cooler makes me about twice as efficient. Anyway, I got moving quickly just to keep warm if nothing else. I had heard that the trail approaching Crater Lake was really flat, but it wasn't quite as flat as it had been made out to be. There were two very flat sections which were an absolute joy to hike! The first was probably the best section of the entire PCT so far. It was nearly perfectly level, relatively wide, and free of loose rocks and roots that you could trip on.
I made it to Highway 62 at about 12:30 and then made a stupid mistake. I kept going on the trail instead of taking the alternate route to the post office! I was looking for a side trail instead of remembering that I needed to walk on the road. I went probably a half a mile before realizing what I had done. I promptly turned around and high-tailed it back to the highway. I then proceeded on the correct route and still made it to the post office by 2.
Without getting too deeply into the weeds, Crater Lake is not very hiker-friendly when it comes to layout. Mazama Village is about four miles down the mountain from the post office. So I had to go up and then back if I wanted additional supplies. I decided I wasn't walking that section again and continued on up toward Rim Village which doesn't have much in the way of hiker supplies. But I was pretty well-stocked with food after the stop at the post office so I figured I'd make do with what I had. Not 200 yards up the road after I left the post office, my friend Stacie drove by. She is part of a documentary film crew that has been following the hikers all summer and I was actually supposed to be interviewed by her and the rest of the crew here at Crater Lake! So she gave me a ride back down to Mazama Village where a bunch of other hikers were stationed (apparently I was the only one who hadn't gotten the memo) and I refueled on frozen burritos, Coke (of course), and other junk food. I also was able to do a quick load of laundry and take a shower. Then Stacie and the crew gave me a ride back up to where she picked me up, but not before interviewing me for their documentary: Six Million Steps. They have a website and I'll be linking to that when I get the chance--probably when I'm in Albany in about a week. Now I'm camped close to the rim of Crater Lake but keeping a low profile because I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be here. Tomorrow I'm planning to get to the rim, maybe by sunrise, snap some photos, and keep rollin'. My next stop is Crescent Lake about 80 miles away and I'm hoping to get there by Friday. I can't believe I've already hiked more than 130 miles in Oregon!
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