11 October 2016, Tuesday
The morning is cool, but bright and sunny as we drive back to Crater Lake. Our destination is the Mount Scott trailhead. Mt. Scott became the tallest peak in the park after the cataclysmic collapse of Mt. Mazuma. It is a 5 mile round trip to the lookout at the top. The sky is clear and blue, and Crater Lake is an even deeper shade of blue below us. Although the hike is labeled strenuous, it seems to be only the thin air at an elevation of almost 9000 feet that makes it so. The view from the top is absolutely beautiful, so we stop to enjoy it as we eat our lunch. We again admire the spectacular views as we descend.
We next drive to Cloudcap overlook and then on to Crater Lake Lodge at Rim Village for a ranger talk on what lies beneath the surface of the lake. There is moss which grows at a depth greater than it can anywhere else in the world due to the clarity of the water, there are zooplankton, there are bacteria that depend on water heated by volcanic vents, midge larvae which spend years on the lake’s bottom and then mature, rise to the surface and live as midges above the water for 2-3 days while they reproduce and then die. There are non-native trout and salmon introduced before Crater Lake became a park, in a effort to draw more people to the area. There are invasive crayfish, introduced to feed the fish, and now leading to a sharp decline in a native newt that lives only here.
After the ranger talk we decide to have a light dinner at the lodge in the great room. Here the restaurant staff serves soup and salad, beer and wine. The restaurant itself is not an option. There are no openings for tables tonight, which is a good thing because prices are astronomical!
It is a perfect evening to cap off the day with a hike up Watchman’s Peak to view the sunset. We arrive at the parking area and climb the 1.6 mile trail. At the summit is a small congregation of fellow hikers also awaiting the sunset, cameras at the ready. The lake’s blue color deepens to the east as the mountain ranges to the west turn varying shades of blue and purple and the sky above glows yellow-orange. Best Kol Nidre service ever!
We drive back to camp in the dark. Lining the park road are 12 foot high poles with reflectors near the top. They are meant to help the snow plows keep the road open in winter, but tonight they look like candles lighting our way.