Miles Hikes: 22
Start Location: Mile 1818
End Location: Mile 1845
End Location GPS: 43.09039, -122.09028
Today we took the Crater Lake Rim alternate instead of the PCT which stays away from the lake for some reason, probably because horses aren’t allowed on the rim.
The Rim Trail was very impressive in terms of the views it provided, but aggravating in the fact that there is no water on the trail for 26 miles and we were lugging 6 liters each of the stuff up and down the craters edge.
The lake is actually the deepest lake in in the United States and 7th deepest in the world, just shy of 2000 feet deep. That’s a long way down. The extreme blue color of the lake is due to light being absorbed by the depths in the visible spectrum for all colors but blue, which gives it that crisp navy blue tone.
The surface is so serene and still it acts like a mirror reflecting the rocks and trees and clouds above it. Under this mirror, in the depths below, there are steam flows that billow out of the volcanic ground. This gives way to bacteria that live in this extreme environment due to this heat. It’s amazing how life adapts and thrives in the most unsual places.
Although Crater Lake is amazing, Lake Superior is still the most awe inspiring lake for me. The Upper Penninsula of Michagan is absolutely beautiful- but shhh, don’t tell anyone!
