Rafting the Rogue River
We met a young couple on our Egypt trip and they proposed a rafting trip on the Rogue river when we could make it to Oregon.
When the time came that we could visit they couldn't but they insisted that we visit his parents even though they couldn't be there.
Their parents, Jerry and Bonnie, were gracious hosts and showed us a great time.
Here are some shots of the river from a highway that parallels a portion of it.
Here you can see some of the craft that were on the river that day.
They have a suitable raft.
Jerry showed us how it was done and then let me take the helm for one of the rapids.
Crater Lake is the caldera of an ancient volcano.
It was formed by the collapse of the magma chamber following a massive eruption about 7,700 years ago.
It is rare for the entire wall to remain following an eruption but in this case it was perfect.
The result is a very deep crater that has filled to its present depth of 1,943 feet (592 meters).
There are no inlets or outlets so it is filled principally by precipitation with additions by a few springs and emptied by evaporation and groundwater flow.
The lake averages about 5 miles (8 km) across.
Here are views from two places on the rim.
The intense blue of the water is attributed to the purity.
There is essentially no silt and very little biological material in the lake so you can see a black and white disk when it is more than 140 feet down.
There are some interesting outcrops on the wall.
This one is known as Castle Rock or Pumice Castle.
It was formed when deposits from a much earlier eruption were exposed by the eruption and subsequent weathering.
The Phantom Ship, a small island in the lake.
Wizard island, a cinder cone that was formed by small eruptions since the one 7700 years ago.
The second picture shows that it is indeed an island.
This attempt at art is a view through a log on the rim of the caldera.
More from along the way.
