Brake for Nature

We finally left Red Bluff on August 12, 2016 and towed Foxy north to Crater Lake RV Park in Prospect, Oregon, passing the iconic Castle Crags, Mount Shasta, and Black Butte, and stopping at Wal-Mart in Medford to pick up some groceries on the way. (We’ve become regular Wal-Mart shoppers since taking ownership of a combination of vehicles, Foxy + Blondie, that together total about 52 feet in length! We can fit in the Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lots when we need groceries while towing or an overnight stop on the way to our destination.) From Medford, we headed northeast on State Route 62 along the Rogue River to Prospect, Oregon, where we quickly set up camp before being eaten by too many mosquitoes. Our plan for the next day was to hike down to Crater Lake from the rim, since my feet were physically incapable of hiking on our last visit to Crater Lake National Park in 2013.

Saturday, August 13^th was a warm, sunny day, and compared with the Lassen Peak trail, the Cleetwood Cove trail at Crater Lake was dusty and crowded. The thing about this hike is that you go down first, hang out by the lake in the sun getting sleepy, and then you have to hike back up to the rim. It’s just one switchback after another, up, up and up! Getting the chance to see up close and touch the nearly pure, deep blue waters of the lake was worth the hike. I was regretting not even thinking to wear my bathing suit on the way down, but, for me, putting my feet in turned out to be enough – the water is COLD! However, others were doing cannonballs off some of the rocks into the lake, but they were jumping out nearly as fast as they jumped in. We made it back to the rim, and I added another hike to my list after several years of not being able to hike. Each successful hike reminds me of where I’ve been and that I am making progress.

At the bottom of Cleetwood Cove Trail at Crater Lake

Made it back to the rim of Crater Lake – Post Hike Selfie!

By the way, if you’ve never been to Crater Lake, you certainly don’t need to hike down to it to enjoy it. The views from the rim are stunning!

The Pinnacles, volcanic spires in Crater Lake National Park

Even though we were a bit tuckered from the hike, we stopped off at some other sights on the Rogue River on our way back to camp. One spot was called Big Rocks, where there are literally big rocks (enormous boulders) piled in the river. Next, we took a stroll down to Mill Creek Falls and Barr Creek Falls, where these creeks drop over the canyon wall into the Rogue River.

“Big Rocks” on the Rogue River in Prospect, Oregon

Mill Creek Falls in Prospect, Oregon

Barr Creek Falls in Prospect, Oregon

Back at the Crater Lake RV Park, it was bonfire night, as is every Saturday night in the summer months. They had a nice fire going in the middle of camp and hot dogs and marshmallows for roasting over the fire, as well as all the fixin’s for dogs and s’mores. For entertainment, they had a local group playing some bluegrass music, and they were getting everyone up to dance. We put some dogs on the skewers, roasted them over the fire, and sat on hay bales to enjoy the music. Overall, it was a satisfying day!