September 13 - 16, 2008
We decided we wanted to get closer to Crater Lake, so we packed up, left Sunriver, and arrived early Friday afternoon at Diamond Lake RV Park. We took a short ride to visit some of the sights around Diamond Lake and came upon Mount Thielsen.
Mount Thielsen is an extinct volcano that has been so deeply eroded by glaciers that the upper part of the mountain is more or less a horn. When it stopped erupting and "cone building" it was unable to repair damage caused during the last two or three ice ages. Makes it look quite different from the other mountains and volcanoes in the area.
We also found Clearwater Falls. The sound of the falls was unbelievably loud but calming. The area was absolutely peaceful. Great place to spend some time. 
I remember the Channel 7 weatherman, Todd Gross, calling a day one of the 10 best of the summer. Well, we have had 10 best days in a row at 75 to 80 degrees, bright blue skies and a slight breeze with temps cooling to the 40's in the evening. We have been very content after our "damp" time along the coast. And, to top it all off, the forecast is for more of the same for the foreseeable future!
Our main objective was to visit Crater Lake this weekend. So, we got up early Saturday morning and took off. We were told the best viewing was morning or late afternoon. We weren't disappointed. WOW! WOW!! AND WOW AGAIN!!! We were certainly blown away by Crater Lake. And Ken did such a fabulous job at the pictures so you're going to see a lot of them.
We met a couple from Denmark who were here on a month vacation. He described it very well when he said we had a beautiful country; the "vastness" of that beauty was breathtaking. He compared the magnificent Alps as beauty in a small area where as far as you could see in this part of the U.S. was overwhelming!
Please take the time to enlarge these photos. They are really beautiful...Ken did a great job. Remember to return to the blog, use the "back button".
Five miles wide and ringed by cliffs almost 2,000 feet high, Crater Lake rests in the shattered remnants of a volcano called Mount Mazama, which erupted and collapsed into itself 7,700 years ago (making it a caldera...remember!)
This is Llao Rock which was a lava flow that occurred prior to the collapse of Mount Mazama. You will see a few pictures of this Rock as we circumnavigate the Lake. (By the way, we started at the north end of the lake are are going clockwise, east to west.)
That's Mount Thielsen in the background. You will recognize it in a few pictures. This area is called Cleetwood Flow, a layer that erupted prior to the final collapse of Mount Mazama.
This is Pumice Castle which is a layer of orange pumice rock that has been eroded into the shape of a medieval castle.
Now we see Phantom Ship, Crater Lake's "other island" (after Wizard which we will see later). It got its name as it resembles a small pirate ship, although it is anything but small. The island is as tall as a 16-story building. It's made of erosion-resistant rock and is over 400,000 years old, the oldest exposed rock within the caldera.
Everything was so crystal clear the day of our visit!!
We left Diamond Lake RV for Klamath Falls KOA to spend a day and a half in an area with internet, cell service, stores and dog groomers to get a few things done. Tuesday we will leave the State of Oregon and begin our 4-month exploration of California (think Arnold when you say it).
Diamond Lake RV Park
We decided we wanted to get closer to Crater Lake, so we packed up, left Sunriver, and arrived early Friday afternoon at Diamond Lake RV Park. We took a short ride to visit some of the sights around Diamond Lake and came upon Mount Thielsen. Mount Thielsen is an extinct volcano that has been so deeply eroded by glaciers that the upper part of the mountain is more or less a horn. When it stopped erupting and "cone building" it was unable to repair damage caused during the last two or three ice ages. Makes it look quite different from the other mountains and volcanoes in the area.
We also found Clearwater Falls. The sound of the falls was unbelievably loud but calming. The area was absolutely peaceful. Great place to spend some time.
I remember the Channel 7 weatherman, Todd Gross, calling a day one of the 10 best of the summer. Well, we have had 10 best days in a row at 75 to 80 degrees, bright blue skies and a slight breeze with temps cooling to the 40's in the evening. We have been very content after our "damp" time along the coast. And, to top it all off, the forecast is for more of the same for the foreseeable future!
Our main objective was to visit Crater Lake this weekend. So, we got up early Saturday morning and took off. We were told the best viewing was morning or late afternoon. We weren't disappointed. WOW! WOW!! AND WOW AGAIN!!! We were certainly blown away by Crater Lake. And Ken did such a fabulous job at the pictures so you're going to see a lot of them.
We met a couple from Denmark who were here on a month vacation. He described it very well when he said we had a beautiful country; the "vastness" of that beauty was breathtaking. He compared the magnificent Alps as beauty in a small area where as far as you could see in this part of the U.S. was overwhelming!
Please take the time to enlarge these photos. They are really beautiful...Ken did a great job. Remember to return to the blog, use the "back button".
Five miles wide and ringed by cliffs almost 2,000 feet high, Crater Lake rests in the shattered remnants of a volcano called Mount Mazama, which erupted and collapsed into itself 7,700 years ago (making it a caldera...remember!)
This is Llao Rock which was a lava flow that occurred prior to the collapse of Mount Mazama. You will see a few pictures of this Rock as we circumnavigate the Lake. (By the way, we started at the north end of the lake are are going clockwise, east to west.)
That's Mount Thielsen in the background. You will recognize it in a few pictures. This area is called Cleetwood Flow, a layer that erupted prior to the final collapse of Mount Mazama.
This is Pumice Castle which is a layer of orange pumice rock that has been eroded into the shape of a medieval castle.
Now we see Phantom Ship, Crater Lake's "other island" (after Wizard which we will see later). It got its name as it resembles a small pirate ship, although it is anything but small. The island is as tall as a 16-story building. It's made of erosion-resistant rock and is over 400,000 years old, the oldest exposed rock within the caldera.
Everything was so crystal clear the day of our visit!!Now you will see Wizard Island, a cinder-cone volcano named for its resemblance to a sorcerer's pointed hat. Due to the age of the oldest tree on the island, it is thought that the last volcanic activity occurring from Wizard Island was about 800 years ago. This volcano within a volcano is one of the most easily recognized features of Crater Lake.
Well, we have seen another one of nature's offerings to this beautiful land of ours.
We left Diamond Lake RV for Klamath Falls KOA to spend a day and a half in an area with internet, cell service, stores and dog groomers to get a few things done. Tuesday we will leave the State of Oregon and begin our 4-month exploration of California (think Arnold when you say it).
1 comment:
Absolutely Stunning pictures Dad! You could probably publish or sell those pictures!!! Definitely worth the detour! I Love you!!!
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