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| Crater Lake |
On to our last planned stop: Crater Lake National Park in
southern Oregon. I had not been there since 2003, when we visited with friends
Donna and Rick Wilson. Then, we went fairly
early in the season and, although we viewed the lake (and Donna and I
hiked down the Cleetwood trail to the lakeshore), we were not able to see much because the entire
road around the lake was not yet open for the season.
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| A gorgeous view |
I was certain we’d have full access in late July, but I was worried about smoke. Caty and I had planned a trip to Crater Lake in 2013, but changed plans because a massive forest fire had made the air “hazardous.” And, Caty had been last year and encountered some pretty bad haze.
Therefore, we were thrilled when we arrive on a
spectacularly clear day.
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| The deepest lake in the U.S. |
Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest U.S. National Park and the only National Park in Oregon. Its 286.3 sq. miles encompass the caldera of Crater Lake, a remnant of a destroyed volcano, Mount Mazama, and the surrounding hills and forests.
Crater Lake is full of superlatives.
At a maximum of 1,949 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest
lake in the United States, the second-deepest in North America and the
ninth-deepest in the world.
Crater Lake is often referred to as the
seventh-deepest lake in the world, but this former listing excludes the
approximately 3,000 foot depth of Lake Vostok in Antarctica, which
resides under nearly 13,000 feet of ice, and the recent report of a 2,740-foot
maximum depth for Lake O'Higgins/San Martin, located on the border of Chile and
Argentina.
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| Crater Lake vista |
Origins
The impressive average depth of Crater Lake is due to the
nearly symmetrical 4,000-foot-deep caldera formed 7,700 years ago during the
violent climactic eruptions and subsequent collapse of Mount Mazama and the relatively
moist climate that is typical of the crest of the Cascade Range.
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| The sky much as it appeared during Crater Lake's formation |
The caldera rim ranges in elevation from 7,000 to 8,000 feet,
with the lake surface at 6,178 feet, giving Crater Lake an impressive rim
around it and making a trek to the lake edge arduous.
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| Steep, steep sides |
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| I drank water from the lake |
Crater Lake has no streams flowing into or out of it. All
water that enters the lake is eventually lost from evaporation or subsurface
seepage through a natural filter created by an ancient loose-rock moraine that
was trapped underneath a lava flow.
The lake's water commonly has a striking blue hue,
and the lake is refilled entirely from direct precipitation in the form of snow
and rain. Because of this, the water is exceptionally pure and is safe to drink
as long as you are far from the boat dock.
Another factor that adds to the purity
is that the sides of the caldera are exceptionally steep, making it difficult
for any large animals to approach the lake.
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| Crater Lake cove |
Heat and compression from volcanic subduction as the Juan de
Fuca Plate slips below the North American Plate off the coast of Oregon has
created a mountain chain topped by a series of volcanoes, which together are
called the Cascade Range. The large volcanoes in the range are called the High
Cascades.
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| Phantom Ship and the high lava sides of the caldera |
Mount Mazama, the mountain that birthed Crater Lake, was born about 400,000 years ago as a shield volcano.
After a number of eruptions, Mazama became dormant, but a huge magma chamber formed about two to three miles under the massive volcano. Then, in a giant eruption, the chamber emptied, building Mazama up to its maximum height of over 11,000 feet.
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| It took 740 years to fill the lake |
The weight was too much for the empty below-ground chamber and, around 5,700 BC, Mazama collapsed into itself, losing 2,500 to 3,500 feet in height. Over the next 740 years, the resulting crater filled with rain and snowmelt, forming a beautiful deep blue lake.
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| A massive extrusion |
The eruptive period that decapitated Mazama also laid waste
to much of the greater Crater Lake area and deposited ash as far east as the
northwest corner of what is now Yellowstone National Park, as far south as
central Nevada and as far north as southern British Columbia. It produced more
than 150 times as much ash as the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
Local Native Americans witnessed the collapse of Mount
Mazama and kept the event alive in their legends.
