Crater Lake Dusk

The Mysteries of Crater Lake

At a depth of 1,943 feet and covering 12 square miles, Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest freshwater lake in the U. S. The Lake is the result of a collapsed volcano known as Mount Mazama. After the central spine of magma of the mountain was exhausted, the peak fell in on itself leaving a giant bowl of ash and stone called a caldera which now holds the deep blue colored majestic Crater Lake. The peak of the previous mountain is now exposed in the lake and is called Wizard Island, shown to the left hand side of this photo. Located in the Cascade mountain range of southern Oregon, local Indian tribes, including the Modoc tribe, have long thought of the lake as bottomless and where dark spirits dwell. Their strict taboos have permanently labelled this lake as the "Lake of the Lost". According to the Klamath Indians, looking into the depths of the deep blue colored lake will bring death and lasting sorrow. Local Indians would never face directly toward the lake but placed their backs to the Lake while hunting.

Crater Lake holds many mysteries and strange occurrences. Over the years many planes have disappeared into the Lake including military training aircraft from what was once a nearby Army air base. No human remains have ever been recovered from any of those crashes. Since 1926 alone, thirteen deaths have been directly attributed to the geography of the Crater Lake area. Three were photographers who got too close to the steep cliffs and fell all the way down to the Lake surface, nearly 2000 feet in many places.

Another tale is of a young photographer who was to take a week photographing the Lake and the heavily wooded surrounding slopes. After two weeks an extensive search was undertaken to find him without success. After a year, two hikers found his shirt and pants, undisturbed by any animals,  sitting stiff and upright on a log with no coat, boots nor body to be found. The pants were unbuttoned but his belt was missing. One sock was found with toe bones inside. Twelve miles away from that scene park rangers located the belt and the top of his skull. No boots were ever found.

This photo was taken around 8:30PM on June 29th as the sun was setting at my back. Mosquitoes were so thick and hungry that a long exposure photograph would have been near impossible. A handheld Nikon D800 was used with a 16mm lens, 1/30th shutter speed at f/16 and an ISO of 800. The brilliant colors of the setting sun at my back can be seen on the caldera rim beyond.