Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: Paulina Lake

(+14 insets!) Volcanic Recap to Fully Appreciate Today's Images of Paulina Lake Visiting a volcanic area really requires a bit of education because it's so important to understand why it's so incredible and should deserve an awed appreciation. So the other day I explained a few volcanic terms to you including volcano (the four main types are composite, shield, cinder cone, and supervolcano) cinder cone (a tiny volcano), crater (a large, bowl-shaped cavity within most cinder cones) and caldera (a large cauldron-like depression formed when a mountain collapses after a volcanic eruption). National Geographic explains that "craters are formed by the outward explosion of rocks and other materials from a volcano. Calderas are formed by the inward collapse of a volcano. Craters are usually more circular than calderas." A Pair of Lakes in the Newberry Volcano Caldera Both craters and calderas can be so huge that you can't even see them because they can cover many miles…even the size of a small country. The Apolaki Caldera . in the Philippines is 93 miles across, and South Africa's, Vredefort Crater is over 190 miles across! The Newberry Volcano's caldara is tiny in comparison--a mere 5 miles across--but unless you are high above, you cannot see the definition of this area. The deepest depressions of the Newberry Caldera are the homes of two lakes--Paulina and East Lake. These pure water lakes are fed only by rain, snow melt and hot springs and thus, they are a gorgeous, deep blue (The most famous lake in Oregon is Crater Lake, known for its incredible blue color and pure, unsullied water fed only by snow melt and rain). Today's Pictures One day Steve and I drove 30 minutes from LaPine State Park to Paulina Lake and hiked around one side. It was an incredible day, shared by Pumpkin in her front-pack cage and all of us had a lovely adventure! The main picture shows a fellow in a kayak who was able to quietly approach a flock of fabulous-looking Common Merganser ducks. Today's Insets Although I wasn't able to get close to these birds, I did get a couple of nice group shots to share. As we walked around the edge of the lake I saw many scraggly trees bending over the water. I also got a picture of a boat owner enjoying the lake. At one point I saw a cluster of bees on a Bull Thistle and it was only later that I discovered how cool these grey-eyed bees are! Sadly, I didn’t get any great pictures of the bees' faces but this picture turned out nicely otherwise. (if you'd like to see their amazing eyes, take a look at this page: Featured Creatures: Common Long-horned Bee. ) Finally, there was a stream that actually led from the lake in a very swampy marshy area and the light and shadow against the cloud-strewn sky is just delicious! :) I am also adding the pictures I posted months ago of our walk around Paulina Lake for a more complete presentation. Some pictures show the jaw-dropping obsidian boulders, rocks and chunks we found along the trail here, one of Newberry's special features. AMAZING! I hope everyone is doing well! The rollout of vaccine continues and we are hoping to get ours sometime in the next couple of months. Please stay safe, dry and warm! And thank you very much for all of your visits, comments and stars! :) Explored on 3/25/21; highest placement #15.

(+8 insets!) Steve and I spent a long, full week at LaPine State Park and it was just awesome! The only thing that could have improved our stay was a few more days there! The forest, the river, the trails, the proximity to endless natural beauty…we had such a super time! One day we went to Paulina Lake, which nestles within the 54,000 acres of Newberry Volcanic National Monument. The lake itself, along with its close neighbor, East Lake, are in the caldera of Newberry Volcano, an active volcanic area that formed about 600,000 years ago. We spent a lovely day hiking the perimeter of the lake, accompanied by Pumpkin, who enjoyed the beautiful lake as much as wee did. The trail meandered near the shore most of the way but also ventured into the conifer forest, climbing up at times to afford high glimpses over the lake. The most remarkable sight was the obsidian that covered the ground in some areas, littering the trail with gleaming shards of volcanic glass. There were hillsides of obsidian boulders and rocks that created an incredible sight, and Steve and I marveled at the sight of so much obsidian in one place. The walk was almost perfect the whole way. The temperature was warm and sunny without being hot. The only part that wasn't great was a stretch about half a mile long where we encountered clouds of gnats. They were completely out of control! They were in swarms so thick that you could hear them buzzing in your ears and it was necessary to flap a hand in front of my face to see the way. Bugs drive Steve crazy, so he was a very unhappy camper, worried they would be an issue for the entire hike. I told him they would probably abate once we got away from the algae-covered lake edge where they were breeding. Thankfully my guess was right and the rest of the hike was bug-free and fabulous! Today's Pictures Yes, I know…my main picture probably ought to have been a view of the lake. However, I just couldn't resist the image I got of an upended duck as it was rummaging for vegetation below! Really, can you blame me?! :D (By the way, Dduring our hike, I managed to get enough nice pictures that I'll be posting two sets to share our adventure, so here's set 1!) Insets Include… …a lovely view of Paulina Lake complete with a beautiful mountain in the background …a pair of Lodgepole Pines leaning out over the water and the trail meandering past …a lichen-covered tree stump at the edge of the water …a fishing boat buzzing by after a hopefully successful morning …one of the gleaming obsidian boulders next to the trail, irresistible to touch and admire …gleaming chunks of obsidian on the ground to stare at …one of the hillsides covered with obsidian rocks which tumbled down to the trail and invited us to explore its amazing bounty …The Squidgy Gang (Bun, George and Stormy) at Deschute River, LaPine State Park, 2020! :D I hope everyone is having a safe and pleasant week! Thank you so much for your visits and comments, I appreciate all of you! Explored on 8/20/20; highest placement #12.