Birthday on the Trail
Based on my Oregon daily mileage average, I knew that I would likely arrive at Crater Lake near my birthday. So I was really stoked when the timing actually worked out and I rambled into Mazama Village in late morning on August 26th – my 42nd birthday! I had a food resupply package waiting for me at the general store which I had sent to myself when I resupplied several weeks earlier in Mount Shasta, CA. I picked up my package at the store and caught up with several thru hikers who were already there and also taking care of their resupply – GrayJ, Engine, Fire and Tenacious.
It being my birthday and all, I felt like I needed to get myself a fitting birthday meal while I was there. So I went back into the store and purchased a pint of Häagen-Dazs ice cream and an ice tea…and then went back later for a beer to wash it all down! I love being able to eat all these junk foods while in town and not feel any guilt about it since I’m burning so many calories each day!
After reloading my backpack with the new supply of food, my birthday meal of ice cream and beer, recharging my electronics and making some phone calls, I headed back to the trail. Technically, the PCT skirts west of Crater Lake, but one can take the Dutton Creek Trail up to the west rim of the lake and follow the rim trail to the north side where you can then meet back up with the PCT at mile 1,839. The Dutton Creek Trail up to the rim was a fairly steep trail (made more challenging with a fresh resupply of food) gaining 1,000 feet over a little more than two miles.
I had walked through clouds of wildfire smoke the previous few days on the trail and had heard from hikers several days ahead of me that their views of Crater Lake had been obscured by that same smoke. However, when I reached the top of Dutton Creek Trail and Crater Lake came into view, I was blessed with an amazing view of deep blues and purples in the water as the sun was about to sink below the horizon. The clouds above the rim of the lake were hazy shades of orange and pink. The remnants of the wildfire smoke hanging in the air had actually made for an epic sunset.
Receiving the gift of this sunset view of Crater Lake on my birthday reminded me of how blessed I am in so many ways. Blessed for my health and ability to undertake such a huge hike as this; blessed to have arrived at this beautiful and iconic location on my birthday; and blessed that the wildfire smoke had dissipated enough to provide dramatic sunset views of the lake, yet still provided the soft diffusion of light to make for those incredible sunsets you can only get with the haze of wildfire smoke in the air.
Trail Facts:
- Trail miles walked – 1,402
- Current PCT mileage marker – 1,856
- Additional PCT Thru-Hikers I’ve met – Fire
- Current Audiobooks – Paradise Lost by John Milton, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
- Additional wildlife seen – Several more black bears, dark-eyed junco