Sapphire of
the Cascades
DESTINATION- Crater Lake National Park
LOCATION- Diamond Lake, Oregon
DATE- September 2020
Contrary to popular belief, Crater Lake was not created by a monster meteor from outer space… the colossal depression was created by a volcanic eruption. The collapse of Mount Mazama 7,700 years ago produced a 6-mile wide crater that gradually filled in snowmelt and rainwater.
Located in the heart of Oregon’s Cascade Mountain range, Crater Lake is one of the snowiest places in the country. It receives an annual average of 43 feet of snow each year. As the clean snow melts, it continually recharges the spectacular freshwater lake. With a maximum depth of 1,949 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. and the seventh deepest lake in the world.
The explosion of Mt. Mazama impacted the park landscape in spectacular ways. During the eruption, avalanches of ash and volcanic rock drowned a once lush valley in debris up to 200 ft deep. Water is able to percolate straight through this highly-porous pumice and scoria material, resulting in very dry, desert-like soil in the area surrounding the caldera. As a result, few plants are able to colonize the area. As a result, the park has about 3,000 acres of dry meadow known as the Pumice Desert.
Because Crater Lake is in a largely self-contained caldera without any in-flowing streams, the lake has very low levels of nutrients. Its 300+ feet of visual clarity is legendary. The isolated, oligotrophic lake is a researcher’s dream.
Yet, Crater Lake continues to puzzle modern scientists. They have many unresolved questions like:
How can an underwater garden of moss survive in the nutrient-poor waters of Crater Lake?
Approximately 2 million gallons of water seep out of Crater Lake every hour… where does that water go?
Crater Lake’s mysterious, unfathomable depths have captivated visitors for thousands of years. Author Stanton C. Lapham poetically illustrated the lake’s impact in his 1931 book The Enchanted Lake. His words are excerpted below, courtesy of the Crater Lake Institute:
“Our emotions are strangely moved as we gaze upon the indescribable blue of the Lake and begin to comprehend its placid charm and natural loveliness, girded about by beetling, broken crags, fiercely riven walls and mighty reaching cliffs.
Here is harmony— a symphony in color and exquisite beauty beyond words, yet pressed about by awesome volcanism, molten destruction and towering crags, where the very heart of a torn, splintered mountain is half-filled with water more blue than the arching sky above.
Strange indeed and fanciful is the scene when we behold the perfect mirroring of clouds, trees and rocky walls upon a liquid surface as blue as the blue of forget-me-nots.
We have nothing in our experiences, or our observations with which to compare Crater Lake. It is unlike any other natural wonder in the world.
It is the Jeweled Sapphire of the Cascades, set in a matrix of peaks and castled walls; we may look upon it but once, then wear it in our hearts forever.”
EXPLORING CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK-
Due to the raging wildfires in Oregon and California, panoramic views of Crater Lake’s dramatic caldera ring were initially clouded by smoke during our visit. A yellow-gray haze obscured the lake’s usually crisp scenery. We drove the 32-mile Rim Drive and saw what we could from the numerous scenic pull-outs.
The smog did add a ghostly appeal to the lake’s ominous Phantom Ship rock formation. We enjoyed some short walks at the volcanic Pinnacle Rocks and tumbling Plaikni Falls. Thankfully, visibility improved significantly the following day due to changing winds which pushed more suspended particulate pollution out of the caldera.
Watchman's Peak was our favorite short trail. The pleasant 1.8 mile hike culminates on a balcony beneath a 1930’s-era fire tower. At 8,013 feet above sea level, the focal point provides exceptional views of the caldera and Wizard Island.
If you only have time for one activity at Crater Lake, add Cleetwood Cove to your list. It is the only legal access point down the steep caldera walls to the shore.
Adam and I had to fight for a parking spot a moderate walk from the busy trailhead, and then hiked down to the lake. Cleetwood Cove is 2.2 miles roundtrip, with 700 feet of elevation gain on the return leg. The soil is composed of finely ground pumice which often kicks up billowing clouds of dust.
Views from the water’s edge are breath-takingly beautiful, with Crater Lake’s pristine waters shining a surreal indigo color. The lake is so blue that it almost appears to be artificial… swimmers appear to be floating in a bowl of blue raspberry jello. Enough visitors ask park rangers “if the lake is dyed blue,” that they actually had to add that question to the website’s FAQ section.
Oh, and this lake is REALLY cool, both in aspects of majesty and temperature. When we lived in North Florida, we shivered when we jumped into the chilly 72 degree spring water. Yet in the heat of summer, Crater Lake’s surface waters are an even more frigid 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit!
