Today was one of those road trip days where it felt like Mother Nature was trying to show off. All except the weather cooperating!
I started the morning at the southern end of Lake Tahoe and worked my way up the western shore toward the northern end. The weather was definitely on the cool side, with thick clouds hanging over the lake for most of the day, but Lake Tahoe still managed to look absolutely beautiful. The water was that deep blue color that almost looks fake in person. Unfortunately, every picture I took seemed determined to make one of the most beautiful lakes in America look like a random lake begins entry gates community on Florida. Sometimes a camera just cannot compete with your own eyes. The drive itself was spectacular. Around nearly every corner there was another mountain, another lake,, or another postcard-worthy view. Just when I thought I had seen the best scenery of the day, another incredible landscape would appear around the bend.
On my drive from Lake Tahoe to Crater Lake National Park, one of the biggest surprises was the drive along Lake Almanor. Mile after mile of beautiful shoreline, forests, and mountain views made it hard to keep my eyes on the road. Then came the drive along Upper Klamath Lake, which was equally impressive.
Eventually I arrived at Crater Lake National Park, and it did not disappoint. Getting there felt like climbing into the clouds. The elevation topped 7,000 feet, and the temperature reminded me that late spring is apparently optional in Oregon. The north side of Rim Drive is still closed because of the massive amount of snow they received this year. Apparently Crater Lake looked at the calendar, saw it was almost June, and decided winter should stick around a little longer. I was able to explore the south side up to Rim Village, and the views were absolutely breathtaking.
At least they were when the clouds cooperated. The weather spent most of the day playing hide-and-seek with the lake. One minute I could see part of the brilliant blue water, and the next minute everything disappeared behind a wall of fog and clouds. When I drove a little farther toward the west side, the fog became even thicker. The photos ended up looking less like a national park brochure and more like scenes from a h horror movie. They were eerie, mystical, and dramatic, but they still could not capture how impressive the place really was.
After leaving Crater Lake, I headed north toward Bend for the night. The scenery remained incredible, but the final hour and a half of driving brought a whole different challenge. Darkness, and wildlife. As dusk turned into night, every shadow looked suspicious. Deer appeared along the roadside. Elk seemed to be lurking everywhere. I even spotted donkeys earlier in the trip. At this point I feel like every animal west of the Mississippi has been notified of my travel plans. Ever since hitting a deer in Montana, nighttime driving through wildlife country feels a bit like starring into my own horror movie. Every pair of glowing eyes in the distance immediately gets my full attention. My road trip soundtrack was replaced by me repeatedly saying, "Please stay in the woods. Please stay in the woods." Also, "God, keep them in the woods, God, keep them in the woods!" I made it safely to Bend.
Between Las Vegas and Crater Lake, I spent so much time crossing state lines that I started feeling like a fugitive. Nevada, California, Nevada, California, Nevada, then finally Oregon. Every time I got used to one state's scenery, I seemed to be entering another one. If there had been a frequent-crosser punch card, I would have earned a free state by the end of the day.
Tomorrow brings more Oregon adventures before continuing on to Idaho.
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