Day 44

We were awakened at 4am by Brayden who said he didn't feel well. He hasn't ever gotten up in the middle of the night on a trip so I knew this wasn't good. He said he felt better on our way back from the bathroom but I gave him a sick bag to take back into the tent just in case. I didn't go back to sleep again and was glad I gave him the bag at 6am. The kids had rarely been sick on the trip and now each of them had been sick on this one - yuck! Being sick is never fun, but on vacation in a tent has to be pretty bad.

He said he felt a little better when he got up a little later so we packed backpacks again after a quick breakfast. We met Grammie and Ryan at our visitors center to drive to our morning ranger hike. We decided to drive today because we wanted to get back a little quicker to fit in an afternoon hike.

On our way to the parking area we made sure to go under Tunnel Log - a sequoia that fell about 300 years ago. We were early to the hike so I took some time to read about the High Sierra Trail. This trail was 60 miles across the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Mt McKinley at more than 14,000 feet.

The hike to Tharpe's Log was easy and quick. The ranger stopped a few times to tell us a few things but most we'd already learned in our time there already. I was elbowed again as the kids spotted the ranger who is following us everywhere.

Laney was most excited to see the one-log cabin so Dave handed her the camera. According to historical accounts Hale Tharpe created this home inside a downed sequoia tree so he could bring his cattle in the summers to graze in the meadow just outside the front door. He befriended the local Potwisha Native American tribe who showed him all around the Giant Forest and Morro Rock. One more settlers came to the area they brought disease that killed most of the tribe while the few that remained left the area completely.











Brayden still wasn't feeling well so he walked back to the parking area with Grammie while the rest of us continued down the trail to Chimney Tree. The heartwood of this tree was burned out but the bark still remained. We all easily fit inside it was so big!

Our next stop was Morro Rock. This rock has been popular to scale since only the Native Americans lived in the area. Back them people scaled the granite rock by climbing in the cracks between rocks. Once it became a national park they added wooden stairs to the top. These stairs were rickety and had issues with rot from the snow during the winter. Finally an architect was called in who created steps carved into the rock or made of concrete. They snake around the rock to maintain the integrity and shape of the rock for visitors to enjoy.









We lucked into one of the 10 parking spaces and grabbed the camera for the climb. Brayden opted out so he sat in the shade by the trail head still looking miserable. The rest of us made the 400-step climb to enjoy the view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the foothills of the park. We even spotted some of the hairpin turns we would be taking the next day when we left!

The car ride back to the campsite did Brayden in so he decided to lay down in the tent for awhile. Dave bought him some Gatorade to see if he could keep it down for awhile. The rest of us ate some lunch then Grammie and I got ready to hike a trail to Topokah Falls. Dave stayed behind with the girls and I was hopeful he would be so kind to do our laundry while we were gone.



The trail to the falls was beautiful although a little bit warm. We are used to hiking mostly in the forest and there were big open sections in the sun. The river we hiked next to was refreshingly cold though!

There were lovely meadows about every 1000 feet that grabbed my attention off the trail. The mountain we would be hiking to popped up into view in one of the meadows as well. The bees were happily buzzing to every single flower in the meadows so you could hear a constant buzz all around.

About an hour into the hike we made it to the falls! I was so warm I thought about swimming but wasn't thrilled about hiking back wet. The water fall was running well but I can only imagine how strong it was in the spring!










I said goodbye to Grammie at the trailhead and was greeted by the girls on my walk back to the campsite. They had been having fun with their Rip It journals while I was gone. Brayden didn't have as much fun since he got sick again. We tried graham crackers and bottled water to see if that would be better. Dave was (HOORAY!) away doing the laundry! I was able to finish my book before we made some veggie chili for dinner. Brayden requested a grilled cheese and we were all hoping he was starting to feel better.

The girls asked if I'd felt the water in the river and I said I had but I wanted to go put my feet in after the long day of hiking. They and Dave joined me for an extremely cold and refreshing soak. Ryan and Laney even got all the way in to their shorts!

Laney had enough after a minute or so but Ryan loved exploring the river. She found rocks for everyone and threw the ones back she didn't like. She might as well have gone swimming!

