Hi! I’m Kylene, Adam’s wife, and I’m guest posting tonight on the blog! In honor of Adam’s love of blue water I’m sharing a few photos from an impromptu trip I took to Crater Lake National Park in 2012. A friend of mine spent a summer with the Forest Service in northern Califortnia, and since I’m always looking for new places to see I decided to visit. Upon arriving we opted for a trip to Crater Lake, as it was mid-August, the perfect time to see the park. Winter lasts into June at Crater lake (including snowstorms) so I was thrilled to be able to visit without needing a parka! Crater Lake averages 40+ feet of snow per year, making the summer season very short! Glad I happened to be in the vicinity in August!
Crater Lake was formed approximately 7,700 years ago after an enormous eruption of Mount Mazama (cool name, eh?) caused the volcano to collapse. After about 250 years of precipitation the lake reached its current level: 1,994 feet, making it the deepest lake in the United States. And what a stunning lake it is, holding some of the bluest freshwater I’ve ever seen.
Unfortunately, there was a fair amount of smoke in the air from nearby forest fires, but we were able to get a couple of the last spots on a boat trip around the lake and check out that stunning blue water up close.
As a side note, Crater Lake National park is listed by the National Park System as one of top 10 dark sky locations in the National Park System for stargazing! So if Crater Lake is on your travel radar, it’s definitely worthy of being there. And if not, add it! It’s one of those places worth going during high season (unless you’re into 20 ft snow drifts, that is). I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time!
Thanks for reading. And don’t worry, Adam and his Daily Nature Fix will be back tomorrow!
Kylene
*** These daily blogs showcase the natural world. It is all original content using photos, stories, and experiences from my own travels. ***