July, 2000
It's one thing to go see a volcano. But to see a volcano within a volcano, that is something else! Crater Lake is in the heart of Mt. Mazama, about 2 hours South of Bend Oregon (Central). Apparently the volcano blew out millions of years ago, and the filled in with water from rain and snow. The water is amazingly clear, extremely blue, and undisturbed by man. While I do not recall the exact depth, this is one of the deepest lakes in the US.
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The drive into the area gave Jeanie and I a feel for what we were in for. Forest area that runs up to the outer wall of the lake area. |
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Ok, first things first. See snow, must play. This turned out to be a long stop so that everyone could enjoy playing in snow in July. |
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Ok, some of us enjoyed the snow more than others! |
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An early peek at the lake. While the water in these pictures may appear to be blue, trust me, these pictures do not do this place justice! |
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The entire lake is surrounded by walls, most of which still held snow even in July. Turns out that not all the roads were even open up there due to snow. |
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This is what people come to see....Wizard Island in the heart of Crater Lake. A volcanic cinder cone growing within the confines of Crater Lake. |
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Again, the photo does not do justice to the BLUE color of the water here. However you can get a feel for it if you notice at the bottom of the picture, the different shades of blue in the water. |
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There is always time for some fishing. Thankfully my girlfriend Jeanie had a book with her to pass the time. While large fish were spotted in the water, nothing was caught. |
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Lastly, the hearty road-trippers stop for a group photo. A day that started out with us bathing in a sink at a campground had really improved with this stop. |
And now, on to our next stop of the trip, the California Redwoods,
Or....
