Hike #29 - Watchman Peak Trail, Crater Lake National Park, OR

On July 5, 2013 Paul and I spent the day at Crater Lake National Park.  This was my first time seeing this incredibly BLUE lake and I couldn't get enough pictures and views from the various trails.  We first climbed the 1.6 mile Watchman Peak Trail.  The trail climbs 413' and is open mid July through October.  The trail still had quite a bit of snow and in some areas it completely covered the trail.  From the top you get the best view of Wizard Island.
Geology: The rocks exposed along the trail are dacite, originally part of a 50,000-year-old lava flow on Crater Lake's predecessor, a large volcano known to geologists as Mt. Mazama. After Mt. Mazama blew up its summit in a cataclysmic eruption 7700 years ago, the old lava flow was left as the Watchman, a crest on the gaping caldera's rim. Since then the caldera has sprouted a cinder cone (Wizard Island) and gradually filled with water.  http://web.oregon.com/hiking/watchman_crater_lake.cfm