What a Weekend

Moon Rise Over Garfield

Some jobs are better than others. I like to enjoy my work, but spending a
weekend at Crater Lake as a Friends volunteer was just too much pleasure to
call it work. My friend Joan Holliday spent a Saturday and Sunday at the
park on an incredibly beautiful, sunny weekend that provided

googolplex views of the lake.

We took turns at the information desk. Saturday morning, while I visited
with a fascinating mix of people with a genuine interest in the lake and
park, Joan did some cross country skiing and visiting with people along the
rim area. She replaced me in the afternoon while I assisted - which
basically meant waddling behind the last person - on the snowshoe walk.
Ranger Dave Grimes was excellent, and the walkers delighted. One woman from
Boston who was in the Rogue Valley on business had taken the walk a week
earlier and been so enchanted she called her husband, who flew

out to join her.

After our shift, Joan and I reconnected and skied to the Wizard Island
overlook. On the way, a bulging full moon crested over the eastern rim, its
image eventually reflecting in the lake. To the west, the sun splayed a
rainbow of colors as it set, lighting the thin layer of clouds with a
changing array of reds, pinks, purples and every hue in between.
That night we joined members of the park's ski patrol for a Saturday night
potluck, and the only thing better than the scrumptious food was the
conversation and company - other people who love the park and lake.
Sunday I skied with a patrol member toward the Watchman, then scurried back
past lines of smiling skiers and snowshoe's to take over for Joan, who spent
the afternoon helping Dave with the snowshoe walk. Four of the snowshoers she
met were young women from Seattle, who had read about the walk. They called
in and made reservations, left Seattle at 2 a.m. Sunday, arrived in time for
the tour, then turned around and drove home to be back at work Monday
morning. "Was it worth it?" one woman said. "Yes. What a thrill.

We were so excited."

While Joan snowshoed, I ate my lunch and, tired of talking to myself, headed
outside. It was sunny, warm, incredibly beautiful and no visitor with any
shred of sense was going to hang around inside, so I grabbed a handful of
Reflections (with their excellent trail maps), put on the volunteer jacket
and headed outside. I gabbed with old and new friends, answered questions,
gave advice on places to ski or snowshoe and more often just listened as
people from as close as Chiloquin and as faraway as Arkansas and Australia
went effusively gollywonkers about the deep snow and the lake's rapturous
beauty. If there's another day like that, next time I'll set up a chair and
desk and drink in lake views.

After our shift, we turned in the Friends backpack, the volunteer jackets
and hats, and room key, and headed home. But not before one last round of
cross country skiing on the Stuart Falls trail.

We're returning for another weekend in March. It won't be the same - there
won't be a full moon and the chances the weather will be so stupendously
sunny and clear is unlikely - but there's never a bad day at Crater Lake.
With apologies to Johnny Paycheck, when it comes to volunteering at the
park, take this job  and love it.

Story by: Lee Juillerat