Crater Lake

Corrie and I headed south on I-5 after our sunset tour of Mt St Helens, and spent a remarkably restful night just south of Portland at the busiest rest area I have ever seen. From there we cut across Oregon to Crater Lake and spent two nights camping next to the snow because they received 48' of snow last winter.

The top of a mountain is an odd place for the deepest (1943 ft) lake in the United States, but a caldera filled with rain and snow melt makes a pretty amazing lake. Water is now evaporating and seeping out through the sides at the same rate as it collects so the surface level is relatively stable.

Snow blocked the trail about two thrirds of the way up Garfield peak.

These flowers reminded me of crocuses in Alaska except they are white instead of purple.  

Mt Shasta from above the visitor center on the rim.

Corrie taking pictures from the rim.

Wizard Island on our second morning while the lake was still.

Wait there's an Air Crane flying over the lake?

We stopped to watch the park service fly this boat down to the lake. There are no roads into the crater, so this is the only way to get a boat down there. One of the rangers told us it's been 10 years since they last flew a boat down. The video below requires flash. 

The east rim drive was still closed to cars, but Corrie and I hiked the five miles around to the trail down to the lake edge.

Another view from the North rim.

Road closed for snow... One advantage of the closed road is that we mostly had the trail to ourselves.

The view from the lake edge. The water was almost as cold as it was clear, but we went for a swim anyway. 

Corrie cooking dinner back on the south side 

Mt Shasta from the south east as we drove around it on the way to visit the Wassons.