Colin and I spent a few days at Crater Lake after we got married on August 15, 2009. It has been really wonderful to return this week with our kids! We got here a day before Megan and Julia so we fit in 2 short hikes – one to a vista overlooking the lake (sun notch) and one that went down into a valley where the melting snow turns into beautiful little brooks coming off the mountain into a larger creek, surrounded by moss and wildflowers and green of every color (castle crest). June told me it’s where lots of water fairies live, and it did look magical that way.

Megan arrived just in time for dinner – chicken kabobs with noodles and broccoli. Colin helped her set up her tent after dinner while I washed the dishes, then we all piled in the car and drove to a sunset hike at Watchman’s Peak. The hike was hot with lots of switchbacks but when we reached the top we could see east to the lake and west to the sunset. Gorgeous. Then we headed down after the sun set to lie on a blanket in an open area below and look at the stars. I brought a constellation map and Julia and Mattea got to work finding everything they could in the summer sky. The Milky Way was very visible. A woman was there photographing it and she showed us her photos.

The next morning we had a delicious breakfast of fried eggs, haloumi, toast and avocado, thanks to chef Colin. The girls played board games together, and ran around with their new stuffy siblings I bought them (2 dogs and a panda). I played the uke a little and we all sat drinking our coffee/ tea. Then we packed up some lunch and headed out to the Cove hike, the only way you can get down to the water. Very dusty hike with a pretty steep grade but once we got down we were so hot we couldn’t wait to get in the water. Everyone but Julia and June jumped in from the cliff edge into the water below. There was lots of cheering for kids who were hesitant about it which was sweet. The water wasn’t nearly as cold as I remembered it. Mattea and Colin and I swam out far enough that we could look down and see the crazy blue water and how deep it was without any impurities to obscure our view, and no grasses or gunk floating in it either. I took a small drink and it tasted good.

We could hear thunder so we started back to camp, with necco wafers being doled out on the steep hike to the top. As we drove, we listened to the music I had downloaded on my phone – I can see clearly now, Rocky mountain high, Titanium, brand new – while the rain got harder and harder. Sure enough when we got back it was pouring and Megan’s tent was soaked. We were all freezing so the girls got naked and went into their sleeping bags in the trailer to warm up, amid much giggling. Then we all changed into warm clothes and had hot chocolate in the clam shell tent. It was actually really fun and everyone was smiling.

Then it stopped raining in time for Megan to make her delicious vodka pasta for everyone. There was still a burn ban in effect so we couldn’t have a fire, but we walked to the little store and got ice cream which was a nice alternative. Megan and Julia slept in the car and reported that it wasn’t that bad. They left around 10am this morning, after the girls played more games (June actually made a playground for their stuffies out of sticks – so creative).

We spent the rest of the day just enjoying the campground and taking a small hike to a waterfall. The girls were particularly silly on this hike, and yes candy corn was involved. We walked around the campground and saw where the PCT hikers had set up camp for the night. There were so many of them and a few had to hike through the middle of the thunderstorm yesterday. All of them got news that there was a fire up closer to Roseburg and part of the PCT trail was closed out of caution. Many were trying to hitch a ride to Bend. On the way back we stopped at the amphitheater and realized that in a few short minutes there was going to be a Sunday church service. I stayed with the girls while colin went back to make dinner. Service was led by a woman named Rachel who is part of a nationwide national Parks ministry organization. She played her guitar and we all sang, including many of the PCT hikers and others from the campground. On the way back to our campsite, Mattea and June ran ahead of me on the trail alongside the steep drop off to the creek. I didn’t think much of it until I came to a place where the trail forked into two and I didn’t know which way they had gone. I ran down one trail yelling for Mattea and sure enough she had run down that trail. I grabbed her and we turned around to run back to the fork in the road. Along came June towards us and I was so grateful to see her. She said that a man spoke to her and told her that he thought her mom and sister had gone the other direction so she turned around to find us. I was so grateful to God in that moment!