We had a visit from a few younger mule deer while we were eating but they didn't stay too long. We ate quickly because we had another program to get to tonight. This one was about the CCC in Sequoia so we were all very interested in going. Brayden even felt relatively well enough to go.

We have learned a lot at several parks about the impact the CCC had on the infrastructure and buildings in each park. We've also seen numerous buildings attributed to the hard work of these young men. It was no different in Sequoia with roads, walls, and buildings built by these guys.

This ranger's program was unique because she took us on a drive through the park and showed exactly what projects the CCC accomplished during their few years in the park. A few of the stops we would be making the next day on the way out of the park were on the list. Sequoia credits the CCC as making the biggest contribution to the park in its history. Shortly after the program started our friendly ranger that we see everywhere sat next to Laney. We joked after the program that she would be hanging out at our hotel next!

We forgot to bring headlamps to the amphitheater so we tried to walk real close to a few other people until they turned off to their site. This park was incredibly dark at night! The moon wasn't up yet so we slowly walked back until we saw our familiar neighbors.

About 30 minutes after we said goodnight Brayden was up not feeling well again. Dave offered to switch tents with him and that seemed to make him feel a little better. We tried a couple different things before he eventually got sick again. About an hour later I heard him breathing heavy finally asleep. Tonight was his night for using 2 sleeping bags but we ended up proping him up with one of them so I forfeited my hammock underquilt for his feet. I was hoping I'd be ok with just my sleeping bag and wearing a sweatshirt!

Day 37

It was very cold overnight so we woke the girls up with hot chocolate in their sleeping bags. Dave cooked a tall stack of french toast while I put together sandwiches for our hike today.  After the girls prepared all our backpacks for the hike they had just a few minutes to practice their log rolling.

We had a schedule to keep today so once we picked up Grammie we headed straight to the visitors center to watch the park's movie. With our long day we were thinking we wouldn't be able to fit it in any other time. I didn't know that much about Crater Lake except the island in the middle was a volcano. I found out the whole mountain - Mt Mazama - was a giant volcano that erupted and collapsed to leave this huge crater. The island  cinder cine in the middle was formed with later eruptions similar to the lava dome in the center of Mt. St. Helens.

The lake was the most impressive part holding some of the most pure water in the world. It is the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,934 feet and has exceptional water clarity with scientists recording sight more than 100 feet deep. The lake has no streams flowing in or out.

Next we parked at the Cleetwood Trailhead to hike down to our boat that would take us to Wizard Island, named because of its sorcerer hat shape. The hike was only 1 mile but there was a 700-ft elevation change. The walk down to the water was very easy with switchbacks all the way down which meant it was going to be a strenuous hike up!  I couldn't get over how blue the water was and how clear! These pictures don't even begin to capture how beautiful blue it was.

Once we reached the bottom we had some time to look around the area. There was a large amount of people on the trail and I saw now most were coming down to jump off Jumping Rock and swim in the frigid water. I'm all for jumping off a rock and swimming but I think I'll save it for warm water. Ryan said she might try it after the hike.

All down the trail and scurrying around the dock were these adorable little guys trying to make friends with us. I was shocked with the park ranger said they have food for sale for them. Then he said the only problem is they carried the plague and I got the sarcasm. They are so cute though you just want to make them yours!







The shuttle to the island was quick and gave us cool views of the layers of rocks inside what was the mountain. The kids grabbed a quick snack and we started up the trail to the top. This was also a 700-ft elevation gain in a mile - tough work for all of us! The views were spectacular of the water all around us.

With so many rocks around from the volcano we found tons of heart rocks. I kept a red one but the kids wanted to make sure I got pictures of the ones they found. 

I noticed on the boat as we were getting close to the island many of the tree trunks appeared completely bright green. As we were hiking up the trail and were closer we couldn't help but notice the florescent green Wolf Moss on the trees. If the moss had fallen to the ground it especially stood out on the gray rocks.

Once we made it to the top the kids found a shady spot while I explored with the camera. The sun was hot but it seemed as you slipped into the shady the temperature instantly dropped about 20 degrees. It wasn't too long before Dave made it with our lunch. He was the lucky one with a big enough backpack to carry everything.  Grammie wasn't too far behind him and we were all quiet looking around at the view. 

