Day 2 - Pacific Sands to Mountain Snow. Cannon Beach to Crater Lake National Park
What a day. Up early and out to walk Cannon Beach one last time and check out the tidepools at Haystacks Rock. Let me tell you I was blown away. So many lifeforms everywhere in the tidepools. I happen to know a Science teacher that probably would have blown her brain ha ha.
After heading a mile back to my car I said goodbye to the Tolovana Inn's residence baby bunny collection. Had to have been a good dozen or so of them running around.
Then it was off to the Lazy Susan for a nice calm Oatmeal Waffle Delight Breakfast. Driving there though I will admit I was alarmed by the Now Entering Tsunami Zone sign. Oh well YOLO.
They received over 52 inches of Snow at the top of Crater Lake this past winter. So many roads and trails were still closed. This created an extra hour approximately to my drive south. It was through beautiful Willamete National Forest in the Cascade Range though, so way worth it.
Once I got to Crater Lake. Let me just tell you. I forgot how much I love this place. I headed up to the Rim Visitor Center and Discovery Point areas to check things out and take some amazing shots. The snow btw was everywhere. Also verified that all trails are still snow covered and that at this point my change of plans for the morning was a good sign. I had decided to not do another hike in Crater Lake. My original plan was hike today and tomorrow. But well no where to hike. But still very amazing.
I am not sure about thar red tape on the pole. I am almost certain that is how high the snow was at that view point during peak winter.
It was a warmish for Crater Lake day. Well the sun was beating down and making things warm. This important to know for something later in my story.
But I saw Clark's Nutcracker and a Golden Mantled Squirrel. I promised you it's a squirrel not a chipmunk.
A yummy dinner at Annie Creek Restaurant after I checked in to my cabin for the night. Dinner was yummy and the cabin was super cute.
An attempted walk to see if Annie Springs Trail was open and nope. Also closed. A few pics and the assault of mosquitos drove me back to the cabin. It was 7 o'clock so I guess I will wait till dark and maybe head back up to the Rim.
Okay I had just read a book about a seasoned SUPER AMAZING National Park Ranger dying hiking in snow. What was I thinking? Really I mean? A night shot cant be that great right?
Well I got up there and took some shots and they were nice and then these two guys were heading up to this higher point and I went up as well. There were two other pairs of visitors up there. But I was the only solo person. I went about taking some more pictures and then turned around and everyone was gone. And I stupidly trod off into the darkness thinking they went to another cool spot up ahead.
That is when I passed the 5 foot deep snow hole. Yeah the snow was prob about five deep and the snow had caved in. A person standing there when it happened would most likely hurt themselves.
Did I turn around and go the right way. No of course not. I went the wrong way and ended up standing on ten foot high snow wall next to the road. I may have made a poor choice and check to see if there was a way down to the road. There was not. Some scrabbling and I managed back to the top and figured out my direction and somehow got back in one piece to the car. Yeah going solo has its problems.
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