July 24 - Crater Lake - Oregon

These pictures were taken at Crater Lake (which surprised us by reminding us a lot of Lake Superior). The lake was formed when a volcano collapsed in on itself. It is the deepest lake in the United States and is only filled by rain and snow (no springs or underground water sources). The water is an incredible blue color. The pictures are quite hazy – possibly due to the California wildfires. We were a little underwhelmed by our first view. The guide map said we’d see brilliant blue water and we didn’t. However, as we drove around the crater’s rim, we were treated to more colorful views. We decided to hike down to the edge of Crater Lake. The hike is only about 2.5 miles, but it’s extremely steep going down and back up again. The trails are dirt, but well maintained. The views of the lake keep you going! The blue of the water was marred only by the algae/pollen floating in the water (although it did form some cool designs). The only wildlife we saw today was a couple of chipmunks. After our trip to Crater Lake, we had to go back down to Eugene, Oregon. The road down the mountain was extremely curvy and looked more like Northern Minnesota than anyplace else we’ve been on this trip – lots of pine trees, lakes, and rivers. Our ears were popping as we went down several thousand feet on the drive.