When we left Morro Bay we headed north to Crater Lake. We covered the 650 miles in a day and a half. We spent two nights at Crater in a friend's fifth-wheel.
Passing by impressive Mt. Shasta with some fine lenticular clouds hovering above it in northern CA.
Looking back at the north side of the Mt. Shasta.
We have arrived at Crater Lake! It's always a drastic weather change when you leave the valley east or west of the mountain and climb ~6,000 feet.
Boss loves it!
The clouds were settled in the caldera and flurries were flying when we first arrived. There wasn't much to see or do. All of our snow gear was packed away.
This is the road leading from the park entrance to the crater's rim above the lake. Still probably 10 ft. walls of snow.
The NPS visitor center.
At least the parking lot has been plowed.
It's a continuous project all winter long. They average 544 inches of snow each winter. This year they have already gotten more than 570 inches, and it was still falling.
Crater Lake lodge (not yet open)They have to use big machinery to literally dig the lodge out in May. During the winter maintenance crews walk on top of the snow to the roof and use an entrance there to get into the building.
The snow stopped falling for a few hours and the clouds lifted a bit once for us before we left. Crater Lake is in our top five of the most incredible places we have ever spent time at...and we were fortunate enough to live and work here!
While the weather was wet and cold at the caldera rim, 2000 ft. below at the Crater Lake employee campground it was fantastic! When we came through Medford, OR, on our way to Crater Lake Andrew picked up a 20 in. Stihl chainsaw. During a winter storm two pine trees fell down at the campground, so Andrew volunteered to test his new toy and cut the trees up. Boys and their toys! He had a smile from ear to ear that day (and ever since then when the chainsaw is mentioned).
He cut several sections like this for us to take to AK for various reasons. I got to cut one too! We are planning on making stools with the smaller ones and end tables with the medium size ones. And, we already used a couple to help make bookshelves in the cabin (cut them into quarters and used them as braces under the shelves mounted to the walls).
Then we got creative...using my idea and guidance he made a campfire thrown for our friends at Crater Lake. :)