We were on the road by 08:30 A.M. heading north to Crater Lake, the most popular attraction in the area.  It was a gorgeous blue sky day with some scattered clouds.  It would prove to be a great day for taking pictures.   As we travelled along on route 62 you could see the snow on the peaks of the mountains ahead.

We passed through Winema National Forest and entered Crater Lake National Park around 10:00 A.M.

It wasn’t long before we started seeing snow alongside the road.

As we progressed further in the park and our altitude increased there was even more snow alongside the road.

As early as it was there was a long waiting line at the entrance gate; Father’s Day may have had something to do with it.  It could also have been the weather because it had not been good inside the park for about a week.  Fortunately we were waved around the line because we have a National Parks Passport.  Wisest $10.00 investment I ever made as it gets us into all of the National Parks and Monuments at no additional cost.  At some facilities we do have to pay for parking but, that is pretty rare.  At the Visitor Information Center you really grasp the height of the snow.  We were advised that there were only 3 sites available to view the lake: Rim Village, Crater Lake Lodge and Discovery Point.  The snow had not melted enough to allow traffic to safely pass beyond that.  Normal snowfall for the area around Crater Lake is 40-45 feet, this winter they had over 60 feet.  We were disappointed that we would not be able to make the loop around the lake as planned.  However, we were grateful for what we would be able to see.  This is the Visitor Information Center.

We proceeded towards Rim Village.  Notice how the trees were bent by the heavy snow.

There is nothing that can prepare you for your first view of Crater Lake.  We’ve seen the pictures in brochures, looked at the postings on the internet and even watched the film at the Visitor Center.  It is a WOW moment – it is majestic and magical, a moment you will never forget.

Here is a description that went with the National Park sticker we inserted in our National Parks Passport.  “Crater Lake was the basis of much local Native American legend, as the stories of its creation have been passed down through the centuries.  The lake was formed after the collapse of an ancient volcano, posthumously named Mount Mazama.  This volcano violently erupted approximately 7,700 years ago.  The basin or caldera was formed after the top 5,000 feet of the volcano collapsed.

Subsequent lava flows sealed the bottom, allowing the caldera to fill with approximately 4.6 million gallons of water from rainfall and snow melt, to create the seventh deepest lake in the world at 1,943 feet.”

I took this picture to show the height of the snow where the road was closed at Discovery Point.

Jeanne & I had excellent salads for lunch at the Crater Lake Lodge.  The lunch was offset by our deserts on the porch overlooking Crater Lake.  What a great way to spend a day.