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In December 2009, Mike Martin suggested the Backpacking Light staff do a winter trip, and we finally decided to do the loop around Crater Lake in Oregon. The route is 7,700 feet above sea level and travels 33 miles around the rim of the lake. Our goal was to finish it in three days.

At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It has no inlets or outlets and relies on an average annual snowfall of 533 inches for its water supply.

In the end, Mike Martin, Steve Nelson, his wife Kim, and I were the only ones who were able to go. On Thursday, January 27th, Mike and I drove up the winding road through evergreen forests to the rim of the lake where we met up with Steve and Kim. I had wanted to do this trip for some time, and I was excited to finally be there. I donned my snowshoes, and my 22-pound pack was ready to go. Below is the video journal of our trip.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

  • Video: Thursday and Friday — The First 15 Miles
  • Video: Saturday — The Last 15 Miles
  • Video: My Equipment

# WORDS: 190

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