Headed southeast from Alsea down through Eugene to Crater Lake National Park…about a 3 1/2 hour drive so we had a long day.
History lesson…A massive volcanic eruption 7700 years ago left a deep basin in the place where a mountain peak once stood.
Centuries of rain and snow filled the basin, forming a deep blue lake whose waters are of unmatched color and clarity. It’s the deepest lake in the United States.
Crater Lake is 4.54 miles across (minimum) and 6.02 miles across (maximum)…1943 feet deep at deepest point…holds 4.9 trillion gallons of water…tallest point on rim is 1978 feet above lake…lowest point on rim is 507 feet above lake.
Why is the lake so blue? Other colors of the spectrum are absorbed. Blue wavelengths are scattered and seen by human eyes. (It is the most beautiful blue…at true blue not the blue/green of the Caribbean.)
The island that has formed in the lake is called Wizard Island.
The volcano, Mazama, is not extinct…hello!
As we were at a higher elevation the temp was much cooler…46 degrees…they get 533 inches of snow each year. It was a beautiful day.
The Wiz was so excited to learn that an island had been named after him. The Wiz has been placed in our care for one year by the Escapees in Summerdale, AL and goes everywhere we do.
We drove through this really cute area called Union Creek…wish we had had time to do more than just take a couple of pictures.
Moving on.
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