Sunday, September 30, 2012

NP#41 - Crater Lake National Park


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!




Sunday, September 23, 2012

Rim-to-Rim Grand Canyon - Day 2



September 15, 2012 - Daybreak at Phantom Ranch

Up at the crack of pre-dawn, the sun was just casting light upon the South Rim. (To enlarge images, click on the picture) We begin the second stage of our rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike.

Bright Angel Trailhead 

Phantom Ranch breakfast served at 5am consisted of pancakes, scrambled eggs, oat meal and peaches. We purchased the sack lunch for our journey out and in retrospect, we would not have bought either the breakfast or sack lunch. We left most of the sack at the food shack! We're back on the trail at 6:30am.  Ahead the 10-mile trek to the South Rim.

The Queen of the Canyon!

Terry trained diligently throughout the scorching hot summer for this hike and judging by the wide grin on her lovely face, she enjoyed every minute of the experience!


Bright Angel Creek
The lower portion of the North Kaibab Trail follows the route of the Bright Angel Creek. Our Cabin was situated within 50 feet of the sound of rushing water. A most soothing sound after having hiked almost 16 miles. 

Sign Alterations!

Surprisingly, during the two days of hiking, we encountered only one "mule train" on the Bright Angel Trail. Fortunately no gas was passed when they passed us!

Suspension Bridge

There are two suspension Bridges spanning the Colorado River. We crossed the western Bridge. 

Colorado River

Bright Angel Trail River Walk

A Gradual Accent

Aliens on the Plateau!

Rilus quenching his thirst

The muddy Colorado

Foursome at the River

The Voyager

Taking a Break beside the River


Destination: South Rim!

Creek from Indian Garden

R & R catching a little R & R!

Martin from Austria!

We befriended Martin about a third of the way up the Bright Angel. Our 24 year old friend had a work Visa and was stationed in San Diego for a few months. He had the weekend off and decided to hike the Grand Canyon before heading back to his homeland. Great kid. Speaks three languages. German, English and Russian!

Fixing Terry's Pack

Almost there!

The last Switchback!

Happy Hikers at Bright Angel Trail Head

Saluting the Team Leader at the end of the Trail!

With blisters on our feet and thigh muscles seizing up, we gleefully finish our rim-to-rim trek. Upon completion of the journey, Rilus shows his appreciation for talking him into this hike with a single fingered salute to the Team Leader! Love you man!

A look across the Canyon.

The Scope points out the route we traveled during our Rim-to-Rim Trek. In all we covered almost 26 miles, descended over 5700 feet into the Canyon and climbed 4380 feet from Phantom to the South Rim. We met some great people along the way - Martin from Austria, Maggie from Germany and Debbie - who recently departed Ketchikan, AK for a destination unknown!

The four of us shared an enchanting three days together while trekking our way to a lifetime of amazing memories!