Crater Lake - Part 2

We ventured back into Crater Lake National Park yesterday, driving the rim road east bound so we could capture photos with the sun behind us and the lake at it's bluest.  And we were not disappointed.  The first stop we did was at the Creetwood boat landing and trail where you hike down to the lake and you could swim in it, fish, or take the 2 hour boat ride.  We had no plans to do any of that but try to find a nice viewing area somewhere along the switch-back trail down to see the boats.  These boats are 40 feet long and can hold 37 passengers and 3 support people and one is a park ranger.  It's a narrated journey and we were told from our trolley tour's ranger that people get into trouble hiking down to the boat only to discover that they need help getting back up.  Only way to rescue them is on a gurney pulled up on wheels, and we saw wheel tracks in the trail.  Ooops.

40 foot boat ride

We continued our trek stopping at various locations to view the lake.  I cannot explain how blue it is - deeper than sapphire, bluer than blue.  Just beautiful.  And awesome to see once you understand the history. There is Phantom Ship; Wizard Island formed after the big eruption which is a small volcano inside Crater Lake with a 300 foot wide crater at the top and the island is 764 feet tall; a tree that has been floating in the lake for last 100 years; the pumice outflow is over 100 feet deep around the rim that today nothing has grown in an area called Pumice Desert.

Pumice Desert - 100 feet thick of pumice

We hiked the Phantom Ship overlook trail which climbs up to the rim of the crater and can get a great view of Phantom Ship.  Had a picnic lunch on the rim looking out over the lake.  Breathtaking.  After the lunch break we decided we wanted to visit the ranger information center at Rim Village so continued to the Village only to turn around and scram out of there - it was so slammed with cars and people.  Lined up onto the road to get into that area.  Unbelievable.  Talk about a downer.  Glad we visited the park a couple days ahead of the holiday weekend.  Many of the viewing areas near the Rim Village was so packed with cars that people were parking on the dirt on the edge! of the road.  Yikes.

Drawing of  Phantom Ship

Phantom Ship from Overlook

Something to think about - in a couple of weeks it will be snowing here.  And a week ago the lake was smoked in due to two wildfires burning in southern Oregon.  Talk about timing!

Wizard Island - 764 foot tall island

Glad we visited Crater Lake National Park - wasn't originally on our plans but it was certainly a Wow factor.