Crater Lake National Park

August 8th

We left Lakeview, driving west, then north towards Crater Lake.  We noticed more and more smoke in the air as we were driving west, so were concerned about the air quality at the park.  However, our fears were unfounded, as the air cleared, the sky was a beautiful deep blue- we could not have had a prettier day to visit.  The only down side to our trip was technical- I had assumed we would drive to the park through a few larger towns.  However, our route was through ranch land and small towns with no gas stations.  In spite of leaving Lakeview with a 1/2 tank of gas, we had less than a quarter by the time we arrived.  This was of concern, as the drive around the lake was 35 miles!

As we walked up to the rim of the lake, we were both in awe of how beautiful it was!  We had seen pictures and descriptions, but nothing matches the reality of being there.  The lake was a deep, clear blue, with a slightly lighter shade in the shallower area near the shore.  The air was so clear, you could see for miles.  Dale kept commenting on our good the air smelled!

Crater Lake was formed 7700 years ago, when the 12,000 foot volcanic Mt. Mazuma violently exploded, shooting ashes and debris miles into the air.  Mt. Mazuma was one of the volcanoes in the chain that includes Mt. St. Helens.  So much pumice and magma from the chamber under the mountain was ejected, that the top of the mountain could no longer support its own weight.  As a result, it collapsed, creating a deep caldera.  Over time, the caldera filled with rain and melting snow.  There are no springs or rivers that feed Crater Lake.  There are also none that drain the lake.  The lake loses water through evaporation and seepage into the surrounding soil, at about the same rate as it gains it, so it stays at about the same level year round.   The lake is about 6 miles across at its maximum, and is 1943 feet deep at its deepest, making it the deepest lake in North America.  It is of unmatched color and clarity- moss has actually been found growing at a record 460  feet below the surface.  Its deep blue color results because other color wavelengths are absorbed in the deep, clear water, and the human eye sees only the blue.  Isn't Mother Nature great?

In the center of the lake is an island called Wizard Island.  It takes its name for its shape, which resembles a wizards hat.  The island was formed some time after the great explosion, when another minor eruption deposited lava to create the island and seal the bottom of the caldera.

We had talked about taking one of the narrated boat trips on the lake.  The climb down is about a mile, and quite steep.  The climb up would be a challenge- the equivalent of climbing 65 flights of stairs!  However, we thought it would be a great way to see the lake in a different way.  However, as luck would have it, the trips were sold out for the day.  We opted instead to walk along the trail that follows the rim.  One of the spots we visited was the Sinnott Memorial Overlook.  Sinnott was one of the early explorers of the lake.  The overlook included a stone building that housed a great deal of historical and current information on the scientific exploration of the lake.  One fact I found very interesting- a midge fly common to the area lays its eggs on the surface of the lake.  The eggs then sink 2000 feet to the bottom, where they hatch, feed as larvae, and mature as pupae.  The pupa slowly wiggle and float to the surface to emerge as adults, where the process repeats itself.

Given our gas situation, we decided not to do the entire drive around the lake.  Instead, we drove to an overlook to see the Phantom Ship, which is an island that appears tiny next to the 2000 foot rim, but stands 160 feet over the water.  It was named for its shape, and because it appears to disappear in certain lights.  We stopped at Castle Crest Wildflower Trail, which wanders about a 1/2 mile through fields of beautiful wildflowers.

Beautiful, blue, Crater Lake

Clark's Nutcracker

Field of wildflowers, Castle Crest Trail

Tree reaching for sun

Hillman Peak, the highest point on the rim

More wildflowers...

View from Phantom Ship Overlook

The Phantom Ship

Reflections of Crater Lake

Sinnott Memorial Overlook

View of Wizard Island

Wildflower close-up

It was a wonderful, perfect day at this park.  We left late in the afternoon for Klamath Falls, a small town about 60 miles south of Crater Lake to spend the night.  Our planning is rather short at this point, so our decision was to spend some time deciding where to go the next day.  That's us- don't want to commit too soon....