The East Side Rim Drive finally opened in early July! This is a corner of Crater Lake with Mt Bailey on the left and Mt Thielson on the right. Our own Diamond Lake lies between the two mountains. The yellow at the edge of the lake is from the pine pollen which is very prevalent this time of year.
Guess this is why the Rim Drive just opened!!
Yes, it really was July 12, 2010.
The Phantom ShipNestled against the southeastern shore, Crater Lake's "other island" escapes detection by many park visitors. Though it resembles a small pirate ship, the island is as tall as a 16 story building! It's made of erosion-resistant rock, 400,000 years old, the oldest exposed rock within the caldera.
This overlook offers a great view of the Phantom Ship framed through the trees.
Bill is sitting in front of the Pumice Castle rock formation on the side of the caldera. You can see a variety of Mt Mazama lavas on the steep caldera walls.
The Pumice Castle with its pinkish-brown "turrets" is made of layers of pumice and other rocks coughed up by Mt Mazama, some so hot they welded together. Because of its firm foundation of andesite lava Pumice Castle has been kept intact.
Located at the end of a 7-mile spur road, the Pinnacles are well worth the detour. A colorful collection of 100-foot-tall spires are being eroded from the canyon wall.
The spires are "fossil fumaroles," each marking a spot where volcanic gas rose up through hot ash deposits, cementing the ash into solid rock.
Vidae Falls, a spring-fed creek, tumbles over a glacier-carved cliff and drops 100 feet over a series of ledges. In summer, wildflowers flourish in the cascade's spray.
Pearl, Bill, Sid, and I enjoyed a picnic supper near Vidae Falls.
This doe wandered beside our picnic table, not 20 feet away. Feeling unthreatened, she spent 20 minutes or so grazing under the forest canopy before disappearing into the trees.
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