Monday, August 12 – afternoon – After our boat tour, we continued our drive around the east rim of Crater Lake and stopped for photos at the overlooks. This is the Phantom Ship……
From the rim, the island which we had seen up close on our boat ride, does look like a ship drifting in the fog.
Even zoomed in, the Phantom Ship retains an air of mystery (made more so by the haze in the air).
We drove on around to the Plaikni Falls Trailhead. This new trail opened in 2011, is 2.2 miles round trip and wheel chair accessible most of the way. An easy walk with a lovely destination…..
The source of the falls is snowmelt, and it runs clear and beautiful….
Over the rocks….bringing to life a wild flower meadow.
We have been surprised to find fireweed here, just as we had seen in Alaska.
The setting was lovely….and enjoyed by a lot families with small children.
We drove on down the road to the Pinnacles Overlook.
These pinnacles, or spires, are what is left from the ancient fumaroles of the volcano, where gases would funnel up and escape.
The hot gases fused and hardened the rock around them, and have withstood erosion.
They stand like elaborate sand castles along the edge of the mountain.
When we got back to our camper….we were tired, and satisfied with the day. We fixed a pizza, and just crashed.
The next day…we would be moving on…..
You're trip to Crater Lake looks thoroughly enjoyable. You've made me want to return there myself for another visit. We were there almost 20 years ago.
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