One ancient legend of the
Klamath people closely parallels the geologic story that emerged from scientific
research. The legend tells of two Chiefs, Llao of the Below World and Skell of
the Above World, pitted in a battle which ended up in the destruction of Llao's
home, Mount Mazama.
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| This incredibly clear water is exclusively rainwater and snowmelt |
Snowmelt, of course, is important to maintaining Crater Lake
and the area has lots of snow. Winter, which typically begins at the park in
September and runs through June, includes an average of 98 days with measurable
snowfall. Up to 37 inches have fallen in a single day, 313 inches in a month
and 903 inches in a year. Snow typically accumulates in the Park to depths of
10 to 15 feet by early spring. Most of the park's roads remain closed through
late spring, and snow lingers into the summer. In July and August, snowfall is
uncommon.
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| It was much snowier in 2003 |
Although snow covers Crater Lake National Park for eight
months of the year, the lake rarely freezes over due in part to a relatively
mild onshore flow from the Pacific Ocean and in part to the immense depth of Crater Lake, which acts as a heat reservoir that absorbs and
traps sunlight, maintaining the lake temperature at an average of 55 °F on the
surface and 38 °F at the bottom throughout the year. The last recorded year in which the lake froze over was in 1949 and a 95 percent surface freeze occurred in 1985.
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| The edges may freeze, but the rest of the lake often remains unfrozen |
Animals
The typical alpine mammals (Canadian Lynxes, Bobcats,
Beavers, Pronghorns, Foxes, Squirrels, Porcupines, Black Bears …) are found in
the Park, but we didn’t see any except some Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels.
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| Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel |
We also saw some lizards ...
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| Western Fence Lizard |
We
didn’t see many birds, either, except lots of Clark’s Nutcrackers ...
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| Clark's Nutcracker |
... and one
American Kestrel near the Lake ...
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| American Kestrel in a snowbank |
The lake is believed to have no indigenous
fish, but several species were introduced beginning in 1888 until all fish
stocking ended in 1941. Kokanee Salmon and Rainbow Trout now thrive and
reproduce there naturally.
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| Yes! There are fish! |
Our Trip
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| Campground |
We camped in the Mazama Campground. Although we had
reservations, we had to pick our site after we arrived – a little bit of a
pain, but not too bad.
The sites were large and pleasant, with adequate shade
and, despite a bank of porta-potties and a sign to the contrary, we actually
did have flush toilets and running water.
We spent the first day circling the lake on the 33-mile-long
Rim Drive and photographing all the glorious views of the beautiful blue lake.
Numerous
observation points along the caldera rim for the lake are readily accessible along
the drive, which has an elevation gain of 3,800 feet. As I mentioned, the lake is gorgeous – bluer than you can
even imagine.
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| So, so blue |
Sights include Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder cone that
forms an island at the west end of the lake.
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| Wizard Island from the rim |
The top of the island reaches 755 feet
above the surface of the lake. The cone is capped by a volcanic crater, called
the “Witches Cauldron," about 500 feet wide and 100 feet deep.
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| Wizard Island with the Witches Cauldron in plain view |
Wizard Island was created during a time when there were a number of small volcanic eruptions that formed several cinder cones on the floor Crater Lake. The island, which rises more than 2,700 feet above the lowest point on the caldera floor, is the only one to breach the surface.
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| Wizard Island |
The island is made of tumbles of black, volcanic rock with an amazing amount of vegetation, considering the rocky terrain.
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| Smaller rock islands around Wizard Island |
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| Phantom Ship |
We also saw another famous Crater Lake formation, the Phantom
Ship, a natural rock formation on the southeast end of the lake that resembles
to a ghost ship, especially in foggy and low-light conditions.
