On Thursday, August 20th Tasha and I drove south for several hours and set-up camp for three nights at the Thielsen View Campground at Diamond Lake. This particular campground is on the west side of the lake and has fewer tent sites than two huge campgrounds on the other side. And, since Diamond Lake is only about a half hour drive from Crater Lake, we spent our first full day at Crater Lake, hiking to the top of Mt. Scott, highest point in the NP (5 miles rt, about 3 hours), and taking the 3:00 p.m. boat tour of the lake.
Of course, Tasha had to stage her simulated jump into Crater Lake from the rim hundreds of feet above. It was a gorgeous August day at Crater Lake, and we thoroughly enjoyed the cloudless sky, warm sun and spectacular views. Tasha was determined to swim in the cold lake water, so after our boat trip, in spite of the encroaching shadows, she took the plunge.
One of the highlights of the boat trip is the opportunity to get up close both to Wizard Island and to the so-called "Phantom Ship." In addition, the ranger giving the narration pointed-out the fascinating volcanic formation that looks almost like an ancient castle.
Our campsite at Diamond Lake didn't actually have much of a view; however, a short walk to the lakeside affords a very impressive view of Mt. Thielsen. On our second full day Tasha was determined to climb Mt. Bailey which rose over 3500 ft. above our campground. Since it was a 10-mile roundtrip, yours truly opted to go half-way and content myself with a great view of Diamond Lake from up above. Tasha made it all the way to the peak but was pretty tired when she got back to the trailhead shortly before 4:00 p.m.
Camp food turned out quite well, and on the last morning I contented myself with a humble breakfast of coffee, cocoa, orange juice, 3 slices of bacon, 2 eggs over-easy, and two pancakes (the latter consumed when Tasha got up some time later!). Anyway, it was a great trip. - rw
5 comments:
great pix!!!!!!!! looks like a fantastic trip!!!!!!!!!!!
Yea, N's. In fact, I distinctly remember you being there! - Dad
Well, this looks like an awesome trip! And in the previous post, is that actually sunlight at the Oregon coast?
Marta
Yes, Marta! We had beautiful sunshine on our first day there -- followed by a couple days of off-and-on drizzle & showers. - rw
Wow. Stunning views. Great photos. Makes me jealous for a good ol' camping trip in the Northwest.
I've got to try that jump -- did Nzol get injured at all from jumping into the lake from so high?
Post a Comment