Crater Lake September 1, 2011

It was time to leave Myrtle Creek, Oregon and head to Crater Lake National Park. It was a nice drive with lots of wonderful views. We ended up at a campground in Prospect, Oregon called Crater Lake and Prospect RV Park. This is a very nice campground, with plenty of shade from the nice big trees. The owners had a nice celebration for Labor Day by having homemade cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning, then they had a hot dog roast over an open fire, with cake and ice cream for desert on Saturday night. Entertainment was provided by a brother and sister from a family of 8, with great singing. They even wrote their own songs and were very talented. It was a great ending to a perfect day at Crater Lake. But that wasn't all they did, Sunday morning they cooked pancakes, along with sausage for all the campers. You don't find this very often at a campground. What a nice place!!

We arrived early in the afternoon at the campground and took a little drive to see the town of Prospect., all on one short street of maybe a mile, with a post office, 2 restaurants and a grocery/gas station. We took the road out of town to find some waterfalls and do some short hikes. All in all a nice day!

The next morning it was time to drive and see Crater Lake National Park. WOW is all you can say about this great lake. It is 5 miles wide and rests in the shattered remnants of a volcano called Mount Mazama, which erupted and collapsed into itself 7,700 years ago. Crater Lake is only filled by rain and melted snow and is 1,943 feet deep. It is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. The lake is at an average elevation of 6,173 feet and you look down on the lake from another 1,200 feet above. If that is not enough the most fascinating thing about this lake is the color. It is the most intense blue you will ever see. Suzanne and I have never seen anything like this before. We had a very sunny day, which made the color even more radiant. It is so beautiful, pictures don't do it justice.

There is only one place that you can get to the water and it is also where you can take a boat ride around the lake. We were lucky and had a reservation as the tours are all most always sold out. To get down to the lake you must take a nice long hike with a very steep decent, easy, but don't forget what goes down, must go up, and yes, it was another “free stress test” hike. Seeing the lake from the boat gives you some very beautiful scenery along with some waterfalls that can only be seen from the water. What still amazes me is the color of the lake from the boat. The water is so blue, it is really amazing. If you get a chance to visit this National Park you will not be disappointed.

We wanted to see the lake again and take some hikes to give us some different views of the lake so a second day was in order. We took a hike, with snow on the trail, to a fire lookout, Watchman Peak, which gives you spectacular views in all directions. We drove all the way around the rim of the lake and stopped at almost every overlook. It was a fantastic drive and each overlook gave you a different perspective on this fantastic lake. The last place before we left the park was to the Pinnacles Overlook. It is off the main road but worth seeing. The Pinnacles are a collection of 100 foot tall spires. The spires are “fossil fumaroles,” each marking a spot where volcanic gas rose up through hot ash deposits, cementing the ash into solid rock.

We will be on the road again, Sunday 9/4. We must head to the California coast and the Redwood Trees!!

We are so happy that David is back safe and sound in Germany after his tour in Kuwait and Iraq. We are so proud of him and can't wait to see him at Nicole's wedding. Let us never forget the other service men and women still in Iraq and Afghanistan. Keep them in your prayers.