Crater Lake 21 June 2013 First day of Summer!

Road trip for the first day of summer.  I left home at 6am for my 4-ish hour drive to Crater Lake via Hwy 58 out of Eugene.  The road was lonely, very few cars, but on Hwy 138 on my last leg, three deer joined me on the road.  Praise God, they were far enough ahead that it was easy to slow down.  My first view of the park was at the Merriam Point overlook.  Brisk wind and cool.  Had to put on all my clothes.  :-)  I left Crater Lake around 2p to hike a to a falls on the way home.  Made it  home around 7:30p.

I drove on the very narrow East Rim Drive amid lots of snow.

Not too many people had arrived by 10 a so the pullouts were pretty empty.  Took more photos in the milky light, filtered by high clouds.

Wizard Island is looking pretty dark compared to the white snow.

Before 11a I was on the trail to Garfield Peak.  It was considered partially open, but there were people making it to the top.  They had to head up a pretty steep snow field, and I opted to stick with the view I had. I had it all to myself anyway. As the clouds melted away

and it became sunnier and sunnier, the water just kept getting bluer and bluer.  Amazing!

Paintbrush and Phlox on the trail

view of the lodge looking southwest

view from the trail to Garfield Peak

snowfield

Mt Shasta in CA

looking down the water was incredible

That is water not sky!  The clouds are reflected.

view from the top of the trail

You could see the Phantom Ship when you walked along the ridge at my view spot

Garfield Peak...the snowfield I was concerned about was the one nearest the top

Back at the parking lot

my hike

looking west from a pullout on the way home

Diamond Peak and Diamond Lake

Mt Thielsen from the Diamond Lake viewpoint

Rhodys blooming 

hiking to Toketee Falls

Toketee Falls