Let's take a walk through a brand new day.
My luck finally ran out.
Since I started this journey in early June going north through California, my days have been gloriously sunny and beautiful. Today, my luck ran out.
More about that later.
I started my journey from Mt. Shasta this morning and for the first time since I left home had a proper breakfast. It was delightful. Being full and ready for a big day, I headed out to see Lake Siskiyou. Following the GPS, my route encouraged me to turn right on the North Shore Road and this beautiful Wagon Creek Bridge was my first point of interest. The bridge allows for a loop trail around the lake.
Leaving the lake, I took Forest Road 26 to get lost for awhile in the Shasta Trinity National Forest. I wasn’t literally lost. Just lost in my thoughts and the beauty of the land. I didn’t know where the road would end but I was enjoying the ride.
Coming off of the Forest Road, I headed towards Crater Lake National Park and just happened to come upon a little town who has found a way to make some money. I won’t spoil it by saying the words, I’ll let you see for yourself in the photos.
After passing through the town, I continued on via the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway through even more beautiful scenery before entering Crater Lake National Park.
Just a few minutes later, I came upon the Southern Entrance to Crater Lake National Park
Notice the bright blue skies in the last picture? Look what I found as I continued to drive up toward the rim of the crater. Total surprise!
There wasn’t much to see when I got to the rim where I SHOULD be able to see Crater Lake. Guess what I saw? FOG! Not a glimpse of the huge lake. The lake that is the deepest in the United States at 1,943 feet.
Crater Lake is where my luck ran out. I had driven all the way from Southern California to Oregon to see fog. Bummer! The folks at the lodge said that this was expected for the next two days along with rain and snow. So, I went to bed with little hope of seeing the lake and woke up to see big fat flakes of snow coming down right outside my cabin window. I must admit that I ran outside like a child to see the majesty of it all. It was beautiful!
I spent the morning in the lodge hoping beyond hope that the sun would come out and let me get just a little peek at what I had driven so far to see. Instead, it kept snowing and snowing and snowing.
Then, at 2:15 pm, my miracle came. The sun came out, dissipated the fog, and the snow stopped. Wow, just wow!
Good things really do come to those who wait. Even if it takes sitting by a window in the lodge for 4 hours trying to believe in a miracle.
Then, at precisely 3:02, the lake was shrouded in fog and the snow began to fall.
For 47 minutes, I saw one of the most beautiful sites in the world. I am blessed. Now, it can snow, snow, snow. Mother Nature, I don’t mind a bit. 😊
Karen