"You can't fall if you don't climb. But there is no joy in living our whole life on the ground" - Shel Silverstein
Fern and I left Cascade Locks and traveled roughly 300 miles and about 6 hours to Klamath Falls. The drive was gorgeous and speckled with mountain tops along the Cascade Range. We passed Mount Wilson, Mount Jefferson, Mount Thielsen, Mount Scott, and Mount McLaughlin. This spectacular mountain is Mount Jefferson.
About 2 hours from Cascade Locks, I came upon this little treasure, Warm Springs.
Warm Springs is situated at the Steens Mountain Loop Road base, and the Deschutes River runs through it. I can attest to winding and looping roads that guide you over the mountains. They are much larger than they appear in these pictures, and the view is something to see. A short 20-minute walk from here will get you to the Barnes Warm Springs.
Warm springs sit on the state's second-largest Indian Reservation, and this area contains 48 named mountains.
The drive into Klamath Falls along the Upper Klamath Lake was even more beautiful.
This gorgeous mountain peak is Mount McLoughlin, visible just across Klamath Lake. Fern and I landed at the Klamath Falls KOA Journey early evening. It was a nice campground, and the people were friendly. There was just enough time to grab some delicious local Mexican food and plan for the next day. It was going to be a big day for my senses, considering I would be experiencing Crater Lake and the Redwoods all in one day as I made my way to California.
The following morning I got around early and hit the road to Crater Lake National Park. It was about an hour and a half drive North of Klamath Falls. It would have been easier to visit on my way down the previous day, but it was late after traveling all day, and I wanted to have time to take it all in and enjoy myself. I also didn't know how easy it would be to navigate with Fern.
The first part of the route was the reverse of how I had driven the following day, so I enjoyed the lake and rolling mountains again. There was one, in particular, I had my eye on. I just knew the top would give me a spectacular view of the lake and Mount McLoughlin. It was extremely tall and somewhat intimidating. I pulled over to make my assent and noticed a car coming down. I waited because it appeared to be a one-lane road winding along the side of the mountain. I paused for a second, then forged my way up.
This trip has brought to light that I need to listen more closely to my intuition, that still small voice in my head, and the tight feeling in my stomach that warns me when I should reconsider something. It is usually highly accurate; I need to trust it more often. Sometimes I mistake it for fear that should be conquered.
I realized almost instantly that this wasn't my brightest idea. First of all, what would I do if I met another car? There was no room to move over. Then there was the issue of no guardrails, so not to be overly dramatic, but one wrong move, and I was plunging off the side of the mountain. That certainly wasn't how I wanted to go.
Halfway up, I found a small area that would eventually give me enough space to turn my car around. As I turned, I noticed something on the ground. A pile of something. Upon closer inspection, it was a large pile of sizeable dead bird carcasses! So creepy and bewildering. I don't even want to know what went down there. Needless to say, I got out of there as quickly as possible, but only after taking pictures of the gorgeous view. It was, after all, why I started up this bizarre mountain.
I was so excited to visit Crater Lake National Park. It was towards the top of my list of places to visit. I expected it to be incredible, but I was unprepared for the loveliest color of blue I had ever seen. The drive around the rim is 33 miles. It can easily be explored in a day, but you should take your time with more than 30 pullover opportunities to catch all the lake views. I could not drive around the entire lake because part of it was already closed for the season. The portion I could see was stunning, and the color was indescribable, unlike anything I had ever experienced.
Wizard Island can be seen in both of these pictures. It is a cinder cone that formed an Island and reaches almost 7,000 feet above sea level. That is about 755 feet above the surface of the lake. There is another well-known island called Phantom Ship Island, but I could not see it because of road closures.
This lake is 1,943 feet deep, making it the deepest lake in America. All the water comes directly from snow or rain, as there are no inlets from other sources. It was created from the volcanic eruption and collapse of Mount Mazama over 7,700 years ago. Its nickname is Lake Majesty, and it is indeed majestic. Because there are no sediments or mineral deposits in the water, it is one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the world.
The average annual snowfall at Crater Lake is 43 feet making it one of the snowiest places in the United States. Who knew? A beautiful forest surrounds the lake, and people enjoy snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, and snowmobiling in the winter.
A fair amount of snow had fallen, which I wasn't expecting because there was no trace of snow until I got close to Crater Lake National Park. It was absolutely breathtaking, and I could have stayed here for days. I will hold this experience close to my heart for a lifetime.
There was a little village around the rim to purchase snacks and souvenirs.
I returned to Klamath Falls with my mind dancing with memories of Crater Lake, just in time to check out of my campsite and start the drive to Crescent City, CA. Redwoods... Here we come!
Stay Wild 🌿
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