Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-10-02
AShlander Visits
Crater Lake

Inere are so many excellent pic
lures of Crater Lake which give a
good, general idea of how it looks
that detailed, extended description
seems somewhat superfluous. Fur
thermore, scientific and technical
terms will be strictly tabooed. The
average reader rightly resents seeing
a pile of cinders referred to as a
truncated cone composed of volcanic
residue. Most of us don't care a
clam whether a bunch of rubbish on
the mountain side is talus conglom-
crate or striated rocks. Nor does it
make any difference to us whether
a chunk of lava is a rich, siliceous
rhyolite or poor andesite or basalt.
The Indians regarded Crater Lake
with superstitious awe, believing it
to be the abode of the Great Spirit,
and they were 10th to look upon it's
wonders. 1t has been known to pale
faces but sixty years. There is
nothing in the topography of the
surrounding country to indicate the
presence OF lake in this locality.
In fact, this is one of the last places
where one would look for a lake,
there being veritable desert on the
north and on every side an entire
absence of streams flowing either
into or away from the lake. Surely
the gods of nature jealously guarded
this stupendous secret of the Siski-
yous, hiding all traces of its pres
ence from curious mankind.
But we have discovered this amaz-
ing and marvellous mystery and now
It lies before our enraptured gaze, a
mighty panorama of cloud and cliff
and chasm. Here on the banks of
Eagle Cove we are as high above
the water as the top of the Eiffel
Tower is above the streets of Paris,
while Glacier Peak yonder rises a
sheer two thousand feet above the
placid waters of Skell Channel
Across the frowning cone of Wizard
Island the precipitous walls of Llao
Rock loom up against the northern
sky, presenting perpendicular face
OF solid rock more than a Thousand
feet high. To the west, lonely
Watchman Peak keeps guard over
the liquid treasure nearly half a
mile below. Cloudcap Bay and
Grotto Cove indent the eastern shore
" eAO AohCg OCiu6 ulNiutu NY Oh6ll
Head and buttressed above by Red
Cloud Cliff. Rugged Crest crowns
Fleetwood Cove on the northern side
of the lake, between Pumice and
Palisade Points, while to the right
stretch the beautiful Palisades, sur
mounted by Round Top Mountain
Beyond Eagle Crags, to our right,
Dutton Cliff rises above Chaski Bay
to within six feet of the altitude at
tanned by Glacier Peak. being the
second highest elevation on the rim
of the crater.
Climbing out on Victor Rock and
looking eastward around Eagle Point
IN the direction of Danger Bay, we
dimly discern the Phantom Ship. that
wierd marvel whose rocky null and
pinnacled masts seem to hang sus-
pended between the blue above and
the blue below, now appearing with
startling distinctness, now fading
from sight in the ever changing
lights and shadows of the lake.
The lake is blue, marvelously blue.
but not so blue as painted. Scient-
lists have never been able to explain
the cause of this color, nor even to
~ - NAoNO ny hyPOthctlCdl lntOTy. Inc
musical maid suggests that it may be
due to deposit of indigo in the bot
tom OF the lake and that all the
tabled deities of the ancient world
came here to do their washing. Any
way, we are looking at the bluest
water on earth, as well as the deep
est lake, the depth being 1000 feet
q mile west of Skell Head.
After superior although SUBJ
lime scenery sometimes takes ones
breath away, 10 has never been
known to remove the appetite-we
return to the rim of the crater and
build a bonfire near Victor Rock. AS
daylight fades the nearer waters in
the shadow of the shore appear like
purple velvet, taking on a blue-black
tone remarkable for its intensity. A
solemn silence broods Ger lake and
mountain. The last rays of the set
ting sun cast a crimson glow upon
the eastern cliffs, which slowly
change to gray and brown in the fad
ing light. Patches of snow CLEAN
white through the dark green trees
ON yonder mountainside, like tents
of warriors who are besieging the
frowning towers and battlements of
Castle Crags above, which resemble
the rock-walled home of a feudal
lord.
Presently ,the full moon slowly
shoulders into view, flooding the
1ak 18th otl roAf..oo 49,