we had a great longest day of the eyar. We got out of the house at about 9:30 and headed 2 hours down to crater lake in Cnetral Oregon. It was a long, pretty trip
there was still a huge amount of snow up there
here’s the first view of the lake.. amazing !
crater lake is a collapsed volcano caldera filled with rainwater and snow melt.. .. the island in the middle is a cinder cone of a later eruption !
next stop was the cleetwood trail, the only trail that goes down to the water.. 70 feet down !
check out the pllen in the water !
we all got ready to jump in
we placed a samstone in near shore in the cold water
we had soem curous chipmonk freinds begging us for food
gabe braugth the 3 man slingshot we made.. and we used it to launch a samstone way out in the lake.. wich is almost 2000 feet deep in places !
look at the huge rocks in the water
then back up the trail
at one poitn a small patrol boat went by.. I thin the only boat in the lake.. you cold see the ripples from that boat for a good long time.
tyhen we were back on the road to paulina lake
here’s our 7th wayterfall for the trip
then came the amazing part.. Becky had foudn a hot springs noted on the map at East lake .. we foudn a small trail.. then scrampbled down to teh water. there on the shore of the lake were these shallow pools wiht bubbling hot gas.. . it was a hot spreing right on the shore of the lake !\it was really too hot to stand directly in soem places.
sich a beutiful setting. .and we were all alone there. soon after we got there.
then on the way home.. we stopped to see the obsidian flow.. what an amazing landscape.. it was caused by a magma event 1300 years ago.. a mile long river of glass (obsidian) and pumice.
everywhere was this beutiful, shiney, smooth and shaprp black obsidian.
it was like a martian landscape
then the drive home.. with the most beutiful sunset.. and it was already 9PM./. a fitting way to end the solstice !
we got home about 9:30.. too late to go out.. but our friends Joe and Morgan came over for a beer.. .. so good catching up with them !
great day.. great week
ok.. now time for sleep.
happy solstice everyone !
nite all, nite sam
-me