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Crater Lake – through the eyes of an Oregonian

I grew up in Medford, Oregon, about 80 miles south west of Crater Lake. My entire existence of childhood through teen and early adult years never saw me visiting Crater Lake. I was even a Boy Scout who had climbed Mount Thielson, and played on the shoulders of Mt Bailey. These two mountains overshadow Diamond Lake, situated 12 miles directly north of Crater Lake. I viewed the mighty shoulders of the caldera from the peak of Mount Thielson, and also saw Mount McLaughlin and Mount Shasta beyond Crater Lake.

At that altitude, 9,000 feet, Thielson allows one to see quite a bit of Crater Lake’s rim, but not the water surface, unless maybe one is standing right on the several inch wide pinnacle. And that was what I missed, because the vastness of Crater Lake is totally missed without the contrast that a view of the water affords.

My first visit to Crater Lake National Park was in the 70s. I had graduated from high school about two years before and stopped to see Crater Lake on my way up to a family reunion in the Portland area. My second visit wasn’t until over a decade later, taking my wife and son on a west coast trip, all the way from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. We had flown from Nashville to San Francisco and rented a car for the ten day scenic vacation.

The greatest things about this mammoth edifice are timeless. The first visit and the last were almost identical.

As one drives towards Crater Lake, the gradual climb is quite deceiving. The switchbacks and long stretches through the tall pines give one almost no warning before this vast sky opens up and there is this big bluish blob that looks deceptively like the sky due to its immensity. Truly, for several seconds there is a little bit of confusion as you have to reorient yourself to allow for this ocean located right up here in the mountains.

After the initial shock, it’s easy to psychologically bounce the other way and misconstrue the apparent size of this giant, water filled crater before you, because the other shore is barely discernable, looking like a shallow island beach front instead of the 2,000 foot cliffs that overlook the water. By the way, don’t forget to take a few pictures. And, if you find that you’re lens isn’t wide enough for a full shot of the lake, don’t get too flustered. Most people find that they don’t even own a lens wide enough to encompass the entire lake. The 18-55mm zoom lens that came with my DSLR Cannon Rebel is barely wide enough, so if you are expecting a fabulous shot of this mammoth lake, remember two things; a wide lens and a polarizing filter. The lens will let you take away a full image shot of the lake, and the filter will let you duplicate the deep blue of the water and sky.

Regardless of the time of year that you may find yourself enjoying Crater Lake, you’re likely to be surrounded by snow. The 33 mile rim drive and the north entrance from Roseburg are actually closed to the public for 9 months of the year due to some of the heaviest snowfalls in the country.

On the second visit, we shot pictures that included several snow caps of the 7,000 foot caldera peaks as well as neighboring Mt Scott, and my old friends, Theilson and Bailey. As we sat there enjoying the crisp summer air (you won’t find that written about too many national parks), another thing I enjoyed was the absolute stillness. The overwhelming quiet is as much a part of the place as the snow encrusted peaks, the tall pines and the deep blue water. I suggest a visit to Crater Lake National Park as soon as it opens in June, or wait until October, keeping eye on the weather. The crowds in July and August can be a little surprising as the bulk of the 500,000 annual visitors come through during those months.

It is true that many of our country’s national parks have quite an awesome effect on visitors. But, Crater Lake is one of those few that will most assuredly leave one breathless with its deep blue chasm of water, stately 2,000 foot cliffs, and over all matchless view of most of the northern Cascades.

Don’t forget to check out Adventure-Crew’s Crater Lake National Park park page, at http://www.adventure-crew.com/parks/westnav.asp. On this page, click on the Crater Lake link in the lower left hand corner of Oregon.

Stu Marks

Staff, Adventure-Crew.com

I well remember our trip to Crater Lake. Having lived in TN where the summers are in the 90's, it was quite a shock to come upon the lake and see snow still surrounding it in June and feel the cold, crisp air you mentioned. It truely is an awesome site and will leave you with the wonder of seeing a truely incredible wonder.