Bluebird Day at Black Crater

I started this one at 6:30 am because the weather forecast predicted a hot day, and the Black Crater trail offers little shade. The forest was severely burned by the Milli Fire in 2017, which was caused by a lightning strike. Every time I hike this trail, I try to imagine what it must’ve been like when it was fully forested. Unfortunately, I never saw it before it burned.

The day turned out perfect. It was a clear, bluebird day, and I had the summit to myself. I let the 360-degree views entertain my eyes for about 15 minutes before heading back down. On my drive back, I saw a PCT hiker near the town of Sisters looking for a ride back up to where I had been. I always try to help these folks out. I had nothing planned for the rest of the day, so I made a U-turn and offered him a ride to the trailhead. He chose to be dropped off at the Observatory because he wanted to check it out before continuing his journey north. His trail name was Mr. Sunshine. He was in his mid-40s and from Virginia. He was a talker, but a nice guy. He offered me gas money, which was very polite, but I told him I was just happy to help.