If I thought it was cold the first night, it was even colder the second night. And having the rain fly on didn't seem to help.
It was quite the walk to our amazing latrine, set up by Zack, and I definitely didn't want to do it in the dark and cold. But around 5am I couldn't wait any longer and made the trek with my flashlight and walked straight there for the first time. It was obviously a God thing...
I climbed back into my cold, uncomfortable sleeping bag but just couldn't go back to sleep. So I just got up and sat next to the lake in one of Zack and Tatum's very comfortable chairs to do my Bible reading and watch the sun rise...
Once everyone was up, I enjoyed a leisurely cup of tea and my apple walnut oatmeal breakfast. The kids tried a bit more fishing and eventually we loaded up our packs for the hike back...
Thanks to Zack's pack and smart watch, we were able to get a group shot before hitting the trail... Everyone was happy except for Ben, the birthday boy, who really didn't like the hiking part of the trip. :)
Everyone did really well on the trek back to the vehicles, finishing the 2 miles in less than an hour...
Nobody saw the sign they made for Amy's friend at the trail junction either LOL
While the Frank and the kids and Zack and Tatum went home, Amy and Stella and I headed back into Oakridge for some cold water, snacks (the kids ate most of the snacks everyone brought... LOL) and had lunch at a super retro A&W drive-in.
Crater Lake was so close that we decided to just go for a few hours and then head home for a shower and a real bed...
When we arrived at the park's north entrance, the booth was empty with just a sign saying to go to the next pullout for information. Since there was nothing there either, we just decided to drive the 13 miles to Rim Village and just check out all the viewpoints along the way...
When we finally got to Rim Village there were paper signs everywhere saying that everything was closed due to a park-wide power outage. Only one tiny little shop was still open and taking only cash but we got in for free!
Most of the rim drive was closed due to a major construction project. We drove out to Phantom Ship overlook and then headed home.
We made pretty good time but would have done better if we had just trusted Google maps. But it was good to have a hot shower and comfy bed.
I slept in very late. Had brunch with Mom and Dad and made it home in time for celebratory donuts with Chris after a Bells' post-season win!
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