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Day 2 of 8
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Saturday, July 16th
Drive to Crater Lake, Rim drive
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After sleeping in and having a leisurely breakfast, we let our motel around noon.
We could see Mt. Shasta itself looming large from our motel window, and had some
nice views on the drive as well. We soon left Interstate 5, heading onto Highway
97, entering Oregon and skirting Upper Klamath Lake.
View of Mount Shasta from the motel
Mount Shasta from a lookout
When we arrived at the park entrance I realized I'd forgotten to bring my annual
park pass. Could have saved myself $15. We drove up the park road and were met
with a traffic jam at the Rim Village. We inched our way past all the day users
and parked near the lodge. It was just past 2:30pm, and check-in wasn't until 4pm.
So we walked over to the village to get something to eat. Unfortunately the line
was long here and the food choices weren't very good. We wouldn't return here the
rest of our trip. In general the food options in the park are limited.
First view of Crater Lake, from the lodge
We walked back to the lodge and checked into our room. I'd forgotten to make
advance dinner reservations, so we made them for 9pm tonight (and earlier
for subsequent nights). Then we went back out and drove
all the way around the lake. It's about an hour's drive on the scenic Rim Drive,
but we took about 2 hours as we kept stopping to get out, look around, and take
pictures.
In particular, after enjoying the views from the back of the lodge (where two rows
of chairs sit facing the lake), we stopped near Discovery Point. Continuing
clockwise (recommended since most of the stops are on the lake side), we stopped at
Watchman Overlook. This is the closest point to Wizard Island, which sits near the western
shore of the lake. A short hike nearby goes up to Watchman Peak (about 420 feet up),
but as it was already past 5pm we skipped the peak. The views from the viewing area were
nice enough (though we may return to hike to the peak some other time). We saw
several people with selfie sticks at the overlooks, but at least
no one playing Pokemon Go, as
there was no cell service.
Wizard Island in Crater Lake
Wizard Island in Crater Lake
Wizard Island in Crater Lake
Wizard Island from Watchman Overlook
Crater Lake from Watchman Overlook
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Crater Lake from Watchman Overlook
(Click image to view full size)
Wizard Island from Watchman Overlook
After passing through a construction area (one section was a single lane for both
directions, gated by stoplights on either side), we passed the North Entrance Road,
then the Cleetwood Cove trailhead. We stopped at some unnamed overlook on the
northeastern side instead. We were now looking across the lake directly into the sun; this
would probably be a nicer spot to be in the morning.
Crater Lake
View to the northwest from near North Junction
Northeast part of Crater Lake
Looking into the afternoon sun over Crater Lake
We next stopped at Cloudcap Overlook, but again the sun made for difficult viewing.
We stopped at the Phantom Ship Overlook. From here we could glimpse the rock
formation in the water through the trees. It's supposed to look like a ship, though
it wasn't all that exciting to me. We skipped the rest of the stops, returning to the
lodge around 7pm.
Grotto Cove from Cloudcap Overlook
Looking toward Phantom Ship from Cloudcap Overlook
Phantom Ship from Phantom Ship Overlook
Phantom Ship from Phantom Ship Overlook
The rooms at the lodge are small, and the food could be better (especially considering
the prices they charge). But the common areas by the fireplace are nice, it's a nice
atmosphere, and nothing beats being able to walk out the door at any time and take a
look at the lake. I ventured outside after dinner for some night time pictures.
Unfortunately the moon was not out yet, and when it was out earlier the following
nights there were clouds.
Night sky over Crater Lake
Big Dipper over Crater Lake Lodge
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