crater lake

crater lake connected facts that I have just been reading.

We'd both lived and traveled throughout the northwestern parts of the US but neither of us had been to Crater Lake since the late 1950's or early 60's. Crater Lake was on our way from Eagle Lake, California, where I'd had the opportunity to sail for the first time in twenty years, to our next WWOOFing (worldwide opportunities on organic farms) adventure in Prospect, Oregon. We only had a few hours but it was an afternoon well spent.

The water changes color with the depth and the type of lake bottom (sand, volcanic rock, etc.). We arrived at the first viewpoint to find snow still under the trees, and even in the open where the sun hadn't had a chance to sufficiently heat the ground. We were there the sixteenth of July.

Wildflowers poked their heads out from the edges of snow banks and chipmunks sat on the stone walls waiting to see if we'd brought them any goodies to eat, and hopefully enough extra to store some for the following winter. A couple of Gray Jays, also known as "camp robbers" because of their daring feats of stealing food from the picnic tables right under the noses of the picnickers, sat a few feet away. Another bird, a Clark's Nutcracker, came to sit and partake of the pumpkin seeds that we shared from our food stash in the car.

Wizard Island, Llao Rock and The Phantom Ship all tell tales of how the massive crater, or caldera, was formed. South facing rock escarpments were in bloom with yellow and green lichen. Below the cliffs, where there was protection from the wind, the water was yellow with lichen that had blown from the cliffs exposed rock faces.

Snow fed waterfalls joined others to become large boulder rattling creeks. In the valley below, creeks became rivers and then rushed off on their journey to Klamath Lake, or possibly the Rogue River and then the Pacific Ocean.

Lunchtime, consisting of sandwiches made from our cooler, was attended by chipmunks and an occasional bird swooping down for a quick snack. The birds had to be quick, because chipmunks are and they don't miss much. Chipmunks are amazing, they can be going full speed in one direction and in less than a blink of the eye be going the opposite way. It's almost as if they turn themselves inside out.

Late in the afternoon, we reluctantly bid farewell to the lake, the birds, the flowers and the chipmunks. We vowed to return again when we had, at least, an entire day to spend.

The chipmunks at Crater Lake deserve a slideshow of their own and I will be posting a chipmunk slideshow on Associated Content in the next few days. The search title will be Chipmunks of Crater Lake. In the near future, I will be posting text and slideshows that include Bandon by the Sea, Bandon, Oregon, Coquille, Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, The Columbia River Gorge, (windsurfing and kiteboarding), Mosier, Oregon, scenery, moonrise and Ms. Peachface, plus various segments of our travels throughout Oregon.