August 23: Beautiful Bold Splashes of Blue!
Breathing in the warm summer air, I stood on a bed of pine needles in the shade of a cluster of evergreen trees on the west caldera rim at Crater Lake National Park, admiring the deep, sapphire blue waters displayed before me, formed when Mount Mazama erupted 7,700 years ago. Having been away from the US all summer, it felt especially meaningful to take in the familiar striking vista, considered one of the clearest bodies of water in the world.
Taking advantage of the long daylight hours, I headed south and east today on highway 58 along Lookout Point Lake, grinning as I swooped left and right snaking my way along the water’s edge and enjoying the peaceful still waters and cool morning air before turning south on highway 97 and then west on 138.
After passing through the park ranger’s entrance, I headed to the overlook of Wizard Island, a breathtaking cinder cone volcano in the middle of the lake that erupted after Mount Mazama collapsed and the caldera filled with water. The 763-foot-high mound of tree-covered grey volcanic rock somehow seems to accent the dark blue colors of the lake, making both the lake and the island particularly picturesque.
Continuing along the west rim, I noticed patches of snow still left on the higher parts of the caldera and admired the broad sweeping valley views to the west before stopping at the Watchman Observation Station to get a different vantage point of the velvety blue waters nestled in the volcanic rocky cliffs.
After exploring the lake, I headed north on highway 97 through Bend, Redmond, and Madras, taking in the Cascade Mountain Range through smoke covered haze to my left and yellow fields with grazing cattle to my right before descending into Government Camp.
My breath caught as I saw my first up close glimpse of Mount Hood since returning from my travels, its andesite and dacite volcanic rocky peak streaked with the remnants of last year’s snow and surrounded by a lush and dense forest of Douglas Firs. To me, seeing this mountain top as I’m coming from the south feels like a welcome home. It’s good to be back!
