outdoors
BY AARON J. NICHOLSON
WIZARD ISLAND IS A VOLCANO WITHIN A VOLCANO
Winter Wandering
Circling Crater Lake by snowshoe
O
regon’s only National Park is a summertime
favorite for locals and tourists alike. Whether it’s a
boat ride to majestic Wizard Island or a scenic tour
around the caldera on Rim Drive, Crater Lake has plenty
to offer in the warm season. But America’s deepest lake is
by no means off-limits when the snow falls in winter. The
southern entrance to the park remains open, and the road to
Rim Village is plowed for vehicle access. And from there
visitors can embark on one of the greatest adventures the
park has to offer: a wintertime circumnavigation of our
state’s most impressive body of water.
Such was my intent on Dec. 21, 2011 when I showed up
at the Crater Lake Visitor Center parking lot with two friends
and a pile of gear. Although many winter trekkers prefer
cross-country skis, we chose snowshoes as our method of
travel, opting for secure footing and fewer embarrassing
face-plants. After registering for a three-day backcountry
permit and ditching our cars in the free parking area, we set
out from Rim Village at 11 am.
We did our best to follow the hikers’ route of the Pacifi c
Crest Trail (equestrians on the PCT use another route
at the base of Mount Mazama, the ancient volcano that
now contains Crater Lake). I recognized the terrain from
previous hikes on this National Scenic Trail, but the snow
here was new to me. Although I have always thought Crater
Lake to be gorgeous in the summer, I found the wintertime
version to be even more picturesque.
As we followed the trail, we saw Wizard Island to our
right. This volcanic cinder cone rises out of the lake near the
western side of the caldera. At its top is a crater of its own,
a reminder that Wizard Island is a small volcano within
another volcano. Although most of our attention was drawn
to the contents of the gigantic caldera, the scene outside the
rim was also spectacular. To the southwest stands Union
Peak, with Mount McLoughlin farther south and mighty
Mount Shasta towering in the haze beyond in California. As
we continued around the rim, we were given increasingly
wonderful views of Mount Thielsen and Diamond Peak to
the north, and eventually we spotted the South Sister in the
distance.
A quick lunch in the early afternoon helped fuel our
efforts around the lake. When we reached the junction of
Rim Drive and North Entrance Road, the Pacifi c Crest
Trail left the rim. Now our most practical route was along
the remainder of Rim Drive. Following this snow-covered
road took us around the back side of gigantic Llao Rock,
a prominent feature named after a god in Klamath Native
American legend. We stopped to make camp just before
dark, having accomplished about 10 miles.
One of my goals for the trip was to test my sleeping gear
in cold temperatures. My down sleeping bag, ultralight pad,
and solo tent were intended for “three-season” use, but I
fi gured with enough clothes on I could probably make them
work. As the temperature dropped, it was soon obvious that
winter was not one of those three seasons. I wore all of my
clothing and slipped three pairs of socks over my numb feet.
When I failed to regain feeling in my toes, I crammed my
feet into my thermal gloves and tried to sleep through my
shivering. The temperature reached 7 degrees F that night —
well below the rating of my sleeping bag. I was miserable.
Due to a minor injury we spent the next day backtracking
to Rim Village, leaving the remainder of our intended route
for a future expedition. Just past our turn-around point a
clockwise trekker will reach Cleetwood Trail, the only safe
and legal access to the lake itself. This steep, switchback-
riddled path is open to both snowshoers and skiers in winter
(though I think a little insanity is required to attempt the
descent on skis). Continuing to the east side of the lake,
adventurers will encounter Mount Scott, an old volcano
with a summit elevation of nearly 9,000 feet — the highest
point in the park. A trail from its base climbs about 1,500
feet to the top, providing access to backcountry travelers
year-round. The view from the peak is spectacular.
Back at Rim Village, we made sure to hang our
backcountry permit on the door of the Visitor Center to
assure the staff of our safe return. No doubt they were
amazed that we had circled Crater Lake in just two days
instead of our intended three. I hope we set a record.
Aaron J. Nicholson of Eugene is working on promoting his recently
published backpacking book, The State of Determination, which includes
the self-contained, solo 460-mile Pacific Crest Trail trek he wrote about last fall
for EW. His book website is aaronjnicholson.com
see what we ’ re pinning
P I N T E R E S T. C O M / E U G E N E W E E K LY
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EUGENE WEEKLY MARCH 15, 2012
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