Day One: The Journey Begins
Crater Lake in Southern Oregon is the main feature of
the Crater Lake National Park and it's famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The
lake partly fills a nearly 2,148-foot-deep caldera that was formed around
7,700 (give or take 150) years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. Crater Lake has
long attracted the wonder and admiration of people all over the world. Its
depth makes it the deepest lake in
the United States, and the ninth deepest in the world. Its clear water is among
the freshest found anywhere in the world. For
people who just want to be in touch with nature and hike around, there are 14 moderate trails in Crater Lake National Park ranging from 1.8 to 80.5 miles!
I've been obsessed with exploring for as long
as I can remember and here was the perfect opportunity where I could actually
explore the outdoors without having to play-pretend in my friends' backyard!
Did I mention that I also love Road Trips?
Today was just one of those days that were filled with only happiness and
sunshine. 405 miles from our home, sweet home in Seattle to the Crater Lake
National Park in Oregon meant that we would be spending around 7 hours on the
road!
My sister and I passed the time by singing,
joking around and sight-seeing. Sleeping on such a rare adventure was NOT
an option. By the time we had passed Portland, we had already whined the
overused questions - "are we there yet?" and "how much
longer?" multiple times, although neither of us really wanted the
trip to end. And yes, we spent a lot of time snacking on our favorite treats.
Along the way, we squeezed in some time to go
to a Wildlife Safari!
Just as the first rays of darkness were cast
upon the day, we arrived at our destination, by which I mean the cabin. We had
passed through the park security and also gotten the directions to our
cabin and it was a short drive from there. We were the last family to reach the
cabin but we were ok with that because all the other families were still at the
porch, staring at the cabin in awe. It was HUGE, magnificent even. We hauled
our luggage inside and kept them stashed in a corner, almost like presents.
Unpacking could wait until tomorrow.
Day One: Road Trip Clicks
Day One: Wildlife Safari Clicks
Once our appetite was long gone, we drove to the
edge of Crater Lake and started clicking photos and sight-seeing. We admired
the great caldera and also fed a few watermelon pieces to the local birds and
squirrels!! Some of my friends claimed they could hear the squirrels chattering
away and trying to decide if they should eat the watermelon or not! We also
came to know that we would have to pre-book a ride on the tour boat which that
meant that the day would be spent getting acquainted with the cabin.
After brunch, the girls and I ran outside to gaze
at flowers, collect rocks and pebbles, and observe insects and the types
of plants that grew around the area. Then we skipped around and gave in to a
game of tag suggested by the boys. Tired of running around, we challenged the
boys to a hula-hoop contest in which they obviously lost to our team of
amazing girls. The hours flew by and as twilight approached, it was time
to go and get the tickets for the boat ride that was to take place the next
day.
While we were at the ticket counter, the
booking clerk gave us a fascinating piece of information!
Apparently, the Klamath tribe of the Native Americans, whose
oral history describes their ancestors witnessing the collapse of Mount Mazama
and the formation of Crater Lake, regarded the lake as an "abode of the
Great Spirit". The Klamaths tell us of a battle between the sky god ‘Skell’
and the god of the underworld ‘Llao’. Mount
Mazama was destroyed in the battle, resulting in the formation of Crater Lake,
called ‘giiwas’ in the Klamath language. The Klamath people used
Crater Lake in vision quests, which often involved climbing the
caldera walls and other dangerous tasks. Those who were successful in such
quests were often regarded as having more spiritual powers. The tribe still
holds Crater Lake in high regard as a spiritual site.
This only succeeded in hyping me up. We had been learning about the
Native Americans for the last few days at school and when I got back, I planned
to show off my newly acquired knowledge.
Day 2: exploration clicks
Day 3: Crater Lake, here we come!
Hardly
being able to contain our excitement, we gulped down our breakfast and set off
to the boarding unit. The boat itself would not be able to accommodate all six
of our families hence we were split into two groups. All my besties were put
into the first group. I, on the other hand, was stuck with the boys. This fact
neither dulled the experience nor my excitement, but I was quite bummed for a
while. While the first batch was enjoying the boat ride, we explored the area a
bit more and gazed at the extensiveness of the huge crater in reverence while
having our lunch. It truly was one of God’s most beautiful creations!
FINALLY!!
It was our turn on the tour boat. Since it was quite sunny, I had my sunglasses
and my favorite baseball cap on. We also had to wear the life vest jacket for
safety precautions and we were not allowed to lean over the boat rails.
The
helmsman started the engine and at last, we were cruising on Crater Lake. True
to its name, it indeed looked like a water bowl; if you were a giant. The water
was a brilliant shade of dark blue, a color that I could have stared at for
hours on end without getting bored. Along the way, our tour guide introduced us
to each unique natural attraction.
Wizard Island aka Cone Island:
Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone which forms an island at the west end
of Crater Lake in Crater Lake
National Park, Oregon. The top of the island reaches 6,933 feet above sea level, about 755 feet above the average surface of the
lake.
The cone is capped by a volcanic crater about 500 feet wide and 100 feet deep. The crater
was named the "Witches Cauldron" by William Gladstone Steel in 1885, who
also gave Wizard Island its name at the same time. The land area of
the island is 315.85 acres.
