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Published: September 21st 2006
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Alien Landscape
Craters of the Moon NP Hello again, the really interesting geologist is back, with two more natural wonders to thrill you with! The two epic craters in the title refer to ‘The Craters of the Moon’ National Monument and the ‘Crater Lake National Park’. Both of these marvels have two things in common…
1. We went to both of them
2. They were both created by volcanic activity
Another interesting fact is that both of them may well erupt again in a cataclysmic nature in the future, but only one of them is currently classified as an active site…read on and I will reveal the answer!
Craters of the Moon National Monument is a really weird place; it’s kinda like ‘I am standing on an alien world’ weird. All around you are solidified oceans of lava flows with barren scattered islands of pure black nothingness. (Time for the science bit) The whole visible landscape has a fairly recent history; beginning something like 15,000 years ago, molten lava oozed from fissures in the earth's crust creating the moody landscape of black and raw lava we see today. Cinder cones, craters, and windswept volcanic formations line the horizon like a mangled
windswept coastline.
Yet, life has still managed to find a foothold, even on this inhospitable wasteland…in fact, bit of a shock really, there were trees and shrubs all over the place, we didn’t expect that!? The awesome effects of volcanism has created a rugged but somehow scenic landscape that has forced animals and plants to adapt and seemingly thrive in an area that humans have been unable to tame.
So, what did we get up to at this volcanic marvel? Well, we thoroughly enjoyed the scenic 7 mile loop drive, and then we got out of our comfortable yet swift sports utility vehicle and hiked up a volcano! Now you can’t say that every day can you? Seriously folks, as the pictures will prove, we did in fact hike up a volcano, albeit a very small one…the biggest surprise at the top of the volcano was that there was just one small perfectly formed tree perched neatly at the very top. We bumped into a couple of fellow intrepid travellers by the tree, swapped stories and did the decent thing with the cameras, and hey presto…one of our very few pictures together.
The Craters of the Moon
was a fantastic diversion on our way to what was set to be our home for the next 3 days, Crater Lake and once again Like No Place Else on Earth!
Crater Lake has been an inspiration to people for hundreds of years; it is a place of Indian legend and a true spectacle of the power of nature. No place else on earth combines such a clear deep blue lake with incredible sheer cliffs enveloping the shimmering water like a giant swimming pool. The lake itself, so blue in colour that it almost looks as if someone has painted it, is overwhelmingly yet sublimely beautiful. The whole deep blue scene is magical and enchanting; the water acts as a reflector for the surrounding cliffs, a natural mirror, creating a place of immeasurable beauty. Within the lake lie two picturesque islands, and it is these that hint at the park's violent volcanic past; they are the only remnants of a once giant super volcano explosion…very cool!
Few places on earth command such immediate and overwhelming awe, but Crater Lake certainly did. Although we had read about the deep blue lake and surrounding crater, we were just not
prepared for our first breathtaking look from the brink of the caldera. The scene before us, created by the eruption and collapse of Mt. Mazama almost 7,000 years ago, was truly incredible, we were left speechless…albeit we did utter a couple of expletives!
We had two days to take in the beauty of Crater Lake, and we had a plan. We were feeling adventurous and energetic after a restful couple of days driving from Yellowstone…our mission was to hike up to the highest point, and down to the lowest point at the craters edge, should be easy for a couple of seasoned hikers!
So after a leisurely drive around the imaginatively named 33 mile ‘Rim Drive’, we were ready for our climb to Garfield’s Peak. With backpacks full of drinks, food and cameras we set off on the strenuous 8054ft hike up to the summit of the mountain. The nearly two mile walk was strenuous at times but it was well worth the effort when we reached the top. From the summit we had a panoramic view of the lake and the surrounding mountains; it was truly glorious. After enjoying our time as Kings of the Mountain
and a quick photo session, we started the walk back down. With Garfield’s Peak now conquered, we rewarded ourselves with a picnic lunch at the bottom near the excellent visitors centre.
Feeling encouraged by the previous day’s hike, and fortunately not too sore in the legs, we set out on day two to hike down to the water’s edge. The Cleetwood Cove trail, a steep, winding mile long dirt trail descending just over 1000ft, is the only way to reach the clear blue abyss. The park guide says to allow an hour for this hike, but this time is clearly for grannies and lazies because we made it in 20 minutes! Once at the bottom we decided to take our shoes off and catch some rays on the large boulders that line the shore. You could really see the clarity of the water from here and it was easy to spot fish swimming by.
The Crater Lake, lake…is supposedly the deepest lake in the USA at a staggering two thousand feet, so no chance of touching the bottom unless you meet an untimely end...which has reportedly happened on numerous occasions to unfortunate tourists trying to get that
The majestic Crater Lake
It was impossible to get a shot of the whole lake from the rim. one great picture from the rim and tumbling two thousand feet to their death…the fools. Another interesting fact is that the lake is entirely composed of melted snow and rain, there are no rivers flowing into or out of the lake, as a result the lake is as pure as pure could be…considering its massive volume, scientists have calculated that it took over ten thousand years for the lake crater to fill to its current level…all very interesting I’m sure you’ll agree. So, onward and after sufficient lounging by the waters edge we made our way back up the steep trail leaving the grannies in our dust…sorry grannies!
A fellow camper who saw our NC license plate asked us, “Did you guys drive all the way from North Carolina just to see Crater Lake?” Well of course the answer was “No, we didn’t drive all this way
just for Crater Lake…” but it has certainly been one of the highlights of our trip so far!
And finally, as promised…the answer you have all been waiting for…The only active volcanic site is Craters of the Moon…one day soon, maybe today, maybe tomorrow the whole of Idaho is going
to blow! Should make for a fantastic made for TV movie…’The Day Idaho Went Tally Ho!’…you read it here first.
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