Thanksgiving Sunset - November 28, 2013

Skagit Bay sunset on Puget Sound in NW Washington State. No photo enhancements here! These photos accurately depict the beautiful late afternoon view. Much to be grateful for!

Crater Lake National Park Part 2

Crater Lake and the surrounding area came under the protection of the National Park Service in 1902 when efforts by William Gladstone Steel were met with success and Crater Lake became the 6th National Park in the system. 

 

Mt. Mazama is one volcano in a line of a dozen volcanoes that run from British Columbia through Washington and Oregon and into Northern California. Some others include Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood and Mt. Lassen. 

Mt. Mazama erupted approximately 7,700 years ago in a violent explosion of pumice and ash powered by expanding gases from a magma chamber deep inside the mountain. As the magma chamber emptied the mountain walls could not support their own weight. The walls collapsed forming a deep CALDERA where the peak of the mountain once stood. The Caldera or basin then filled with hundreds of years of rain and snow forming a deep blue lake whose waters are a striking blue color. 

Precipitation in the form of rain and snowfalls up to 44 feet per year, balanced with evaporation and seepage, keep the lake level constant. No streams or creeks run into or out of the lake. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet at its deepest point. At its maximum it is 6 miles across and at minimum is 4.5 miles across. The lake holds 4.9 trillion gallons of clear, clean blue water.

The picture below is taken at Watchman Overlook. Wizard Island, the land mass in the lake, is actually a cinder cone that erupted from the ruins of Mt. Mazama after the violent eruption 7,700 years ago. Wizard Island was named by William Gladstone Steel who saw it as a sorcerer's hat.

We visited Park Headquarters on September 11, 2013. Noticing that the flag was flying at half staff, we took a group moment of silence and remembering. And gratitude.

And then headed out on a short hike at Castle Crest loop.

Our next stop Sun Notch for a view of The Phantom Ship. 

Phantom Ship is a fragment of lava that looks for all the world like a ghostly ship sailing across the water. It is the oldest visible rock in the lake. 

 Another hike was along The Pinnacles. 

The Pinnacles are a result of the eruption of Mt. Mazama when super hot avalanches of ash spilled forth down the flanks of the mountain. The ash flow moved quickly and filled the canyons of Wheeler Creek and Sand Creek. Inside the flow, hot gases welded the loose ash into pillars of solid rock. Years and years of erosion have exposed the hardened ash as spires known as The Pinnacles. 

And then on to Plaikni Falls.

Enjoy Crater Lake!

 

Crater Lake Sunset

One of the enjoyable features of our trip was a morning reading given by one of our guides, Mark. He read from the works of different naturalists and environmentalists and the reading set a tone for our day. One person he introduced us to was Sigurd F. Olsen who was an activist and author from the north Minnesota lake country. When I got home I went to the library and got his book, The Singing Wilderness. I want to close this blog with something I read. There is a powerful silence that is felt in the presence of Crater Lake. And this writing speaks to that.

"It was before dawn, that period of hush before the birds begin to sing. The lake was breathing softly as in sleep; rising and falling, it seemed to me to absorb like a great sponge all the sounds of the earth. It was a time of quiet - no wind rustling the leaves, no lapping of the water, no calling of animals or birds...Standing there alone, I felt alive, more aware and receptive than ever before...This was a time for silence, for being in pace with ancient rhythms and timelessness, the breathing of the lake, the slow growth of living things. Here the cosmos could be felt and the true meaning of attunement."

 

 

 Thanks for looking. And Thanks to Ken Barker and Northwest Discoveries for a truly memorable trip!

Crater Lake National Park Adventure - Part 1

I recently returned from a trip to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon's Southern Cascade Mountains. I traveled with 23 fellow participants and 2 guides as part of a Road Scholar Program. We encountered day after day of cloudless blue skies and warm weather. Our spirits were high as we explored this exceptional landscape.

I am going to divide the posts into two parts: first ( this post) will be pictures of the Diamond Lake area where we stayed during our visit. And the second post (soon to come) will be Crater Lake National Park.

PART ONE: Diamond Lake is a 20 minute drive from the National Park. We traveled back and forth each day for our adventures in the Park. One exceptional feature of Diamond Lake is the John Dellenback Trail, an 11 mile walking/bike path around the lake. Some of these pictures were taken on walks on that trail.

Some clouds rolled in on our last day but they only made for good photo ops!

Our True Home Is In The Present Moment

A poem by Thich Nhat Hanh

Our true home is in the present moment.

To live in the present moment is a miracle.

The miracle is not to walk on water.

The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.

Peace is all around us - in the world and in nature - and within us - in our bodies and our spirits.

Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed.

It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice. 

And a preview of Crater Lake National Park!

More to come soon of explorations in the National Park. Thanks for looking.

Music City, USA

I traveled to Nashville, TN, better known as MUSIC CITY, USA, with friend Karen several weeks ago. We had the great pleasure of staying with some friends I met recently. Richard and Kathryn were wonderful hosts and it was terrific to get better acquainted with them. 

Here is a glimpse of our quick weekend trip:

First stop was in downtown Nashville. Our destination was Hatch Show Print which is one of the oldest letterpress poster shops in the country. In business since 1879, Hatch is owned and operated by the Country Music Hall of Fame and has created art for Grand Ole Opry stars and performers associated with the country music scene. 

On the way to Hatch Show Print we passed some of the local color of Nashville.

One disclaimer! I am not a devotee of contemporary country music and the whole scene attached to it. But plenty of people are if the numbers of people roaming downtown Nashville are any indication! Broadway Street is loaded with honky tonks and bars of every variety and it looked like a 24/7 scene for the country music crowd.

It's a Nashville thing!

And a striking feature of downtown Nashville is the Music City Center, an enormous convention center that is brand new to the city. And I mean IT IS BIG.

And of course you cannot be in Nashville without coming across a tribute to The Man In Black!

Saturday: First stop  of the day was the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. The Frist Center is a significant architectural landmark in Nashville. It occupies what was the former downtown US Post Office. The building was constructed in 1933-34 and represents the most distinctive architectural style of the period, Art Deco. It was the perfect place to view the exhibit "Sensuous Steel: Art Deco Automobiles". The automobiles and motorcycles in the exhibit were built in the 1930's and 1940's and they are big and shiny and streamlined and luxurious.

The cars were lots of fun to see BUT I have to put in a plug for the other exhibit at the Frist. The artist is Vik Muniz and the exhibit title is "Garbage Matters". Vik Muniz constructs his "paintings" by assembling hundreds of pieces of post-industrial waste - garbage. The best way to see and understand the depth of what he is doing is by seeing the documentary on his work "Wasteland". I highly recommend it. It is enlightening and full of heart.

Next stop was The Parthenon, a full scale replica of the famous Greek temple in Nashville's Centennial Park.

It's Nashville: Gotta have MUSIC!

Sunday: Last stop was Cheekwood Art and Gardens. The Cheekwood mansion and it's 55 acres of grounds were once the home of Leslie Cheek and Mable Wood. This family is responsible for the Maxwell House brand of coffee and they played a significant part in the growth of Nashville. The Art Center and Gardens were opened to the public in 1960. Below are some shots of the garden areas.

Again, special thanks to Kathryn and Richard for providing a place to stay and for their very special company.

Thanks for looking.