August 10th Six Horse Spring to Crater Lake National Park

The plan for the day was to set myself up for a short hike to Crater Lake Rim on the morning of the 11th, but that's not how things worked out. A lot of uphill at the beginning of the day because I was going to pass the Oregon/Washington highpoint. The vegetation changed as the elevation increased. The pine trees got squatter- thicker trunks yet shorter in height. It probably helps with the severe weather I'm positive they sometime get up here. Also, there are plenty of open meadows, but the grasses are sparser, courser and more of a yellowish/brownish green rather than the thick mats of light and dark green found in the meadows below. On the way to Thiessen Creek, I ran into two Forest Service maintenance workers who were looking to clear downed trees. One of them opened up his pack and gave me a Pacific Crest Trail patch for this particular forest area. "These are kind of rare" he says, "I'm sure that not too many thru-hikers have one like this." I thanked him, and after a good chat, continued on down the trail. Thiessen Creek is small, perhaps 3-4 feet across and none too deep. Nevertheless, it bridges a water gap for Nobos coming from Crater Lake and Sobos who are headed for that national park, and the water is sweet and ice cold. There's a little grassy embankment upstream from where the trail crosses and a large boulder that blocks the view of hikers approaching this place from either direction. This is where I washed my clothes and laid them out on the hot rock to dry in the sun, soaked my feet, cleaned up a bit, and had a liesurely lunch watching dragonflies flitting here and there across the creek, the summit of Mt. Thiessen looming above me in the southwest. Every now and then, a chill blast of wind would sweep down Thiessen's face, but its effects were quickly neutralized by the strength of the sun. It was after this idyllic time, on the descent from Mt. Thiessen, that I realized that if I really pushed it, I could potentially be at the rim of Crater Lake by 8 o'clock---sunset. Anyone who truly knows me, knows that I'm a sucker for a sunset, so I decide to push. And push I did- hard. Crossing over highway 138c, I entered a strange forest of small pines that looked as if tumors were growing out of their trunks. Normal, healthy trees with bulges under the bark. The miles continued flying by until Grouse Hill, where I began to weaken. The ascent to the crater rim begins around here. Digging deep with the trekking pole, I pull my way up the incline, huffing and puffing. Getting closer. Getting higher. But, can I beat the sun, dying in the west. It's a race all right and a very close one. Rounding the final bend in the trail, I can't believe my eyes. Are those two hikers ahead of me who I think they are? Yes, it's Jason and Cassandra Boyes, the earliest departing Southbounders, racing for the rim as well. They were as surprised to see me as I was to see them. Hurried introductions and then Cassandra tells me to take the lead to the top. As we approach the rim, we can begin to see the deep blue waters in the crater below, the immensity of it all, the encircling cliffs of the caldera, and from the viewpoint, finally Wizard Island hundreds of feet below us to our right. Words are inadequate with such a vision. A hastened intake of breath and a long and slowly released "Wow". Then exhaustion overcame me. We all moved a short mile up the trail, this time with Jason in the lead and me trailing behind. With darkness falling fast on the heels of sunset's last red rays, it took all of my remaining strength to get the tent up in a sustained gusty wind. Thirty eight miles- I feel awful and wonderful at the same time.

Mt. Thiessen and Thiessen Creek

38 Miles