Not a volcanic cone, Phantom Ship is made up of volcanic
ejecta and 400,000-year-old andesite lava. The hull of the "ship" is
formed of ejected lava, while the masts are part of a giant dike. The Phantom
Ship was part of a formation known as "The Phantom Cone," that pre-dated
Mount Mazama. The 500-by-200-foot island projects more than 650 feet out from
the wall of the caldera.
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| The small island is dwarfed by the caldera side |
That evening, we went to a couple of locations along the rim
to do some more night sky photography.
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| Sunset |
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| Pretty, but ... |
We searched a bit and found a great spot with a clear view of Crater Lake and Wizard Island (and lots of other photographers – we weren't the first people to come up with this concept).
The hope was to get the Milky Way
reflected in the lake and, perhaps, an illuminated Wizard Island.
But it either wasn’t dark enough, the Milky Way wasn’t
bright enough or I didn’t know how to do it.
I didn’t feel that I truly
captured Crater Lake in my Milky Way shots.
Don't get me wrong, I did get some nice shots and the Milky Way was certainly visible even to the naked eye (sometimes, you can see it much better in a photo than with your eyes).
I think a full Moon might have accomplished what I wanted. I also think I may need to develop Photoshop skills so I can stack different exposures.
Boat Tour
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| Crater Lake Tour Boat |
I had made reservations for the Crater Lake boat tour for Scott
and me for the next day. When I made the reservation, they were very clear
about the fact that to reach the dock for boarding the boats, you have to “be
capable of descending and ascending” the one-mile Cleetwood Cove Trail. The steep,
dusty trail drops 700 feet to the lakeshore. It was very warm the day of the
tour, so Scott opted not to go. He hates to hike, especially when it's hot. So,
I went alone.
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| Cleetwood Trail |
The hike was a bit warm and I was over-prepared, with a jacket and waterproof pants in my pack.
They told us it might be cold on the water and we might get wet. It wasn’t cold and it
was so calm that we didn't have even the slightest splash.
Since I took one
camera with multiple lenses, I was carrying a lot for the hike. But, better
safe than sorry.
I am very glad I had water. They do sell some at the bottom and it is critical for the hike up.
The boat tours are offered only in mid-summer, so I hadn’t
gone when I previously visited the lake. Crater Lake Hospitality, a concessioner for the park,
offers eight daily boat tours on Crater Lake and two shuttles to Wizard Island.
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| Wizard Island |
A park ranger is aboard the eight daily tours, which circumnavigate the
caldera. Two of the ranger tours make a three-hour stop on Wizard Island. I took the standard tour, which
cost $44 and was fantastic. Our ranger, Ranger Dave, is the only full-time
year-round interpretive ranger at Crater Lake and has been working and living there for 17 years. He really knew his stuff.
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| Ranger Dave in front of Wizard Island |
The boat tour was fantastic – truly worth the steep hike.
The old wooden boat had very high sides that made photography a bit difficult
because you could not stand unless the boat was at full stop.
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| View including the boat sides |
But, the scenery,
oh, my!
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| Reflections on a calm day |
Because it was calm, the reflection of the steep caldera
sides about the lake was stunning.
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| Steep sides |
In some places, there were snow banks that had not yet
melted – this was where I saw the Kestrel land and sit.
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| Snow was still standing at the water's edge |
The water was crystal clear – in fact, it has been measured
as clear to as deep as 130 feet. In some places, it appears blue and in some a
green/turquoise ...
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| Crater Lake's clear, clear water |
We were able to cruise close to – but not stop at – Wizard Island.
Unfortunately, it was backlit. That, combined with the some smoke-induced haze, made it hard to see, much less photograph.
The Pumice Castle's orange-brown pumice rock emerged in the shape of a castle as the rock around it has eroded away. It's made of layers of pumice and other rocks coughed up by Mount Mazama – some so hot they welded welded together.
As I mentioned, this day was hazier than the day we arrived, caused by a nearby forest fire. I asked Ranger dave if that was normal and he said not this year; in fact the day of our tour was the smokiest of the season.
