Sunset Over Crater Lake - Mt Scott

With an extended weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to visit Crater Lake! Less than 2 hours South of Bend, Crater Lake seemed like the perfect place to spend a little time to enjoy nature (more on that in a later post).
We did a little research before driving out, and found out that Mt. Scott is the highest point in the park, and has a great view of Crater Lake. That sounded like the perfect place to be at sunset!
I called Crater Lake ahead of time and was told the trail was closed due to snow still being on the trail...that is a lie. There were 2 very tiny mounds of snow that you could easily either walk around, or take a step over (by the time you read this, they'll probably be gone). The hike is 2.5 miles each way and rated as strenuous (personally, I don't think it deserves that difficulty rating).
We got up there about 35 minutes before sunset, and had the place to ourselves! It was so peaceful watching the setting sun without any distraction.
The sky was still a beautiful orange color as we made our way down the hiking path, only really getting dark as we got in the car. Perfect timing!

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Clear Lake and Great Springs

*Water colors are not enhanced*
About 30 minutes West of Sisters, Oregon, is Clear Lake. Like the name suggests, the water in Clear Lake holds some very clear BLUE water! The water is very cold (around 36˚-43˚), which makes it hard for algae to thrive there. Because of that, you can see the 3,000 year old trees submerged in the lake, essentially preserved by the nearly freezing water.

On the North side of the lake is Great Springs. To get there, you can either walk along the hiking path that goes around the lake (4.6 mile loop), or rent a rowboat and paddle your way over. As you get closer to the spring, the water gets bluer and bluer. Finally you get to the little cove, and it appears that the water is flowing out of nowhere. In reality, the fresh spring water is coming from under the rocks! If you come out to Clear Lake, PLEASE go see Great Springs. You won't regret it! The beautiful blue color of the water compliments the green scenery that surrounds it in Late Spring, and the butterflies near the water are icing on the cake!

If you're looking to Spend the day out here, you can hike, boat (no motors), fish, or camp around the lake. Santiam Fish and Game regularly stocks the lake with trout, so if that's your thing - bring your fishing pole, rent a rowboat for the day ($30), and try your luck. Even if you don't catch anything, it's so beautiful you might not even care!

Smith Rock - Misery Ridge

I've done 3 hikes so far this year, and so far the shortest hike (up), has been the hardest. Misery Ridge at Smith Rock is a 3/4 mile hike (from the bottom of the trail to the top of Smith Rock), and although short, was fairly tough on this out of shape girl. Saying that, the views are spectacular! Pictures really do not do it justice. From the top, you can decide whether you want to go down the same way you went up, or take a much longer route down and around - we chose the latter (down the Mesa Verde trail, and along the river trail ~ 3 miles).  

Around Dillon Falls at Sunrise

I've never been much of a morning person, but maybe that will change soon. I went out to Dillon Falls around sunrise, but couldn't get a good morning light shot over the moving waters and rapids. However, this lovely image is from the calm area before the river's current picks up! Now that I know waking up around 4AM (before the sun is up), won't kill me, I might have to try it out more often. Everything is so calm and peaceful around that time.

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