As we continue on our Rim Drive tour, the day is quickly getting away from us and we have so much more to see!
We bypass several overlooks and come along Cloudcap Overlook (ONLY open during the summer) on the east side of the lake.
Cloudcap Overlook is the highest paved road in Oregon and is 1-mile long.
Looking Northwest.
The sides of the caldera create shadows along the edge of the water.
Looking west.
Whitebark pines cling to the surrounding area (not pictured) for survival, dwarf and contorted by the harsh winds that sweep across. Gino pointed them out just as we were driving back down the mountain. If I would have seen them, I would have gotten photos (next time!).
Our next stop along the drive was the Phantom Ship Overlook. The “other” island, they say it resembles a small sailboat (I’m not seeing it).
This area is surrounded by trees, so views of the lake are seen through them.
Looking Northwest toward Watchman Overlook.
Our tour of the lake is about over and I think we are about done too.
The East Rim Drive road (only open during the summer!) is very bumpy and in need of repair. There are no guardrails along the way, which I thought was very strange, because the road got very close to the edge a few times!
Our last stop along the Rim Drive was Vidae Falls.
Vidae Falls comes from a spring fed creek that tumbles 100 feet along the cliffs.
Trying to get a good picture of the falls was a bit difficult but I was able to get a great shot of the sign!
That’s our day at Crater Lake, we would love to go back and see more. Right now it’s time for some dinner and then we are off again…