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Hike for all seasons: Crater Lake Rim Trail delights By Lee Juillerat Oct 28, 2022 12:30 AM A A 3 View all photos Chalky areas outlining Crater Lake’s Wizard Island show places normally hidden by lakewater. [Photo by Lee Juillerat] A trail sign marks the way from Crater Lake’s Discovery Point. [Photo by Lee Juillerat] Chalkiness along the water’s edge show areas usually covered by Crater Lake. [Photo by Lee Juillerat] CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK — The weather forecast was ominous. Instead of taking a chance on predicted rain and snow, friends and I decided to hike the Rim Trail at Crater Lake National Park a week ago today. Good thing. As predicted, snow fell that night, resulting in the then “temporary closure” of West Rim Drive. But because snowy conditions persisted — and because there were forecasts for more of the same — park managers earlier this week announced that, instead of waiting for the Nov. 1 roads closure date, Rim Drive and the North Entrance Road are closed for the winter. Depending on what happens this winter, those park roads won’t open until late spring or early summer 2023. Visitors to Crater Lake are encouraged to check the park’s website at nps.gov/crla and the webcams for updated information. Although snowfall at the park has been lower than its historical average in recent years, Crater Lake’s winters always are long. In the 1930s, the average snowfall was about 51 feet, but that has dipped in recent decades, with 41 feet in 2021. However much or little snow falls, roads are closed for eight months or longer so snow removal crews can focus on other areas of the park, including the South Entrance Road to park headquarters and Rim Village. Snow is October is common, but hiking a day earlier than planned didn’t seem necessary when we gathered at Rim Village. It was sunny and only mildly cool, so we started off feeling comfortable wearing shirts and, because it was so bright, sunglasses. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Heck, it felt like a blue-bird late spring or midsummer day as we left for the 6 1/2-mile Rim Trail hike that mostly follows the caldera rim to the North Junction parking area. The lake views were — as usual — spectacular, the waters shimmering in azure tones. But quickly, the temperatures cooled. Out came our jackets. No big deal. After all, it is fall. When we reached Discovery Point parking lot, it had its usual cross-section of cars, pickups and camper vans from at least a dozen states. But those wearing shorts and T-shirts were retrieving sweatshirts and jackets. Hiking the Rim Trail delights because it offers views of the lake, caldera and Wizard Island not seen from the usual viewpoints. The caldera’s steep cliffs that drop to the lake seem more severe while the caldera’s walls and ragged outcroppings feel even more dramatic. As a bonus, the trail also passes by several marvelously twisted whitebark pines. Before we reached the Lightning Spring Trailhead and picnic area, temperatures dipped enough that wool caps and gloves had emerged from our daypacks. More dramatic were fiercely gusting winds blowing in thick clouds of dense, wet fog. Likewise, the lake was intermittently semi-obscured by clouds while its once placid waters showed ripples and waves. The weather continued its switcheroo at lunch from a trailside overlook. After eating we continued to The Watchman. The trail, soaked by the dense fog, turned sloppy-muddy. There was no rain, only a drizzle, so out came the raincoats. At The Watchman Overlook, where the parking lot was surprisingly busy, visitors scurried back and forth, taking photos and selfies while dodging the whispering rain. The Watchman’s “corrals,” a fenced area that’s a favorite spot for first- and many-time lake viewers because it looks directly down on Wizard Island, was buzzing. From the overlook, as from other vantages, evidence of Crater Lake’s unusually low water levels was obvious. The final section of the Rim Trail from The Watchman to the North Entrance Junction often follows segments of the original rim road. Infrequent views of Hillman Peak and, even better, Devils Backbone are dramatic. But we hurried along, motivated by the drizzle, ever-thickening clouds and limited lake sightings. We finished the hike cool and chilled. But happily, we finished only a few hours before the snow fell. It was that night’s snow that resulted in the “temporary closure.” Welcome to winter. Given the weather variables on our hike, however, it was a hike for all seasons. Next time we’ll be on cross-country skis. Reach freelance writer Lee Juillerat at [email protected] or 541-880-4139.