Finding America: Crater Lake
June
Crater Lake National Park
Going to The Watchman
I spent a little time when I first arrived looking for trails that were open due to lingering snow and closed roads. My second time into the park would be a beautiful surprise. Where I was camping, it had rained during the night. But, an early morning start the next day would be going out into nw snow at the higher elevation. About 2-3” of new snow overnight. Light snow was still coming down, ending late morning.
The Day Before
The Day After
Going for Garfield
This was a lesson in restraint. I knew there would be a decision to be made at about the midway point on the Garfield trail to Garfield Peak. I had a talk with myself to assess the snow conditions and make the smart decision when the time came.
There was a discussion on AllTrails and many people had turned around at a snow crossing. Did they have the right gear? Had conditions changed? Would I be able to make to right decision?
A view of the snowfield. Not particularly steep. Would it be passable?
The snow was extremely hard. This meant that even with an ice axe, a slip or stumble meant you would have little time to stop on the short snow section below and after that the slope continues for several hundred feet on smooth rock. A fairly defined path made the walking fairly straight forward. But, I took my time and made the decision that the risk wasn’t worth it. After all, I had places to go, people to see!
Next stop: Lava Beds National Monument