A better land

What quote am I vibing? "Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us." Theodore Roosevelt

Road Day: 57

Trails Hiked: Crater Lake National Park. 4.4 miles. Surfaces all packed down dirt. To include:

Watchman Peak. 1.6 miles. Elevation change: 420 feet

Plaikni Falls. 2 miles. Elevation change: 100 feet

The Pinnacles. .8 miles. Elevation change: 10 feet (lol)

National Parks Visited: 8 (Crater Lake National Park)

Theodore Roosevelt never visited Crater Lake, but it was the first of five National Parks that he signed into existence during his Presidency - this one in May 1902, 7 months into his service - 80 years before I was born. Crater Lake is indeed a land that has benefited from its status as a National Park - despite it being uncomfortably busy, the land seems unpolluted, and mostly unscathed by our existence.

I planned to go to the Park and summit Mount Scott, and do another hike that took my fancy. But I slept in!! So, I planned to go to the Park - have fancy lunch at Crater Lake Lodge, then summit Mount Scott.

But the park was unbelievably busy. Today was National Public Lands Day - such an exciting day to visit a National Park!! FOR EVERYONE. Cause it was FREE. Urgh. I couldn't park anywhere to have lunch at the Lodge or the Cafe, and time was wasting. It was also in the 40s, and I don't think I had the proper costume to climb to the top of a mountain in that temperature. So! I decided to do as many shorter hikes as I could fit in, and give eating another try as I passed by.

I think this was the right choice as it gave me the opportunity to get away from the crowds AND to see a few different terrains and landmarks. The most interesting of which was The Pinnacles. I have never seen anything like them! When ash covered the land after Mount Mazama erupted almost 8,000 years ago, volcanic gases rose up through the ground, creating these crazy solid, fossilized structures. The soft ash and land has since eroded away, leaving these behind. They were a 7 mile drive away from the actual Lake, which I would have never done after a 5-mile strenuous hike. Serendipity took me on the right path as always.

Crater Lake from Watchman Peak - Across the way is the mountain that I DIDN'T climb.

Spooky.

That's wind in my hair, I haven't implemented a new product routine.

Plaikni Falls

Some fumaroles are phallic and some are Seuss-ish. I appreciate both styles.

This is the face I make when I'm about to break some rules.

Had to stop to capture the gorgeous sky. Day turned into night. Oregon turned into California.

The last time I'll come home to fresh treats and flowers in my Mount Shasta cottage.

Can't believe it's taken me this long to find this awesome pin!!