Day 11

Just got up to the Crater lake rim. It is gorgeous! The last few days since Callahans have been really good. I met some section and thru hikers: the Greenbelt Granny team: an 80 year-young Corvallis woman and her friends hiking all of Oregon for the Greenbelt cause, One-Step: a retired securities analyst from the bay area, Recycle: a retired recycling coordinator from LA, Picks-up-stones: a retired geologist from near New Orleans, Carrot: a 23 year old from Ohio thru hiking the whole trail. I talked at length with each of these people, I will probably be leapfrogging with a few of these people because we have the same projected ETA for Canada.
I climbed Mt. McLoughlin and thoroughly enjoyed it! Great views and nice and cool and no Mosquitos! After summiting I was even able to keep up with Carrot for a few miles. I also climbed almost to the top of pilot rock and was happy to see the way I'd come and the way to go.
Snow was a big concern but the north face of Devil's Peak was not too bad. I glissaded down (sat on my butt and slid down the snowbank) with no trouble. There is supposed to be substantial snow north of here but I am not too worried. I called rei from callahans and sent myself some traction devices for my boots and an altimeter so I think I will be able to navigate the snow okay. I picked them up from the store at mazama village yesterday and read the manual while I did laundry.
I am getting in the groove of long distance hiking. My lungs are almost used to being at 6 and 7 thousand feet. My feet hurt less and less. Yesterday I covered about 17 miles before 2pm!
I have hiked about 135 miles now, with 865 to go!