Not to be Missed

I don’t think there are words to describe Crater Lake that haven’t already been written.

It is as stunning and beautiful as I’d imagined. Standing at the top of the rim and looking down really puts your own small human life in perspective and makes you appreciate even more the power of nature and marvel at the cataclysmic events that took place here 7,700 years ago.

Although the area around the lodge was brimming with people, once you head away from the lodge and up a trail, you leave the crowds behind and find yourself feeling almost like you have the place to yourself.

Having been born and raised here in Oregon, neither of us had ever visited Oregon’s only national park and while this wasn’t really a birding trip, we did spend time enjoying the birds with whom we shared the trail. Juncos, Pine Siskins, Mountain Chickadees, Clark Nutcracker’s and Red Crossbills made themselves the most evident.

I wished we’d had more time to spend here.  Two days is not enough.   Alas, life and the call of jury duty later in the week (which was cancelled the night before as I suspected it would be) had us heading for home before we were ready.