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| A bit of smoke |
The tour was delightful. It gave such a different
perspective than you get at the rim. Watch a little here:
I would definitely do it again.
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| Lake-level views |
Although, that noon-time hike to the top was hot and dusty.
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| One of the few places with shade |
Oh, and you might wonder, with such a steep trail, how did the boats get to the lake? Some of the original boats were built on the lake, but the current tour boats were built in pieces in Portland, brought in by helicopter and finished at the lake level. Minus the engines, seats, drive shaft and propeller, the hulls were still near the 6,500 lb. payload limit of the logging helicopter in the thin mountain air. So, it is a tricky operation. Once the boats are built, they stay at lake level, even in the winter. They are stored in shelter on Wizard Island.
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| Boat storage shed |
More Sights
After the tour, we did some additional exploring, including
driving out to the Pinnacles, which were created when very hot ash and pumice
came to rest near the volcano, forming 200-to-300-foot-thick gas-charged
deposits.
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| The Pinnacles |
For perhaps years afterward, hot gas moved to the surface and slowly
cemented ash and pumice together in channels and escaped through fumaroles.
Erosion later removed most of the surrounding loose ash and pumice, leaving
tall pinnacles and spires.
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| The Pinnacles |
The Pinnacles were touted a “colorful.” I thought they
looked as though they were made of gray concrete. But, we were there in the afternoon.
Sunrise or sunset may paint them warm colors.
History
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| View from Cleetwood Trail |
Although, as I mentioned before, Native Americans had a long
history with Crater Lake, it wasn’t seen by white people until 1853, when a
trio of gold prospectors stumbled upon the long, sloping mountain while hunting
for provisions. Stunned by vibrant color of the lake, they named it "Deep
Blue Lake" (clever, huh?). The place on the southwest side of the rim
where they first saw it later became known as Discovery Point (also clever).
But the prospectors moved on in search of gold and their discovery was soon
forgotten. The suggested name later fell out of favor by locals, who preferred
the name Crater Lake.
Starting in 1870, William Gladstone Steel devoted his life
and fortune to establishing and managing Crater Lake National Park. He
participated in lake surveys that provided scientific support and he named many
of the lake's landmarks, including Wizard Island, Llao Rock and Skell Head.
With the help of geologist Clarence Dutton, Steel organized
a USGS expedition to study the lake in 1886. The party carried the Cleetwood (namesake of the trail it was carried on), a
half-ton survey boat, up the steep slopes of the mountain and then lowered it
to the lake.
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| The boat tour covered lots of history |
From the stern of the Cleetwood, a piece of pipe on the end of a spool of piano wire sounded the depth of the lake at 168 different points. Their deepest sounding, 1,996 feet, was very close to the modern official depth of 1,949 feet made in 2000 by sonar.
Pretty amazing!
At the same time, a topographer surveyed the area and created the first professional map of the Crater Lake area.
Partly based on data from the expedition and lobbying from
Steel and others, Crater Lake National Park was established in 1902 by
President Theodore Roosevelt. And because of Steel's involvement, Crater Lake
Lodge was opened in 1915 and the Rim Drive was completed in 1918.
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| Crater Lake Lodge; Photo: NPS |
We spent very little time at the main visitor complex near
the Lodge, just long enough to get my National Park passport stamped and to
take advantage of WiFi to make some arrangements for the next part of our trip.
Two days seemed adequate to view the lake, perhaps because
unlike the first day, the second day was smoky.
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| Day 2 was slightly hazy |
Had it been as clear as
day one, I might have never wanted to leave.
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| Haze does, however, enhance sunset and sunrise |
As it was, we did stop for a few early morning views – and some up close and personal photos of some Clark's Nutcrackers – on our way out.
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| Clark's Nutcracker |
Trip date: July 19-August 2, 2019
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