When we decided to try and hike all 100 featured hikes in a single edition of each of the five areas covered in William L. Sullivan’s 100 Hikes books (post) we decided that the criteria for being able to check off a hike was doing (or attempting to do) at least a portion of the hike. Sullivan often provides multiple options for each featured hike with some options being 20+ mile one-way trips or nearly 30-mile loops. Doing every option in their entirety just wasn’t feasible when you also factor in having to deal with trail closures due to fires, damage, or restricted access.
In 2023 we completed the southern Oregon & northern California area (post), but missed out on a portion of three hikes in Crater Lake National Park. On Saturday we’d finished up two of the hikes, The Pinnacles and Lady of the Woods (post). The third hike that we’d been unable to do in its entirety was on Wizard Island which requires taking a boat from Cleetwood Cove (post). The boats did not operate in 2023, an issue caused by the previous contracted concessionaire, so we were only able to hike down to the docks at the cove on that trip.
We reserved tickets ahead of time for the Wizard Island shuttle which is a 15-minute boat ride from Cleetwood Cove to Wizard Island. There were two other tours available, one a trip around the lake, and the other stops at Wizard Island on its way around the lake. Had we not needed to get home the same day we would have opted for the latter, but a tour around the lake would need to wait for another time. We nearly blew the whole thing though.
Somehow we got it into our heads that our shuttle left Cleetwood Cove at 12:30pm. We slept in and left our room so that we’d arrive at Beckie’s Cafe in Union Creek when it opened at 8am. After eating, and buying a whole blackberry pie to share with my parents, we made our way to the park and stopped at several viewpoints along the rim to admire the views. The overcast and smokey skies from the day before had given way to big fluffy white clouds and relatively blue sky.
Llao Rock and Wizard Island
The docks on Wizard Island.
The views were so good even the golden-mantled ground squirrels were taking them in.
Mt. McLoughlin (post) and Union Peak (post).
Cassin’s finches
Mount Scott (post) across the lake.
Wizard Island’s Fumarole Bay
The Watchman (post)
Mt. Bailey on the left and Mt. Thielsen (post) on the right. You can’t really make it out in the photo but with the naked eye we could see Diamond Peak (post) in between the two in the distance.
Smoke from the Middle Fork Fire burning inside the park boundary.
Fire information at one of the viewpoints.
At this pull out we got out and hiked a little of the Rim Trail. I decided to just continue on to Merriam Point while Heather was nice enough to drive the car down and meet me.
Western pasqueflower seed heads.
Silvery raillardella
Hillman Peak (post)
The Watchman and Hillman Peak
Dwarf lupine
We were intentionally taking our time so we wouldn’t arrive way too early for our boat tour. We had been targeting 11am to give us an hour and a half but wound up arriving a little before 10:30. That wound up being a good thing because when we went to check in we noticed that there were two shuttle times listed, 9am and 11:30. After some confusion with our tickets, Heather inadvertently pulled up our Wallow Lake Tram (post) tickets from 7/26 (issued by the same online company Fareharbor), the attendant was able to find our reservation. It had been for the 9am shuttle and there was never a 12:30 shuttle. We’d messed up pretty good. The young man was very understanding and let us know that they still had three openings on the 11:30 shuttle and that he could move us to two of those spots. We were very thankful and quickly headed down the 1.1-mile Cleetwood Cove Trail to the check in at the dock there.
From left to right: Dutton Cliff, Applegate Peak, and Garfield Peak (post).
Our shuttle arriving at the docks below.
We checked in and got our boarding instruction then spent some time watching people jump into the lake from the rocks.
When it was time we boarded the boat which zipped us over to the island.
The boat traveled at about 35mph so I didn’t have too many chances to take photos. The exception was when we had to briefly circle back to retrieve someone’s hat that had flown off into the lake.
Nearing the island.
