American Adventure

Oregon (Crater Lake)

On a trip to Crater Lake I stopped a few places to get some of these first shots.

This first one being just south of Scio, OR.

These next ones are from the Salt Falls just off of the highway.

Then, getting closer to Crater Lake you look off to the west and see Diamond Peak.

As you get even close you run across the pumice desert. A vast area that was saturated with so much pumice that it doesn't support very much vegetation at all.

Then, as you climb up the hill to the edge you still don't see the lake. You have to get out of the vehicle and walk up to the edge and like magic, there it is. The most amazing sight of all. This lake is hidden within the mountain itself. Created from an enormous volcanic blast the top of this mountain was totally blown away leaving the crater which filled up with water over the centuries.

It is said that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the northern hemisphere. In the center of he lake, Wizard Island, is said to be actually caused from the original blast. Scientists speculate that the island was actually the original top of the mountain. When it blew up the top of the mountain was said to fall into place in the crater. Personally, I think that is a bunch of pretty lame theories. I would think that there wouldn't be enough left from the initial blast and there wouldn't be anything left of the top of the mountain and my theory is a simple one stating the fact that the island is actually a lava dome that had started to form over the centuries.