To celebrate Jan's special birthday this year we decided to head to Crater Lake. After all, after eight years in Oregon we have never been! And because of the 4th of July we had Monday off; perfect for a weekend trip to southern Oregon!
And off we go!
The kitties were home with their automatic feeders (totally fine for just one night), but Pepper was with us of course. After a good four hours on the road we entered the Crater Lake National Park.
Still quite a bit of snow on the ground! After fighting for a parking spot (not really, but it was very crowded!), we had our first look at the lake. Photos don't do it justice! And while most of the longer trails are off-limits to dogs, Pepper was allowed on the rim with us. Which he thoroughly enjoyed despite the heat.
We spent the night at the Allison Inn in Fort Klamath, a dog friendly comfortable little motel. I can highly recommend it! Super friendly owners who welcomed Pepper with a cookie and sheets on the couch and bed so he, too, could comfortably sleep :). Our room was number 3, second from the left.
The next day we drove up to Elk Lake to take the hike to Horse lake. The first mile or so was absolutely gorgeous,
Unfortunately, we then entered mosquito territory. *So* many mosquitos! When we were walking we could manage to mostly stay ahead of the clouds, but any brief stop, e.g. to drink some water, meant we were swarmed within seconds. Not too much fun! Nevertheless, we made it almost to horse lake before turning around. Despite that it was still a nice 2.5 hour walk, very enjoyable for the most part!
