A Tale of a Beautiful State – Part 3

Mid-way through our week in Oregon we hopped in the car and drove 4 1/2 hours south of Portland to Crater Lake.  A former volcano that caved in on itself thousands of years ago, the entire top of the mountain is a self-contained lake.  It’s also one of the deepest lakes in the country – almost 2000’ feet in the deepest part.  Here are some amazing shots of this beautiful place!

There was still quite a bit of snow up there.

The water was so still and blue.  It provided a perfect mirror effect for the cliffs on the opposite side.

There is even a little island in the middle of the lake.

Those cliffs were so steep and there were no guardrails at many of the pull-offs.  I wonder if anyone has ever fallen into that lake… 

At one side of the lake there is a path that takes you down into the caldera to the surface of the water.  It was steep and very buggy (mosquitoes there are 3x the size of the ones we have around here!)

Again – no guardrails or safety measures of any kind.  So watch your step!

The water so crystal-clear.  We were able to see rocks that were at least 10’ deep.

And here we are at the bottom.  Beautiful!

This was an area where I wish I had a panoramic camera.  But since I don’t, you’ll have to live with 3 images – from the far left, center and far right of the lake.

This is Wizard Island.  It looks like a mini-volcano because that’s exactly what it is.  One of the last vestiges of the massive volcano that was Mount Mazama.  It erupted around 5600 BC with a force that is estimated to have been about 42 times more powerful than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

So if you’re ever in Oregon, Crater Lake National Park is an absolute must-see!