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| Dave, Lois, Bob, Shelagh @ Crater Lake |
HOME: Crater Lake, Oregon Crater Lake Lodge
DISTANCE: 22 miles biking, 6 mi. hike
ALTITUDE: 2600ft biking, 1200 ft. hiking
WEATHER: Absolutely perfect.
NARRATIVE:
We got off by 8:15 for a ride – mostly uphill to Crater Lake. We got to the rim around noon, and WOW! What a view of the lake – no wind, deep, deep blue water, not a cloud in the sky. And, then Dave and Lois appeared, they took my panniers and I got to complete the last 5 miles with no panniers – what a treat!
Our room wasn’t ready so we took a beautiful hike which felt like old times – our first couple of years in Berkeley, Dave was at Stanford, and we did lots and lots of hiking/backpacking with them. It was on a skiing/snowcamping trip in Crater Lake many years ago that we got caught in a white-out, couldn’t see the poles along the route, or each other, and I fell down a slope about 25 ft. Not hurt, but scared. A fun afternoon reminiscing about old times and recent times, and a wonderful dinner at the lodge.
What we all found really fascinating was that, in retirement, we all seem to have taken an interest in nature and ecology- and we all voluntarily spend our time eradicating invasive weeds. Dave and Lois are now co-chairs of their local butterfly chapter and volunteer to maintain a section of forest trail near their house – blackberry bashing being one of their main endeavors!
It’s going to be incredibly hard getting up tomorrow and riding 60 miles – even if it is downhill for much of the way – after such a great day it seems more appropriate for a layover day. Also, we haven’t done much planning beyond Crater Lake, and mileage and towns are once again getting tricky – and we hear there may be bad weather just as we head – or want to head – over Lassen.
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