Yes, it really exists. Super/collider reports on the epic beauty of Crater Lake in Oregon's Cascade Mountains
Where on Earth?
Crater Lake, Oregon
GPS Coordinates: 42.95°N 122.10°W
High amid the pine forests of southern Oregon, deep in the Cascade Mountains, lies one of the world’s most unique lakes. Among the deepest, clearest and purest on earth, Crater Lake lies inside a vast natural amphitheatre that changes with the seasons. Melting winter snow and summer rain constantly replenish the high altitude basin, refilling its entire massive volume of fresh, clean water roughly every 250 years. Thousand foot cliffs drop abruptly into the blue waters below, forming a spectacular landscape high above the forests of the American northwest.
Because Crater Lake has no rivers draining into it, its waters are among the least polluted and cleanest on Earth. In 1997, scientists measured a record water clarity of 142 feet – a purity which helps give the lake’s surface its characteristic brilliant blue hue. Adding to this beauty are two islands rising from the depths – one named ‘Phantom Ship’ because its rocky crags can resemble a ghost ship floating on a foggy sea. Protected since 1902 by the surrounding Crater Lake National Park, the area is home to Roosevelt elk, black tail deer, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, porcupines, black bears, pine martens, weasels and mountain lion – not to mention the Crater Lake Newt which is found nowhere else.
What on Earth?
Measured in terms of its average depth, Crater Lake is the third deepest lake on the planet. In its deep blue waters, stretching nearly 2000 feet down, hydrothermal rumblings hint at the way the landscape formed. Over the course of 400,000 years, volcanic activity slowly built a 10,000–12,000 foot stratovolcano called Mount Mazama. About 7,700 years ago, the mountain exploded in a cataclysmic eruption that sent a vast column of ash over five miles into the sky. As the eruption progressed, the volcano’s magma chamber emptied, causing the summit to collapse a mile downwards and create the vast caldera which now holds Crater Lake. Following the main eruption, smaller ones created various cinder cone volcanoes like Wizard Island, which rises from the water near the western edge of the lake.
According to the native Klamath people of the region, whose distant ancestors may have witnessed the eruption firsthand and integrated it into tribal folklore, the mountain was the scene of a fierce battle between Skell, the god of the sky, and Llao, the god of the underworld. The volcano’s summit was destroyed by the fighting spirits, leaving the vast lake – which the Klamath consider sacred to this day.
How on Earth?
The are plenty of hiking trails and camping spots around the lake, but if you want to swim in it you’ll need to climb 700 feet down along the Cleetwood Cove Trail to the only access point. For more information, visit the website.
