Journey to Darkness 2017 - Stop 3 Diamond Lake, OR

Jeff kicking back at Crater Lake Lodge

Diamond Lake was the closest reservation that we could get to Crater Lake.  Unfortunately, our first day was cloudy and a bit smoky so we decided to read and do laundry.  We would be rewarded later with an amazing dinner at the Crater Lake Lodge.  I had been in a little bit of a funk, so curling my hair for the first time since France felt like pampering. The lodge is beautiful and like the one at the Grand Canyon – and probably others that I don’t remember. The interior walls are either stone or paneled with pine bark.  As always there is a beautiful view deck with rocking chairs which we enjoyed as well.

One the bike path

Bike path around the lake
On our second day, we had better weather and planned for a bike ride around Diamond Lake.  The path was a bike trail and not my favorite.  I ended up riding through the campground instead of completing  the loop of 11 miles with Jeff.  My bike computer says I rode about 7 miles but none of it very strenuous or fast.  We also did Trailer Tours in the afternoon which I think everyone really enjoyed.  Most everyone opened their Airstreams and we all had fun seeing the various models that span over 50 years in age!


The 33 mile Rim Drive around Crater Lake was by far our favorite activity.  We took a trolley tour with Ranger Theresa which lasted a full 2 hours.  For some reason, they have something against guard rails here and I was nervous anywhere near the extreme drop-offs.  Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US.  Fed by rain and snow but no streams, it is also considered to be the cleanest large body of water in the world.


In fact, Crater Lake would more accurately be named Caldera Lake since it is contained within a caldera formed 7,700 years ago when Mount Mazama at 12,000 feet collapsed after a major eruption.  Now, the rim sits at around 7,000 feet (so a loss of 5,000 feet at the peak) and the surface level of the lake is at around 6,000 feet.

Wizard Island to the left

A later eruption created Wizard Island, a basalt island in the western portion of the lake.  Most of the visible rock is pumice due to the presence of silica, however, there are also sections of basalt and obsidian. 
The Devil







We saw several notable points of interest worthy of photos along the way.  
The Devils Backbone was interesting due to the rock formation that tricks your eye to think it is a dragon or the devil, or maybe a horse if that is more to your liking. In the center of the picture to the right, you can make out the evil eyes and long nose complete with flaring nostrils of the Demon.  
We were very lucky to see “the Old Man in the Lake”, a 40 foot mountain hemlock that has been floating vertically in the lake for 120 years.  It is a big deal because with wind, you never know where or IF you will see the Old Man.  We caught up with him in a cove on the eastern side of the lake somewhere near Gotto Cove.

Trust me, the old man is dead center in this cove!

Pumice Castle is orange due to iron deposits

Pumice Castle and Phantom Ship were the last of the stops.

The phantom ship

Jeff took a hike on the Garfield Peak Trail in the afternoon while I played catch up on the blog.  The smoke from the fires seems to blow in as the day progresses, but Jeff was able to get a couple of really good shots that show how blue the water is and the green of the moss that grows around the lake edge.

Deep Blues and Greens
Visiting Crater Lake was the highlight of our trip so far!

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