There are two short trails on the island, one leads to Fumarole Bay and the other to the top of Wizard Island’s cone. Most of the people in our group headed for the cone with a few heading to the bay to either fish or swim. We were also going to head up the cone first and had decided to split up and do our own thing then meet back up at the docks later.
The trails shared tread for the first tenth of a mile. (Toilets were to the right.)
In the line heading up to the cone.
Part of the reason we’d decided to hike our own hikes is because I have a slight competitive streak and tend to speed up when there are people ahead of us. It wasn’t long before I’d passed most of the other hikers and was just following a pair of younger guys from San Diego.
Looking up the cone.
The Watchman and Hillman Peak from the trail.
These two were setting a crisp pace and the only reason I was able to keep up was because they would occasionally stop for pictures and to admire the views.
Mount Scott
The trail was well graded keeping the 750′ climb from ever feeling too steep.
Prince’s pine
Buckwheat
Paintbrush
I managed to pass the Sandiegans shortly below the summit while they were taking a few more photos. Just before the summit a hiker from a different tour passed me as she was descending and mentioned that there wasn’t anyone left at the summit.
The summit crater also known as the Witches Cauldron.
A 0.3-mile loop circles the crater so I headed clockwise around the loop. The pair from San Diego caught up while I was taking photos and asked if I could take one of them before continuing on.
Mt. Scott from the loop.
Llao Rock
Dutton Cliff, Applegate Peak, and Garfield Peak
Crater Lake lodge on the rim to the right of Garfield Peak.
Crater Lake lodge.
Hikers across the crater starting the loop.
Looking down toward the dock area.
The Watchman and Hillman Peak.
Looking toward Cleetwood Cove.
Fumarole Bay is to the left of lava flow.
Pool in the lava flow.
After completing the loop I headed down for the Fumarole Bay Trail.
Dwarf alpinegold
Another boat tour heading around the island.
I had passed Heather on her way up and we spoke for a moment before going our separate ways.
Heading toward Fumarole Bay.
It’s approximately a half mile to Fumarole Bay on a very rocky trail due to it being in a lava flow.
The Watchman from the trail.
Fumarole Bay. Note the person fishing on the rocks to the right.
Fumarole Bay
Stream flowing into Crater Lake.
Hillman Peak
The trail continued around the bay for almost another half mile.
Bleeding heart
The Watchman
I believe this may be Felt-leaf everlasting.
An even fainter, rockier, trail continued beyond the sign marking the end of the maintained trail. I followed it for just a bit before losing it in the lava where I decided to turn around.
I made my way back around the bay and returned to the dock where I found Heather soaking her feet in the water.
Heather below at the edge of the lake. She had opted not to visit the bay.
I joined Heather as we waited for our return shuttle. In the meantime she took a quick dip in the lake to cool off.
Here comes our ride.
Once they herded everyone back to the dock we boarded the boat and rode back to Cleetwood Cove.
Arriving back at the cove.
We split up again on our way up the busy Cleetwood Cove Trail.
It got a little hazier as the day went on.
I was glad to make it back to the parking area where I changed into cooler clothes before using the restroom.
I ran into Heather as I came out of the restrooms so we walked back to the car together and prepared for our drive home. My Wizard Island hike came to 6.6 miles including 2.2 miles to and from Cleetwood Cove. Total elevation gain was a little over 1450′. Seven hundred of that was up from Cleetwood Cove which was steeper in sections than anything on Wizard Island had been.
Track including the boat rides.
My Wizard Island track.
It had been a beautiful day and a lot of fun to see the lake and surrounding peaks from the island. The smoke had somehow stayed away and so had the thunderstorms. Unfortunately storms did hit other parts of the Cascades along with central and eastern Oregon igniting more wildfires. We hit heavy smoke on our drive home between Odell Lake and Oakridge reminding us of just how bad this fire season has been. A big thank you to all the firefighters working hard to try and minimize the damage. Hopefully conditions will improve sooner rather than later. Happy Trails!
Flickr: Merriam Point and Wizard Island
wanderingyuncks 