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THIS SIGN IS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRAIL
THE ELEVATION HERE IS ABOUT 7,900 FEET |
On Wednesday 10/17, we made the 90 mile drive to Crater Lake National Park. None of us had been in the park for a dozen or more years and none of us had climbed Mt. Scott. The trail begins from the East Rim Drive Road, about a third of the way around the Lake from Rim Village. We spent fifteen minutes at the Park Headquarters visiting with the ranger on duty and stocking up on 25-cents postcards. (The price was posted as .25c but I didn't quibble and the lady at the counter didn't seem to see the difference between four for a penny and four for a dollar.)
It's about 12 miles from Headquarters to the trailhead and we arrived there at about noon. We had some snacks and started up the mountain a little later.
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VIEW OF MT. SCOTT FROM ABOUT 100 FEET FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE TRAIL
THE LOOKOUT IS ON THE HIGHEST PEAK, ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIDGE LINE.
THE CHUTE LOOKS LIKE IT MAY HAVE BEEN A GARBAGE CHUTE OVER THE YEARS. |
The trail loops to the right from the starting place and rises at a fair pitch all along. About an eighth of a mile into the climb you lose sight of the top and don't see it again until about two hundred yards before you are there.
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THERE WAS LITTLE OTHER TRAFFIC ON THE
MOUNTAIN |
It only took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to go the two and a half miles and about a thousand vertical feet. The views are well worth the little energy expended.
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| THEY SAY MT. SCOTT IS THE ONLY PLACE ON THE GROUND WHERE YOU CAN GET ALL OF THE WIDTH OF THE LAKE INTO ONE FRAME |
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| THE PEAK DIRECTLY ACROSS THE LAKE IS CALLED WATCHMAN PEAK (8013'). THE HIGHEST POINT ON THE NEAR SIDE OF THE LAKE IS CLOUDCAP (7865'). IF YOU JUMPED INTO THE LAKE FROM CLOUDCAP YOU WOULD BE VERY NEAR TO THE DEEPEST PLACE IN THE LAKE (1943') IF ANYONE EVER FOUND YOU. |
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| MT. THIELSEN BUT THROUGH MUCH HAZE AND WITH THE ZOOM ON THE CAMERA |
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| ON THE SWITCHBACKS GOING BACK DOWN |
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| FROM THE BOWL NEAR THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN |
About 20 miles from Mt. Scott, generally northwest, is Rabbit Ears. Everyone who has traveled Hwy. 230 from Union Creek to Diamond Lake has seen it. None of us had been closer than the highway so we decided to drive closer.
The base of the pointed ear is about 300 yards along a trail from a Forest Service road turnout about six miles from the highway.
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| RABBIT EARS FROM HERSCHBERGER LOOKOUT |
We walked in to the base of the ears where you see that the pointed one is maybe 300 feet higher than the surrounding forest. I learned later that if we had continued along the trail we could have walked between the ears. Rock climbers apparently climb them and they are very inviting. The possibility made me wish I was in better shape, or maybe 40 years younger.
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| THE POINTED RABBIT'S EAR FROM ITS BASE. |
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| THE POINTED RABBIT'S EAR FROM THE ROAD ABOVE |
We continued along Forest Service roads until we arrived at Herschberger Mountain Lookout. The views from there are spectacular. The lookout has been decommissioned but the building is in good shape and you can go in and enjoy the views from where the fire table once was located in the attic.
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| HERSCHBERGER LOOKOUT |
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| RABBIT EARS BETWEEN US |
I hadn't realized how dumpy I have gotten, as if I'm getting old and about to fall down, until I saw the photos of me here. The solution is to not have any more photos taken.
JCE
