wide , minds wondering how such a place could exist . The color is a stunning , piercing blue like you have never seen before . And , the knowledge that this lake is one of the deepest in the world is incredible . At 1,943 feet deep , Crater Lake formed from a mountain that collapsed from a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago . With the lake getting an average of 42 feet of snow each year , we visited during the few short months visitors can viably swim in the frigid water . A steep hike led us to the water ’ s edge where a quick swim in the crystal-clear water left us gasping for breath due to its cold temperature . It was an expedition to remember .
We camped for one night close to the park before heading up to Eugene , OR , to visit family . We received a brief tour of the charming city before heading into the mountains once again . One amazing feature of the Northwest is the ability to live both an urban and outdoor-centered lifestyle so seamlessly . It took less than an hour before we were driving through dense forests begging to be explored . We soon hit the trail on a brief backpacking trip in the Diamond Peak Wilderness . We set up camp next to another glacial lake , which we had all to ourselves . After a long day of hiking , we were thankful for a swim with nothing but the sound of birds singing , which was beginning to be the anthem of our trip .
Back in Eugene a day later , Eric and I parted ways with our family only to be visiting more family in Portland . We spent a day in the city and then ventured to the ocean . While our time spent in the mountains thus far had offered breathtaking views , the Oregon coast was a new type of wonder . Expansive beaches , massive rock formations , cool breezes , rugged shorelines and storybook sunsets — a pleasant sense of ease washed over me . I soaked it in because our time on the coast was short-lived . We had a mountain to climb .
Cannon Beach , Oregon .
Crater Lake , Oregon .
Diamond Peak Wilderness , Oregon .
Washington
It has been a dream of Eric ’ s brother , Josh , to climb
Mount Adams in southern Washington . The 12,280-foot active volcano is often overlooked amidst other well-known mountains such as Mount Rainier and Mount St . Helens , but being secluded and off the beaten path was one of its unique draws . Josh , Eric and I camped at the mountain ’ s base the evening before our climb . There was an air of excitement as we tried to sleep for the early morning ahead . At 2:30 a . m ., our alarms blared . We gathered our equipment and began our hike with headlamps lighting the way . A few hours later the sun began to rise and illuminate views of other volcanoes in the Cascade Range . The terrain morphed from a trail to large rocks to a glacier . We put our crampons on , took out our ice axes and continued through the snow .
As we neared the top almost eight hours later , there was a break in the snow and it became a full-on scramble . We deemed it unsafe , so we made the difficult decision to turn around at over 11,000 feet . Although slightly disappointed , we were still in high spirits because the day had simply been exceptional . The way down went far more quickly
Mount Adams , Washington .
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