Around Rim Village

    Crater Lake is a national treasure. It was formed about 7700 years ago, when the former Mt. Mazama exploded massively and released 150 times as much material as did the infamous recent explosion of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. After the explosion, there remained too little material to support the walls, and they collapsed to form a giant crater (caldera) up to six miles in diameter. Rain accumulated in it over the centuries, creating a lake that now has a maximum depth of 1932 feet. Because the sole source of this water is rain and snow, it is extremely clean and pure.
    Crater Lake has been a national park for 100 years. You can drive around most of the rim (Rim Drive), and walk 700 feet down to the lake at one point. We did both, and had a great time. You can also walk on Pumice Desert, the remains of a flow of lava that has too little nutrients to support plant life. We did that, too.
    The series of pictures follows our day there. We first drove to the Visitor Center, then up to Rim Village at the top, and then clockwise around Rim Drive. We highly recommend the experience for anyone who is in the area.

Here is part of the rim as seen from the outside. To get an idea of the original Mt. Mazama, imagine the rim extending another several thousand feet up to the peak of a giant cone like that of Mt. Hood or Mt. Rainier.

Our first view of the lake up by Rim Village. The deep blue color has been impressing visitors for more than a century. Part of it is light reflected from the deep-blue sky, but much of it comes from the water itself, and it linked to its great transparency.

Gail is enjoying the beautiful view.

    This plaque reads:

    The dramatically high caldera walls of Crater Lake are beautiful—but also dangerous. The drop to the lake is about 1,000 feet (300 m). Loose volcanic rocks and soil here make very poor footing, and falls can have serious consequences.
    Please do not venture beyond the overlook walls and paved walks. Keep children under close supervision. Regulations require that pets be kept on leashes; pets allowed to run loose have vanished over the rim.
    Walking or climbing near the rim is not only dangerous, but it damages trees and plants, and accelerates erosion. Please help to protect this scenic area buy using designated walkways and overlooks.

Two guys enjoying nature near Rim Village.

We saw many young people here, too (including my daughter, of course!).

You really don't want to take a fall here.

This is one of my favorite photos.

This is the Rim Visitor Center at Rim Village. It contains restrooms, a restaurant, and shops.

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