Crescent Lake Junction - Crater Lake, OR

 July 21 - 22, 2024

On Sunday we left Harrisburg and drove to up the mountain to Crescent Lake Junction, elevation 4,764'.  We're at the Crescent Junction RV Park, and very nice park in the pines.  We have 50 amp full hookups for $38.33 per night.  The campground hosts are super nice!

There is the Red Fire (started by lightning) that's about two miles away as the crow flies.  When we arrived they had just gone to a level 1 - Ready (there's level 2 - Set, and level 3 - Go).  They don't expect it to move much so we're not concerned as we can be packed up and gone in about 30 minutes.  However, it is quite smoky all through the area.  This is one is a series of 11 fires they're calling the Diamond Peak Wilderness fires.

Monday, my birthday, we went to Crater Lake.  Unfortunately the smoke from the Trail Fire near Diamond Lake north of Crater Lake made it not as pretty as I'm sure it is.  They weren't even charging admission.  John took some pictures and enhanced them to take out the smoke, and I took some that I didn't do anything to.  Here are some of both; I'm sure you can see the difference.

Wizard IslandCrater LakePanoramaThe Pinnacles

There were still patches of snow.

We did see the fires off in the distance.

Part of the loop road between Skell Head and Phantom Ship Overlook is closed due to road construction.  Maybe the next time we come it will all be open.  I did get a picture of the what people think looks like a phantom ship.  I had to zoom in but the smoke does make it a little more interesting.

After we left Crater Lake we drove to Diamond Lake RV Park.  We had reservations there but when we got here they were on a level 2 so I cancelled them.  Driving through the park I'm glad I did.  Maybe it was just the smoke because it was really bad, but the sites weren't very level and I'm not sure we would camp there if we had the chance.  Natural is one thing; unkempt is something else.

The weather has been so much cooler.  Days in the low 80s and this morning it was in the high 40s.

I had a wonderful birthday even if it was smoky.  Right now we plan on being here for a few more days.  Then we'll be...

Roving on...

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth".

Genesis 1:1