Once your body is done punishing you for daring to dip your toes in, the water feels amazing. It is also shockingly clear-- bending over its surface yields the dizzying sensation of gazing hundreds of feet straight down to submerged cliff faces and boulders .
There is a ~32 foot tall cliff protruding from the water, known as “Jumping Rock,” that is a popular spot among locals and tourists alike. Adam, of course, leapt off and plunged right in. Enthusiastic crowds of onlookers gathered to watch seasoned jumpers perform elegant somersaults, back flips, and cannon-balls into the blissful blue depths.
THE FIGHT OVER DIAMOND LAKE-
The National Park Service is pretty restrictive about what you can do at Crater Lake so activities are more limited than what is available at other parks. There is only one legal access point to the waterline (Cleetwood Cove). Multiple people have been fined for violating the rules by attempting to access the lake by climbing down the crumbling caldera walls.
Kayaking, long distance swimming, boats, canoes, floaties, snorkeling gear, and SCUBA diving are all prohibited. Since Crater Lake is one of the most pristine freshwater lakes in the U.S., I empathize with the researchers trying to be extra vigilant about controlling visitor impacts, minimizing risk of water pollution, and preventing the introduction of invasive aquatic species.
There are fewer rules at the park’s sister Diamond Lake, which is run by the U.S. National Forest Service. Since pets are allowed and the shallower water is warmer, Diamond Lake is more heavily-trafficked by locals.
Interestingly, Diamond Lake’s value as a recreational amenity was recognized early on and was highly coveted by the NPS. The sister lake (along with Mt. Thielsen and Mt. Bailey) were all originally drawn within the proposed Crater Lake National Park boundary lines and were intended to be a part of the park. However, those parcels didn’t make it into the final approved national park parcel.
There have been several heated battles to expand the Crater Lake boundary with more sites within the Cascade Mountain Range. The National Park Service, Forest Service, Oregon residents, and commercial interests all vied for control of the region's destiny.
Past NPS biologists felt that Crater Lake, Diamond Lake, Mt. Thielsen, and Mt. Bailey were naturally connected to one another and should be managed together so the NPS could provide better wildlife habitat and mitigate pollution risks. NPS leadership was also a bit insecure about the park’s diminutive size, which paled in comparison to the millions of acres protected in major parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Glacier. They feared that Crater Lake would be somewhat of a “one hit wonder” and advocated for broadening its tourist appeal by having more outdoor recreational attractions.
But many Oregon locals were mistrustful of the federal government’s intentions and viewed expansion of the NPS Crater Lake boundary lines as an undesirable “land grab.” Ultimately, the Forest Service’s proposed use for the properties, with its balance of preservation and commercial use, won out. Now, Diamond Lake, Mt. Thieselen, and Mt. Bailey are open to visitors as part of the Umpqua National Forest.
It is unlikely that they will ever merge with the Crater Lake National Park boundary… but learning about the competing visions is interesting. The full drama is contained here, if you are a nerd like me and enjoy reading administrative histories.
OUR FAVORITE PLACES-
#1: Cleetwood Cove Trail (2.2 mile round trip trail down the caldera walls to the water’s edge; beautiful lake vistas and fun swimming area)
#2: Watchman's Peak (short 1.8 mile round trip hike to a historic fire tower with amazing views of Wizard’s Island)
#3: Plaikni Falls (easy 2 mile round trip trail through shaded forest to a small waterfall)
#4: Pinnacles (short 0.5 mile walk along ancient protruding volcanic rock formations)
MISADVENTURES-
We witnessed a multitude of dust devils rising out of the dry fields in western Oregon on our drive into the park. There was a strong haze due to the California wildfires, which significantly impaired visibility. The Air Quality Index (AQI) that day was at a warning level for youth, elderly, and those with respiratory concerns. We could feel that the high concentrations of suspended particulate matter from the wildfires and the naturally occurring clouds of pumice dust were impacting our breathing. When travelling during wildfire season, it’s important to carry plenty of water and monitor air quality levels.
The popular Cleetwood Cove swimming hole is one of the most popular places in the park. The trip down is fairly easy, but climbing 700 feet back up the volcanic caldera walls is the equivalent of climbing 65 flights of stairs. Apparently, NPS rangers frequently have to send Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers to assist visitors who overexert themselves on this trail, so they put up lots of warning signs.
During our visit, we saw the park’s SAR team in action. Five SAR team members hiked down the Cleetwood Cove Trail to assist a woman who appeared to be suffering from heat exhaustion. They lifted her up on a wheeled stretcher, and carried her about a mile uphill to a waiting ambulance. Thank goodness for good samaritans and volunteers!
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CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK STATS:
Established: May 1902 / Size: 183,224 acres
Annual Visitors: 614,000 / Location: Oregon
~Safe Travels, Nathalie