National Parks

Photographs of selected National Parks and some National Monuments with other NPS properties.

Phantom Ship Plying Crater Lake Winter Blues

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Phantom Ship Plying Crater Lake Winter Blues

I wouldn't be surprised if this Sept. 29th storm was one of the first real snows at Crater Lake this winter.

Phantom Ship Island is actually quite a bit larger than it might appear. The spires/sails are as tall as a 16 story building at over 160 feet tall (50 meters), and the island is some 300 feet (91.5 meters) long. The island even hosts 7 different species of trees!

New research ( http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090315/NEWS/903150334 ) has determined the formation was very likely part of the mighty Mount Mazama before it blew its top creating Crater Lake some 7,700 years ago, and that erosion cutting down through layers of rock carved the ship's shape we see today.

Crater Lake Crater OR Oregon NPS Crater Lake National Park Phantom Ship Island Phantom Shiip Island Snow Snowy Early Winter Landscape Nikon D300 300F4 National Park 2010