The girls decided to go down into the crater of the cinder cone with me and the rest hiked around the rim. The trail was steep and gravel-y so we slipped and slid quite a bit the whole way down.  See us down there at the bottom!?

Grammie was quite a bit ahead of us this time as we all met back up at the trail to head back down. This way was much easier and we were able to really check out the view. The kids talked about their plans for the house once we got home as well as a potential zombie apocalypse. Several of the families of their friends made the list of ones they would like to be sure to live in a compound with.

We made it down to the Fumerole Bay trail split and almost decided to go see the bay but a guy coming up the trail discouraged us.

We had about 40 minutes until the shuttle boat came back so we decided to enjoy the water at the dock instead. We all stuck our tired feet in and enjoyed the cold water and the beautiful view. The cold water instantly cooled our entire bodies! We even drank our fill of the pure water. It was refreshing and delicious!  Dave talked Ryan into walking into the water around the bend because she wanted to go swimming.  She was all smiles as she wobbled around on the rock bottom.

Our boat arrived as scheduled and we were headed back to the dock before too long. There was a bit of a traffic jam of boats where we were to get off so our captain took us to see the "Old Man of the Lake".  This 30-foot tree has been bobbing up and down in the lake for more than 120 years. The water was so clear today we could see the roots of the tree down in the water. This tree travels all around the lake daily depending on the weather. The week before it had been hanging out at Wizard Island.              

The hike back up to the parking area was tougher than the Wizard Island hike. The switchbacks were helpful but grueling with little time for recovery. By the end we all just had our heads down waiting for the clearing in the trees to signal we were at the end. 

We brought all the kids back to the campsite so Dave could unload all the things he'd brought for them. The girls spent some time looking at the characters he'd drawn for them and Brayden shuffled through the selection of books he'd brought. We also gave Dave the gifts we'd purchased during our travel stops. Everyone was all smiles again!

I gathered the ingredients for dinner and we walked over to Grammie's RV to cook. Even when you are cooking in an RV it seems everything takes twice as long so Dave took the girls over to the village area of our campground. Brayden wasn't feeling well so he retired to his loft bed in the RV.

The hot sauce we bought Dave definitely lived up to its name as being the hottest on earth. He put his usual 4-5 shakes into his serving of soup and regretted it almost instantly! I'm not sure he tasted much after that!

The Rim Drive of Crater Lake was on my must-do list so we headed out after cleaning up. Brayden stayed in the RV as he still wasn't feeling well and Lola was going to keep him company.

We decided on a couple definite spots we wanted to see - the first being the Phantom Ship. This is a 17-story rock formation in the middle of the lake that appears to be a floating pirate ship.  This formation was actually a small volcano that pre-dated Mount Mazama but was strong enough to withstand the eruption to remain in Crater Lake.

The sun was starting to set so after a quick picture we decided to visit our next spot very quickly and come back for the rest of the sunset. The Pinnacles was a fascinating set of spires jutting out from the rocks below. Laney commented that it looked like some of the formations we'd seen in many of the caves we'd visited.  We learned these formations had been created from gases trying to escape through a fumerole where they came into contact with volcanic ash instantly cementing it. Over time the softer rock around the structures eroded away leaving these cool spikes.
We stayed briefly to enjoy the view then hopped back in the car anxious not to miss the sunset.

By the time we got back to the overlook there was gorgeous color all around! We sat to enjoy and admire the changes but I was a little frustrated to only have one or two spots to photograph through the trees. I wanted to get higher!

We had one more stop on our list that we had decided would be dark by the time we got there after the sunset. I suggested we keep going up to get above the trees and once we got there we were so glad we did! The colors were breathtaking and we could keep our eyes off the view.  We were definitely above the treeline now!

Laney took a bunch of panoramic shots of the sunset as that was the only way you could capture the 180-degree view! 

This ended up being one of my favorite shots Dave took because the water ended up looking like clouds. 

This sunset was the perfect end to our stay at Crater Lake. The temperature dropped about 20 degrees while we were there so we were all ready to get deep into our sleeping bags.  Tomorrow we would be moving further down the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway.

