We woke up to the most decadent breakfast I think I have ever had, prepared by Marsha. Waffles (with secret ingredients), fresh fruit, yogurt, omelets, orange juice... It was the best way to start the day that I could have imagined. Then Marsha drove us back up the hill, stopping to grab some California maps on the way. We commented to each other multiple times that she in John are some of the genuinely kindest people we know. Thanks again!
We started out moving fast, trying to make it to a post office about 40 miles down the road before it closed. It turns out they closed much earlier than we thought, so we had no chance of making it. All the better, really, so we could relax and enjoy the solitude and beauty of the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. 
Few cars passed, and Tam and I rode next to each other, talking and listening to music. The weather was clear, another crisp fall day. We stopped a number of times at info boards in turnouts, learning about all kinds of interesting geographic features. One board told of the eruption of Mount Mazama, where Crater Lake is now, over 7,700 years ago. The eruption covered everything in up to five feet of pumice and ash! Because the pumice's high porosity means it loses heat faster than other rocks, some areas, especially basins, are colder than they usually would be. These areas are populated only by lodgepole pines, which seed better than the predominant ponderosas in cold weather. Pretty neat!
Only lodgepole pines down there (the rest are dead from a 2003 fire)
We're camping tonight at a forest service campsite just off the road. Should get cold: 27 is forecasted. Then 71 tomorrow! Then 26 again tomorrow night.
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