For 10+ years, ever since I thought about visiting Oregon, I've been wanting to see Crater Lake, and this week, along with my friend Justice, I finally did! We were granted some amazing weather - beautiful sunshine, a layer of white puffy snow on the ground, warm temperatures. The drive up took about 6 hours from Portland and we camped out in the woods in her car and generally had an amazing time. We rented some cross country skis but decided not to use them and instead just hiked to Discovery Point and up Gregory Peak. I'd love to say that I had some grand epiphany but really it was just a very physical and sensory smorgasbord of beauty. I guess I wasn't in the right mental place for any kind of transformation, but that's OK. It was a place that will remain in my mind and likely express itself creatively later. The island in the middle - Wizard Island - was particularly compelling, representing that place we all wanted to run away to as children; remote, inaccessible, yet so close you could almost touch it.
One unexpected extra bonus was a hot springs on the way back called Umpqua Hot Springs. When it's cold you look for warmth, and the springs were quite popular, and deservedly so; an easy hike off Highway 58 and very warm and pleasant.
On the drive back we had a bit of an adventure; while I was driving, we ran over some piece of construction equipment or something and cut a foot-long gash in her gas tank, which was just as terrifying as it sounds. Of course we didn't know what was happening; just a bang and then a slow loss of power to the car, followed by a tow truck at 1 am and some anxious moments of smelling gas (like when the tow truck driver went to start the car and I had to stop him - there's gas everywhere, buddy). But all is well in the end.
