Memories of Crater Lake in no particular order. As mentioned in my first entry on the subject (posted 28th. July) when I arrived I discovered the backcountry was still covered in snow after a particularly heavy winter.
 One of my favourite expressions is "Necessity is the mother of invention". I based myself at the Mazama backpackers site for a few nights and considered other possibilities. If not for this I probably wouldn't have hiked along the East Rim Drive which proved to be a classic for both views and wildflowers.
 The East and West Rim Drives form a circular route around the upper elevations of the crater (approximately 8,000 feet above sea level- enough to make the ears pop!). A complete circuit was blocked by snow but I was able to hike the East Rim Drive to Vidae Falls where I connected with a gravel track known as the Greyback Road.
 The East Rim Drive cuts through areas of rockface and shale; I imagine some serious blasting and quarrying would have been required to open parts of this route. As mentioned in my entry posted 1st. August there are many wildflowers that flourish in moist conditions but on this hike there was a varied selection of plants that find their niche in dry, rocky habitats (see below).
 Along the way a number of waterfalls cascaded down from the rocks, the most spectacular being Vidae Falls itself which must be over a hundred feet high. These cascades gave me hope that the snow was melting fast in the heat. Thick snow in July and blazing hot sun are not a combination this Englishman is accustomed to!
 And so it proved: I was able to access the backcountry to the west only a day later but I am very glad I was obliged to take this detour to the east.