Friday I was unexpectedly surprised to have a day off almost. Everything that needed to be done could be done by telephone. Having grown up most of my years in Central Oregon I have learned to love it and appreciate a lot of what it has to offer.
I often write articles about Central Oregon for my clients, to inform others of what Central Oregon has to offer and so on. Friday I was feeling uninspired, not really burnt out but really needing a chance to recharge my creative and positive energy.
My husband had never been to Crater Lake, although it is technically located in Southern Oregon it is just a 90 minute drive from La Pine. So, we loaded up the dog and headed south to see the natural beauty of this National Park.
Crater Lake is a beauty few have the opportunity to see first hand. The lake is crystal blue and is pretty much untouched by the forces of human development.
Crater Lake is on top of Mount Mazama which at one time was approximately 12,000 feet in elevation, when Mount Mazama blew its top it left a beautiful caldera of about 7,700 feet that has since filled with snow melt. There are still 2 cones that have formed in the lake, one is called Wizard Island and the other is actually under water still.
It is not unusual for Crater Lake to receive over 500 inches of snow a year. The road to the lake and around it is only open during the late spring, summer and early fall. The lake is kept full from the snow melt, as there are no inlets or outlets to this natural beauty
Crater Lake is the 7th deepest lake in the world at a depth of 1,943 feet. Most would think that with the amount of snow that fills this lake it would eventually over fill and run over the brim. There is not much chance of that happening though, nature does take care of this with evaporation and seepage, in the years that the lake has been monitored the depth has not changed.
If you are visiting Oregon, this natural beauty is worth the drive. You can not walk to the lake expect for a couple of well marked areas near the lodge. You can drive around the lake on the paved road which if I remember correctly was about 33 miles. There were over 30 places to pull over and take photos, so for those of you that think you are not up for a hike, this is an auto tour.
I know you are all waiting…. So here they are the photos from the day. These were taken on August 10, 2007 – if you look closely you may still see a few spots of snow here and there, enjoy and when you are anywhere near this Park take the time to visit it. Cost is $10 for a car.