We spent this week under a heat dome. Not as bad as the southwest, but still a snow-melting stretch of weather. So we toured the Cascade Lakes Highway.
We do this loop a couple of times a year, that is, the whole route around Bachelor. Sunriver to Crescent.
In this case, the opposite direction is a great early summer drive with lots of places to stop, walk around, and take photos.
Davis, Wickiup, and Crane Prairie are full from runoff, which is better than it’s been the last few years.
Most of the snow has receded to the highest points. We’ve made this trip in late May and snow banks frequently line the highway . . . but not this time.
The meadows and marshes are a vibrant green, but not yet filled with wildflowers. That will have to be another trip.
Typically one of the stops is just below Lava Lake, at the head waters of the Deschutes River. However, the stop was brief as the mosquitoes were thick and hungry.
The closer you get to Bachelor, the more cars are encountered, so we rarely venture past Lava Lake.
The summer fishing is good and the shade is cool along the Upper Deschutes, as summers heat comes on full roar.
April showers brought additional snow pack to the mountains and we found six foot banks on the highway between Bachelor and Elk Lake. Meaning, it will be a few weeks before you see wild flowers in those alpine meadows.
The cascade range between Crater Lake and Mount Washington holds hundreds of natural lakes. Most of them small alpine bodies of water a few acres in size, many of which require walking on mountain trails to reach.
Waldo Lake sits on the west side of Willamette Pass, about an hours drive from us. At 39,000 acres it’s one of the largest natural lakes in Oregon and second deepest, next to Crater lake. Bordered on three sides by wilderness the pristine waters of Waldo Lake are off limits to power boats. Once there you can choose from three different camp grounds, each with a boat launch, but none with day use picnic sites.
Crescent Lake, a few minutes southeast of Odell, offered sandy beaches and excellent fetch and swim time for Tip.