My brother- and sister-in-law from Texas came to visit us a few weeks ago, and top of their list of things to do was a visit to Crater Lake National Park. The park lies only a 90-minute drive from our home, and though John and Barbara have visited us in the past, the timing for a trip to this beautiful destination had not been opportune. Wintertime snow accumulations can top 12 feet, and some years the lake-circling Rim Drive isn’t completely dug out and open to traffic until mid-July. We had to warn them on their arrival, however, that this time it might be fire and not ice which might throw a kink into their sightseeing plans.

In a situation which has repeated itself all too regularly these past several years, hot, dry weather and lightning strikes combined to start several large wildfires in our region, including two within the confines of the park on its western border. Depending on conditions, skies can gleam a brilliant blue or be shrouded in a thick, grey-yellow, choking pall. The deep blue of the lake’s surface and the stunning vistas across the lake can be completely obscured by a think blanket of smoke, so we warned our visitors that the trip might be a big letdown. Also, even on the most pristine days, the high elevation of the park (ranging from around 6,000–8,000 feet at the rim) can make even moderate activity a challenge for sea-level dwellers, and some folks experience mild altitude sickness symptoms. Breathing in smoke-filled air at that altitude could truly be unhealthy.

Warned but undeterred, our Texas kin and I set out early one morning, noting the haze which partially obscured our normally clear view of Mt. McLoughlin and casting the beams of sunlight filtering through the large firs and pines lining the road in a dirty yellow shade. Driving into the park from the west and sandwiched between the two blazes, we never saw flames but passed through alternating patches of dense smoke and almost clear conditions. Arriving at Rim Village, we could barely see across the lake (a distance of about 5 miles), and even nearby Wizard Island was hazy and the famous blue rather muted.

We strolled along the paths at the rim; checked out the interactive displays which explain the geology and how the lake was formed; visited the beautifully restored lodge, originally opened in 1915 and on the National Register of Historic Places (now operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts); and picked up sandwiches at the cafeteria/gift shop. With the West Rim Drive closed (the fire had burned right up to the roadway), making a complete circumnavigation of the lake impossible, we picked a few short hikes to take on our journey around the east side and headed out.

Our first stop, at Sun Notch (a glacially carved valley), brought us after a 1-mile hike uphill to great views of the lake and Phantom Ship,   a 10-story-tall islet thrusting out of the lake and resembling an old sailing ship,   festooned not with sails but tall firs. A light breeze helped to push some of the smoke out of the caldera, and we were rewarded with improving vistas and the famous, brilliant blue water.   We pulled into a few other overlooks before taking a side road to the Plaikni Falls trailhead. This 2-mile roundtrip hike through old-growth forest ended at the falls    and a hillside full of beautiful wildflowers — lupine, Indian paintbrush, wild asters and Lewis’s monkeyflower.    We enjoyed lingering by the cooling spray as we ate our lunch before we headed back to the car and continued our tour around the lake.

All day we had noticed lots of orange butterflies with spotted wings,   and at one stop we overheard a ranger explaining that every 5 or 6 years there seems to be an especially large migration of the California tortoiseshell butterfly, and 2017 appears to be one of those years. We also decided to visit the iconic Pacific Crest Trail where it passes through the park (hiking a segment of it is on my bucket list). 

At last we steered for the North Entrance to the park, heading home on a different route to avoid too much backtracking. The smoke and fires had perhaps scared some tourists away, as we found the roads, parking lots and trails were lightly traveled, but we left pleased that the day had provided some beautiful views and fun experiences in spite of our initial concerns.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor