Day 33 - 8/17/2004 - On to Crater Lake

We got on the road a little later than expected (again), but we knew our goal was close - Crater Lake, Oregon.  Throughout the Northwest, folks had been telling us how great the park is, so we decided to detour and see it for ourselves.  We cruised down I-5, and branched off on a 2-lane blacktop at Eugene.  By 2pm, we were pulling into the park.

Crater Lake is actually a defunct volcanic mountain named Mt. Mazama.  In the distant past, it was a huge volcano towering above the other neighboring mountains.  Gradually, the vulcanism subsided and the mountain collapsed on itself, leaving a huge crater.  The crater gradually filled up with water (snow and ice too) - there is no outlet for the water.  The size of the crater is astonishing.  The water is 2000 feet deep, and the rim of the crater varies but soars 2000 feet (I am estimating) above the water in places.  I would also guess the crater is 4-5 miles wide in spots.  I am guessing, since I have to access to the Internet as I write this (maybe I will correct it later).

We spent most of the afternoon driving around the rim and stopping to rread signs and snap pics.  After a quick dinner, it wwas time to head for the coast and our next stop - Redwoods National Park in California.

On the way down, we were looking for a campsite and happened to see a sign for Oregon Caves National Monument.  This is another place we had heard was interesting.  A quick detour (I love a good flexible schedule), and we ended up here in Grayback Campground near the entrance.  We plan to visit the caves tomorrow, and then head down to the redwoods.