Start: 0610 - Dutton Creek trail junction (near Crater Lake)
End: 1200 - Crater Lake Alternate at Rim Road (to Bend)
Miles (today): 8.5
Miles (cumulative): 1874 (1703.5 PCT, 102.5 alternate, 68 off)

I have the best friends and family ever!!!

This morning I got up early and skipped breakfast because, by pure chance, some friends of mine from Illinois (Tim and Nubia) were visiting Crater Lake.  Back in March, when hiking the PCT was still in the planning stage, I thought Nick and I would be passing through Crater Lake two weeks earlier and thus didn't think we have a chance to see them.  It turns out being way behind our original plan was a good thing today because seeing Tim and Nubia was wonderful!  It felt a little strange to be sitting outside the cafe at Rim Village talking with friends from my 'former' life, but it was a good strange.  Mark and Mary met us there, too.  Ranger and Laverne, two hikers we recently met, joined us as well after Nick offered to share his coffee.  I so love sitting around a table having good conversation with good people.  :)

After a few hours (during which time I ate my breakfast and a ton of fresh fruit Tim and Nubia surprised me with), we decided it was time to get back to the business of hiking.  By this time all sorts of hikers started showing up, like Garfield, B Squared and Fat Cathy, and Killer and Sunny.  It made me sad to think I might not ever see them again since we will be temporarily getting off-trail so Nick can report to drill, but I soaked in the joy of getting to see them at all.  :)

Mary joined us for the hike on Rim Trail, which was so much fun!  I loved being able to share this hiking experience with her (as our resupply person she's already part of this endeavor but getting to hike with her took it to a whole new level).  The hike was more difficult than I thought it would be, though - I thought it would be mostly flat, but there were some pretty steep inclines along the way!  Ahh, but the view more then made up for it... and so did the company.  

4 miles into the hike on the rim, we came upon two people sitting on the side of the trail.  I thought they might be more fellow thru-hikers (that I'll probably never see again) so I was looking their way to see who they might be.  As I got closer the guy asked me, "Do you want an apple?"

Wait, what?

I know this man but not because he's a fellow thru-hiker.  I know him because he married one of my very best friends, Candee.

My brain struggled to grasp who I was seeing.  Could it really be Candee and Nick?  

OMG!!  OMG!!  

My best friend Candee and her husband Nick came all the way from Illinois to surprise me, and they definitely succeeded in doing so!  I screamed (I wonder if I sounded like a coyote this time) and then nearly cried - I was so elated to see them but still couldn't believe they were really here!  Back in Ashland I mentioned to Nick how much I missed Candee and wished I could see her.. And here she was!  

IT WAS SO AMAZING!!! 

It turns out everyone was in on this and that they have been planning it for months.  Months!  How it all worked out is beyond me.  Initially, before Nick decided to report to drill in August, they were going to meet us at a road crossing or something... but this was way better.  I am very impressed with how Nick managed to coordinate our mileage (and it makes more sense now why he didn't let me hike 30+ mile days when I wanted to.) 

Nick and Candee hiked the last 2 miles with us (I loved being able to share this experience with them, too!) When we got to the parking lot where the alternate trail meets the Rim Road it hit me - this was it, no more hiking for a while.  What I thought was going to be a 28 mile day turned into an 8.5 mile one.  I am ok with this, although it took me a while to come to grips with getting off-trail a day or two earlier than I anticipated.  (Just last night I had been looking at the maps, trying to figure out how many miles we could reasonably get in before having to leave the trail.  Ha ha - and the whole time Nick knew I was wasting my time)

The plan was to stop for a late lunch before going to the house Candee rented for us in Bend, but first Nick and I needed to shower (Nick has a rule about not being dirty when we go into public establishments that aren't used to seeing thru-hikers).  We ended up showering at a truck stop.  If you've ever wondered what those showers are like, well, they were really nice and very clean!  I really enjoyed it (but then again, I enjoy all legit showers when they are warm and when I don't have to worry about the water shutting off before I have a chance to rinse my hair).

Sitting at the restaurant with Nick, Candee, Mark, Mary, and my Nick was surreal.  Sitting there in non-hiking attire (Mark and Mary brought my suitcase full of clothes with them) was surreal, too.  Putting on a cotton t-shirt and jean shorts after the shower felt foreign, as did putting on my trusty running shoes (Mark and Mary brought those, too) because my feet are so swollen.  I didn't think my running shoes could ever feel weird on my feet - what is happening?!  :)

The house Candee rented is perfect.  I know Candee had a difficult time picking it out because she couldn't ask for my opinion, but it's perfect.  I love it.  

Our first evening off-trail consisted of planning  the next few days, some grocery shopping, and dinner with Mark and Mary (we grilled burgers, brats, and veggies).  I am so full and happy right now!  I'm also exhausted even though we only hiked 8.5 miles - why is that?!?

Along the trail: