Phantom Ship
Is the Phantom Ship floating about a cloudless sky...or is she sailing the perfectly still azure blue waters of Crater Lake? (Click on the image for a full size view of the Phantom Ship)
Crater Lake National Park
September 25, 2012 - we arrive at our 41st National Park.
Crater Lake Lodge
In addition to our quest to visit all 59 National Parks (Pinnacles in CA was recently added), Terry and I also desire to stay at all 16 of the Great Lodges of the National Parks. Crater Lake Lodge is our 9th.
Sunrise at Crater Lake
Up early for the sunrise. Not a ripple to be seen, the Lake is perfectly calm.
Rim Reflections
Atop Mt. Scott
Our first hike of the trip - the 5 mile round trip to the top of Mt. Scott. The weather was ideal. Low 50's at the start of our trek...today's high - 74°. For these Phoenicians who have grown weary of the summer heat, this is our kind of weather!
First look at the Phantom Ship
Iconic Image of Crater Lake
Pumice Castle
This narrow tower of reddish rock juts out on the eastern edge of the Crater Lake Caldera.
The Pinnacles
These unusual spires of volcanic ash hug the western slope of Wheeler Creek.
Plaikni Falls
At the end of an easy 1.1 mile hike, we find a refreshing spring-fed water feature.
Thursday's Sunrise
Stunning Stillness
Not a ripple to be found on Crater Lake during our three day visit!
View of Wizard Island from Garfield Peak Trail
At the Summit of Garfield Peak
Phantom Ship from Garfield Peak
Phantom Ship
Deep Blue
Snag 'n Sky!
Wizard Island and the Snag
Cleetwood Cove
The trail leading down to Cleetwood Cove is STEEP and the scenery along the shoreline is well worth the effort.
Cleetwood Cove
Hillman Peak
From the Watchman Tower parking lot you are treated to a great view of Hillman Peak and Wizard Island.
Wizard Island
Sunrise on Departure Day
Chapter 41 -
Crater Lake National Park
Seventy-seven
hundred years ago, Mt Mazama, one of the many active volcanoes in the Cascade
Range, blew its stack spilling lava, pumice, ash and gas over the surrounding landscape.
As the magma chamber continued to empty its payload, a huge subterranean void
was created. The weight of the mountain could not support its own weight and it
collapsed into itself forming a deep caldera.
Over the next 7700
years, this huge hole in the earth was eventually filled with rainwater and
snowfall. (The region gets an average of 533 inches of snowfall annually!) There
are no rivers or streams feeding Crater Lake which means very little sediment
is deposited into its crystal clear waters. With little sediment to discolor
it, Crater Lake reflects an astonishingly intense blue hue.
Crater is the
deepest lake in the US reaching 1943 feet at it deepest point. It measures a bit over 6 miles long and 4 ½
miles wide. Although dormant for the time being, Mt. Mazama is still an active
volcano and could awaken some time in the future! That being said, go visit
this incredible body of water before Mother Nature changes her makeup!
Crater Lake National Park
Established in 1902,
Crater Lake was the country’s 6th National Park. It was created to protect and preserve the natural and cultural
resources of the deepest, bluest lake in the United States. Championing the cause was William Gladstone
Steel. In 1870, Steel unwrapped his lunch which was wrapped in a newspaper
containing a story about an “unusual lake in Oregon.” The article sparked his interest and fifteen
years later, he would finally visit the Lake.
From that moment on,
Steel worked diligently to see this land protected from Ranchers and Mining
interests. On May 22, 1902, he was rewarded for his efforts!
Crater Lake Lodge
In 1907, Steel
formed the Crater Lake Company and as
its president, established a modest tent city
on the southern end of the lake where visitors could spend a day or two
enjoying the spectacular scenery. His long-range vision included the
construction of a “Great Lodge” and he’d hope to find financing via Edward
Henry Harriman – the Southern Pacific Railway Baron.
Unfortunately,
Harriman died suddenly a year after visiting the Lake thus Steel’s funding was
temporarily derailed. Steel eventually partnered up with Alfred Parkhurst, a
Portland developer and real estate investor, who set out to make Crater Lake
Lodge happen.
The original Lodge
was finally opened in 1915 after being plagued with numerous problems. Severe
winter weather, a lack of qualified labor and difficulty moving materials to
the site combined to take its toll on the original Lodge. Sadly, Crater Lake Lodge was underfunded and poorly constructed
and had become unsafe for habitation.
Consequently, the Park Services ordered the Lodge closed on May 26th,
1989.
But the idea of
closing the Lodge was unthinkable to many Oregonians who joined the Historic
Preservation League of Oregon to lobby the Park Service to reconstruct the
Lodge. In 1991,
reconstruction of the Lodge began, and to the delight of many, it reopened its
doors on May 20, 1995.
September 25, 2012 - we arrive at our 41st National Park and
check into the Crater Lake Lodge. In
addition to our quest to visit almost all of the 59 major National Parks, Terry
and I also desire to stay at all 16 of the Great Lodges of the National Parks.
Crater Lake Lodge would become our 9th “Great Lodge” experience.
After checking into
our Lake front room, we set out to explore the sights of the caldera and hiked along
the southern rim of the Lake. This trail is flat and there is no access to the
water. The drop off is steep and the view is astounding!
The Lake was so calm
and blue, you would think it was the sky had it not been for the reflections of
the surrounding mountains and the cumulus clouds. Not a ripple on the water to
disturb the picture perfect scenery.
September 26th. After a good nights sleep, we rose early so I
could practice my low light photographic skills before hiking Mt. Scott. The
early morning temperature hovered around the low 40’s. The sky was hazy as the
winds had brought the smoke and ash from a fire up north.
Our first stop was
at Phantom Ship Overlook. As I set up my Tripod, Terry cranked the heat up on
our rental car and chose to catch a few more winks. She wanted nothing to do
with the cool temperatures outside! I patiently awaited the sunrise and was
able to shoot a few decent pictures of the Lake and the Phantom Ship.
Mt. Scott Hike
After concluding my
morning Photo Shoot, we drove to the trail head of our first rel hike of the
trip - the 5 mile round trip to the top of Mt. Scott. The weather was ideal.
Low 50's at the start of our trek...today's high - 74°. For these
Phoenicians who have grown weary of the summer heat, this is our kind of
weather!
Mt. Scott is the
highest point in the Park topping out at 8929 feet. The trail is well groomed
and has an elevation gain of almost 1500’. The guidebook rates this hike as
“strenuous.” Terry and I found it to be moderate at best; however, the thinner
air at this elevation did tug at our lungs a bit!
Pumice Castle
On our way back to the
Lodge following our Mt Scott hike, we stopped along the roadway to take a look
at an unusual formation called Pumice Castle. This narrow tower of reddish-orange
rock juts out on the eastern edge of the Crater Lake Caldera and has the
appearance of a medieval castle.
Sun Notch Trail
After a brief stop at
Pumice Castle, Terry and I opted to hike the short Sun Notch Trail which
features the most incredible view the Phantom Ship that I could ever imagine!
At the far end of this short loop trail, there are two observation points that
provide an amazing photo opportunity. The Lake was once again incredibly still.
There wasn’t a cloud overhead. The sun was in the optimum position brightly
illuminating the Ship without casting any distracting shadows. The resulting
photographs made the Ship appear to be floating in the sky!
Sept 27th. Yesterday’s cloudless sunrise was
unspectacular so I did not expect to see much of a sunrise this morning! My
aging bladder called out to eliminate some of the Pinot Noir I had consumed
during last evening’s meal at the same time the sun was beginning to cast its
rays over the Lake. This morning was a
photographer’s delight! I quickly assembled my camera and tripod and headed out
to the Rim Walk to take in the fiery red sunrise!
Garfield Peak
After breakfast, Terry
and I began the second hike of our trip. This morning we would hike the
Garfield Peak Trail. The trail head begins at the Lodge and climbs a little over
a thousand feet up a rocky trail. Round trip, about 3½ steep miles.
We would be treated to
incredible panoramic views of Crater Lake, Phantom Ship, Wizard Island and the
Lodge. The rocky slopes of this trail are home to American Pikas and
Yellow-Bellied Marmots.
The Pinnacles
After descending Garfield
Peak, we took a drive out to The Pinnacles to view an unusual array of
“volcanic spires” jutting out along the western slope of Wheeler Creek. These
solid rock spires are “fossil fumaroles” that were formed when volcanic gasses
rose up through a layer of volcanic ash and solidified when the ash cooled.
The Pinnacles can be
viewed all along a very flat walkway along the rim of Wheeler Creek.
Plaikni Falls
After observing the
Pinnacles and with plenty of daylight left, Terry and I hiked an easy 2.2 mile
trail to Plaikni Falls. At the end of
the trail, we find a refreshing spring-fed water feature that is formed by
snow melt, not runoff from Crater Lake! As we emerged from the forest and
approached the falls, a brilliant splash of wildflowers draped the surrounding
landscape.
Sept 28th.
Today,
we will make the 33-mile drive around Crater Lake. This drive has got to be one
of the most scenic drives in America! Along the route we would stop at several
of the Overlooks to take in the view. However, our main destination today is
Cleetwood Cove.
Cleetwood Cove
Cleetwood Cove is the
only legal access to the waters of Crater Lake. The 2.2- mile (round trip)
trail leading down to the Cove is STEEP and descends 700’ from the parking lot
to the water’s edge. Walking back up the trail is equivalent to climbing 65
flights of stairs! This trail is not for the feint of heart or lung! However, the
scenery along the shoreline is well worth the effort.
We ate our picnic
lunch amongst the rocky shoreline and watched a bunch of crazy folks jump into
the cool waters. Average temperature at the surface in the summer months ranges
from about 55°-60°. Brrr!
Wizard Island and Watchman Peak
After departing
Cleetwood Cove, we continued around the Lake and stopped at the Watchman Tower
Overlook. From here, we had a great view of Wizard Island, a smallish looking island protruding out of the
western portion of Crater Lake. Wizard isn’t actually an island. It is a
volcano cinder cone that formed after Mt. Mazama collapsed.
In need of more
exercise, Terry and I chose to hike up the short trail to Watchman Peak. The
moderate hike is about a mile long (one way) and offers a 360-degree view of
the area. At the top of the peak there
is a historic fire observation tower that was built in 1932. Unlike the watchtower
at the top of Mt. Scott, which was inaccessible to the public, Watchman’s Tower
is accessible to those who make the short climb up. But as I looked down upon the parking lot
below, I realized that most visitors rarely venture very far from the safety of
their automobiles! Sad!
Well folks, that
concludes this chapter of our Trek thru the Parks. Until we meet again…Happy Trails to you!