Pirate Island aka Phantom Ship:
Phantom Ship is a small island in Crater Lake. It is
a natural rock formation pillar which derives its name from its resemblance
to a ghost ship,
especially in foggy and
low-light conditions. Phantom Ship Island is mainly formed from andesite rock
that dates from about 400,000 years ago, partly altered by hydrothermal activity. The
island is situated on the south east end of Crater Lake and projects more than
656 ft. out from the wall of the caldera. The
island is about 500 ft. by 200 ft. in size. The vegetation is similar
to that on Wizard Island except
for the lodge pole pine (Pinus
contorta) which is absent on Phantom Ship Island.
Red Pumice Castle:
Of
the many colorful volcanic formations in the walls surrounding Crater Lake, The
Pumice Castle, on the east wall, attracts the attention of many visitors. The
Pumice Castle is part of an extensive lenticular bed of fragmental pumice
outcropping on the crater wall about 1,300 feet above the level of the lake
while the bed of pumice has a maximum thickness of 190 feet.
Pumice
has always fascinated me. It's a rock, yet it's light. Like how cool is
that! Anyways, these were the main attractions. Our tour guide then talked a
little bit about the history of Crater Lake and mentioned the kind of wildlife
both within the crater and out on the hiking trails.
Crater
Lake National Park is rich with wildlife. Native and some invasive fish species
occupy many of the streams. Amphibians live in the wet lands, streams, ponds,
and along the shore of Crater Lake. A few species of reptiles thrive on Wizard
Island and in dry habitats. The most common animals observed around Rim Drive
are golden-mantled ground squirrels, Canada jays and an assortment of
butterflies and bees. The Clark's
Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) is a familiar bird throughout the park. It is
common along the rim where White bark pine trees grow. Black bear
sightings are more common in autumn and late spring when animals are waking up
or getting ready to hibernate. The American marten, snowshoe hare, and Douglas
squirrel tracks are abundant in the winter. These species may be more prominent
around some of the unique and less visited landscapes of Crater Lake National
Park such as Sphagnum Bog, Union Peak, Panhandle, Boundary Springs, and Desert
Creek Research Natural Area. Melting snow and changing temperatures signal
animal migrations, hibernation and seasonal foraging.
This
is where the tour came to an end. There was a short question and answer session
after which we got off the tour boat and decided to explore a hiking trail that
was suggested by our tour guide.
After reaching the top of the trail, we hiked downwards, joking and clicking photos along the way. Little did we know that the trail would lead us right back to the lake! Fortunately, we did not meet any wolves or grizzly bears on our way down. Once we reached the shore, we splashed in the water and considered getting back to our lounge. We hiked back up the trail and drove back to the cabin where we found the girls collecting random stuff and putting them in small, yet finely drawn circles. The adults proceeded to make dinner in the enormous kitchen while we decided it was time to put our landmark on the soil of Crater Lake and create our own ‘tribal’ rituals. Needless to say, it was quite an extraordinary way of passing time. Shortly after we had finished dinner, we lay in bed exchanging stories of the day’s events until sleep overcame us.
Day 3: the much awaited Crater Lake pics!
Diamond Lake is a natural body of water in the southern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It lies near the junction of Oregon Route 138 and Oregon Route 230 in the Umpqua National Forest in Douglas County. It is located
between Mount Bailey to the west
and Mount Thielsen to the east,
just north of Crater Lake
National Park.
The outlet of the lake is at its north end. From there, water flows
via Lake Creek into the North Umpqua River and ultimately
to the Pacific Ocean.
Diamond Lake was named for John Diamond, for whom Diamond Peak is also named.
He saw the lake in 1852 while on the summit of Diamond Peak. Diamond was
a pioneer settler of Coburg, Oregon, and part of a party opening a road between
the Middle Fork
Willamette River and Idaho as an immigration route.
The
adults had a good time lazing around on the beach while we kids built
fortresses and sandcastles and also ran around. We were also allowed to rent a
pedal boat and explore the lake! After a while, it was time to get back on the
road, but wait, the Umpqua River was nearby and we didn’t want to miss that. We
had come so far that it would be a shame if we didn’t visit!
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in
the United States is approximately 111 miles (179 km) long. One of the
principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and
known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in
the mountains west of the Cascade Range and
south of the Willamette Valley,
from which it is separated by the Calapooya
Mountains. From its source northeast of Roseburg, the
Umpqua flows northwest through the Oregon Coast
Range and empties into the Pacific at Winchester Bay. The
river and its tributaries flow entirely within Douglas County,
which encompasses most of the watershed of the river from the Cascades to the
coast. The "Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua" form the heart of
the timber industry of southern Oregon,
generally centered on Roseburg.
There
wasn’t much to do there so we clicked a couple of pics and headed home. It was
already past noon and we kids were exhausted beyond imagination. While our
parents talked, we dozed off, content with our journey and once-in-a-lifetime
adventure. By the time we were back in Seattle, it was late and we were still
sleepy-eyed. After we lazily bid our goodbyes, my dad hoisted me onto his
shoulders and carried me into our apartment. At last, we had reached our home
sweet home.
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