Crater Lake

Our next stop, as I had mentioned was Crater Lake in Oregon.  This place was amazing, and would be somewhere I would love to come back to when the children are old enough to do some of the more rigorous tours - like boat tours on the lake.  The caldera is awesome when you see it, and there's a little cone in the middle of the lake called wizard island that gives it a really neat presence.  The water is just spectacularly clear and blue.  The walls of the caldera are so steep that there is only one trail down to the water - just a really neat place to visit. 

 

We camped about 20 minutes north of the park at a Forest Service Campground at Diamond lake, which proved to be a very nice staging point.  From there, where we able to drive the rim and enjoy the numerous spots to take in the views.  The highlights included the "phantom ship," a formation that survived the cataclysm, and a very well done visitor center that details the formation of calderas like these.  The volcano collapsed within the last 8,000 years, and apparently native oral traditions describe the event!  Sean did the junior ranger program, which we found to be a good way to motivate him through the days.  In the top right of the his photograph, you can see a view looking toward where our campsite is at Diamond Lake, nestled between Mt. Bailey and Mt. Thielsen (the really sharp peak.)

 

Phantom Ship

In the afternoon, we saw the crater lake pinnacles - old fumaroles and volcanic vents that erode much slower than the surrounding silt and rock that leave a very unusual formations.  Apparently many of these are even hollow.  Sean was able to bike along the trail, which was a great way to let off some energy.  You can see him showing how big the sign is at the edge of the park.

 

Pinnacles

 It's hard not to stop at every overlook here!  We treated ourselves to one more view of wizard island before driving back to camp.  Here, spikes of old lava flows stick up out of the caldera walls - a feature that has been named "the devil's spine."  Sean was a little tired by this point.  

A tired Sean doesn't like to pose for photographs

You might have noticed the pictures getting a little more hazy over the day.  Some smoke from one of the countless fires across the West had blown in to make the air a little thicker - but it made for a spectacular sunset looking across Diamond lake to Mt. Bailey. 

Very cool place.