Courtesy of College Outdoors
During Fall break, I had the incredible opportunity to go on a College Outdoors (CO) trip to Crater Lake. It was my second time going on a Fall Break trip to Crater Lake with CO, and it was my favorite so far. Here is a run-down of how it went that will hopefully convince you to try out a trip of your own!
Day 1: On The Road
After my last class ended, I headed back to my on-campus apartment to grab my supplies for the trip, then made my way to Sequoia Hall on the graduate school campus. Once I had a quick Bon dinner and checked in, it was time to head out. The drive lasted a little over four hours, including a few stops for gas and bathroom breaks. We arrived at the LaPine State Park campsite at about 11 p.m., exhausted, so we went into our cabins, unpacked and went to bed.
Day 2: Views of Lava
On the first full day, we separated into two groups for trips to the Lava Butte, an isolated hill and cinder cone, in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument and Tumalo Falls. My group’s first stop was Lava Butte, where we took a brief hike to admire the vast lava field created when the butte erupted thousands of years ago. The lava field, located on the west side of the butte, was mostly void of vegetation — a stark contrast to the eastern side being filled with trees. In case you are wondering, a lava field is a large and vast area of lava flows that harden over time into a barren landscape.
Afterward, we headed to Tumalo Falls, hiking five miles along the trail and admiring the mossy trees, the grand waterfalls and the tranquil river. This was an area I had not seen on my last trip here, and it was nice to see something new.
Day 3: By The Lake
This was the day I had been waiting for — seeing Crater Lake again! We spent the day hiking down to the lakeshore through the Cleetwood Cove Trail. Once my group reached the rocky shores, we found a spot along the lake to eat our lunches and admire the scenery. It was a beautiful day: the sun was out and reflected in the crystal clear water. After lunch, we hung around the lake for a few hours, dunking our heads into the water and taking photos of the scenery. We left the lakeshore on the same trail, and braved a steep hike up to the parking lot. We drove to the visitor center to buy some snacks and souvenirs before heading back to our cabins.
Day 4: Scaling Obsidian Rock
On our last full day, we explored Paulina Lake and Obsidian Rock, which I had seen last year during the Ring of Fire solar eclipse. Even without the eclipse, I consider Paulina Lake to be a hidden gem: the scenery is beautiful, the water is as blue as an Alpine lake and there is abundant obsidian along the trail. My group and I spent roughly two hours at the lake, relaxing by the warm springs and admiring the obsidian fragments.
When we finished our lunches, we hiked to the top of Obsidian Rock, a giant mound of the stone, where we were able to see beautiful views of nearby lakes and the Cascades in the distance. That day, we did not spend as much time hiking, as we had to check the gear we borrowed to prepare for the drive back to campus the next morning. For the final night, we ate delicious gyros cooked by one of the cabin groups and made s’mores by the campfire.
Day 5: Home Again
We left the campground in the morning and arrived back on campus in the afternoon. I was sad that the trip was over as I had so much fun on it! The trip was emotionally healing as the two weeks prior were a stressful time for me, but I felt restored after immersing myself in nature and making new friends during Fall Break.
Overall, I would rate my experience five out of five stars. If you do not have any plans for the weekends this semester or the Spring Break next semester, I highly recommend that you consider any CO trip offered.
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