Crater Lake

We just returned from a great trip to Crater Lake National Park -- the first visit for both of us.

We had a great time exploring the area -- climbing nearby Mount Thielsen:

Hiking up Mount Scott (which would have been a much bigger deal if we hadn't been able to park 1,500 feet from the top!):

We drove out to see the pinnacles -- fossilized fumaroles eroded by a creek:

We didn't want to pay $30 for the boat tour, but we made the trek down to the water's edge anyway. Oh, and when I went down to touch the water, a very plump squirrel tried his hardest to get my gorp out of my backpack!

Big thunderstorms rolled in Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, causing a bit of anxiety but also putting on an awesome show!

Our only real complaint was the mosquito infestation. The little buggers were everywhere!! We used a ton of bug spray and Benadryl cream to stop the itchies.