Day 31

The night before I told the kids we would be getting up early to hike Hurricane Ridge. This was a very popular spot so I wanted to make sure to get up there early enough to be able to stay for the morning. I dragged them out of bed and we were on the road before 8am - maybe a record for this trip! As these kids are in and approaching the teenage years their sleep requirements have increased dramatically!

It takes us about 20 minutes just to get to the main road from our campground then we slowly go around Lake Crescent with some added construction stops. I would rather go slow to admire the water and mountains surrounding it though!

Once we made it through the gate for Hurricane Ridge the real drive began! We went up for a gorgeous 17 miles to finally be able to see the glacier-covered mountains we had been searching for during our whole stay!

The programming and store opened a little later so we hit the trail to get acclimated to what all trails we wanted make sure to hike. I was planning on spending the whole morning here to enjoy the view. We decided to first do the half mile meadow trail that meandered along the lower meadow near the visitors center. We spotted a little robin searching for breakfast in the meadow but he was too quick for a good picture.

The first program of the day was all about glaciers. We had a bit of an expert ranger talking to us this morning having spent a few years in Glacier National Park before coming to Olympic. We learned about the process of forming and clasifying glaciers as well as the rock formations left behind when they melt for good. She had loads of photographs of the changes of the glaciers over the last century. One set of photos was especially interesting illustrating the complete disappearance of the Anderson Glacier.

The ranger had a scope set on Kerry Glacier so we all took a second to see it up close. She mentioned we could always do the 18-mile hike up to Blue Glacier. As tempting as it sounded I decided to save that one for a backpacking trip.



We had a quick visit to the gift shop before grabbing our backpacks for the trail. The kids think it's fun to overhear people talking about all the stickers on our roof cargo box. I kinda wish we'd had it from the beginning instead of 4 years into our travels!

The first trail we picked for our hikes was the High Point trail. It was a short, steep trail to a lovely point overlooking the meadow below and far off mountains. You can see the parking lot and tiny cars below!

We continued on to sunrise point and I heard the kids saying they were thankful I didn't get them up to come here for sunrise! I'll put that on my list for me and Dave I suppose. The 360 degree view was absolutely breathtaking.











The next trail was Klahhane Ridge which extended through the mountains for about 6 miles. We decided to do part of it which meant about 2 miles before I could tell Laney wasn't feeling it anymore. I guess I will also have to put that on my list for Dave. We grabbed a feast for lunch from the car and enjoyed the best lunch view we've ever had!

We stopped in Port Angeles for some ice cream before picking up Lola from the RV. She was so happy to see us but kept looking for Grammie to show up too. We sat outside for a little while while I updated the blog and downloaded a few more podcast episodes. Depending on who is in the car we are currently enjoying Forever Ago, Pants on Fire, 6 Minutes, and Smash Boom Best. We haven't listened to a single episode of last year's hit Wow in the World!

We lucked into some prime parking for our evening at the City Pier and walked to grab Grammie from the ferry. She wasn't too thrilled with us making her take a picture with the girls. But she was surprised to see Grammie walk around the corner! The kids were hungry so we spotted a pizza spot with outdoor seating so we could have Lola with us.

We shared a giant cheese pizza while we caught Grammie up with our events of the day and us with her stops around Victoria Island. We hadn't found the Sasquatch in all our hiking so the kids decided they needed to take this picture instead!

We made it back to the city pier just in time for the start of the music of a Summerfest concert. The band was defined as a classic rock band but they ended up playing mostly oldies which I enjoyed much more. The kids even knew some of the Beatles songs. We enjoyed cupcakes the girls had made in Oregon while we watched the band and the people dancing. Ryan decided at some point she wanted a better vantage point and climbed the tree behind us. 

After about an hour we decided go drop Grammie off at her spot and head back to ours. We spotted a little library on the way out so Laney grabbed another book. Hopefully she won't read it in one day like she has the last 5!

Once we made it back to our campground we stopped by the Sol Duc Falls. I was nervous about trying to fit it in before dark so we put it on our agenda for in the morning. Instead the kids helped organize things for our travels tomorrow. It's funny how things get spread out around our site the longer we stay in a campground. It's all little things that have to be tucked back where they belong but all that reorganization adds up if I'm doing it all by myself in the morning!