The Watchman - 6.26.2020
The north entrance to Crater Lake National Park is a 1.5 hour drive from our home in La Pine... this was our first view of the lake... Llao Rock is in the far left foreground... Mount Scott is on the other side of the lake in the left center of the photo... Dutton Cliff, Applegate Peak and Garfield Peak are in the center of the photo... our target today will be The Watchman... the little pyramid on the far right in the photo.
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This photo was taken from the same spot as the previous photo... Hillman Peak is in the right foreground... with The Watchman (today's target) the little pyramid to the right of the big tree in the foreground.
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The main trail to The Watchman is on the north side of the peak... however, due to lingering snow, the trail is closed... so we drove over to the south side of the peak and parked at the Lightning Spring Picnic Area... where we found much less snow.
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From the picnic area we made the short walk up to the crater rim where we found the Rim Trail... aka the alternate Pacific Crest Trail.
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A nice view of Wizard Island from the Rim Trail... with Mount Scott in the distance... and Dutton Cliff on the far right.
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Denali Girl... with The Watchman in the distance... the trail will take us over to the far left of the peak... then we will follow the ridge up to the summit.
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Looking down at Wizard Island from the crater rim... with Llao Rock on the far left... Mount Scott above Wizard Island... with Dutton Cliff, Applegate Peak and Garfield Peak on the right.
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Our last view of The Watchman for awhile as we follow the Rim Trail over to Watchman's west ridge.
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Hiking along the south side of The Watchman on the Rim Trail... with views of Dutton Cliff, Applegate Peak and Garfield Peak on the crater rim.
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After hiking 1 mile we will leave the Rim Trail and head cross country for The Watchman... there is a trail all the way to the summit, but it was covered with snow today.
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At approximately 7850 feet we found the trail that we followed the rest of the way to the lookout.
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After hiking 1.5 miles we have reached the lookout (8013') on The Watchman.
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Our view from the steps leading up to the lookout.
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Denali Girl took this photo of me at The Watchman Lookout... only park personnel are allowed to go up to the top... with the main trail to the lookout closed due to snow, we had the place to ourselves... amazing to have this place to ourselves considering that it is one of the three most popular hikes in the park.
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Looking down at Wizard Island from The Watchman Lookout... with Llao Rock sneaking into the photo on the far left... and Mount Scott above Wizard... then Dutton Cliff, Applegate Peak and Garfield Peak on the right.
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Denali Girl at The Watchman Lookout... standing between Hillman Peak on the left and Llao Rock on the right.
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Looking down on Wizard Island... with Fumarole Bay in the right foreground... where the boat tours dock.
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Denali Girl at The Watchman Lookout... with Hillman Peak and Llao Rock on the left... snow capped peaks in the distance on the far left are Mt. Bailey and Diamond Peak.
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A closer look at Hillman Peak on the left and Llao Rock on the right... with a very steep and pointy Mt. Thielsen on the horizon between them.
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We have left The Watchman and looking for the Rim Trail that will take us back to our car.
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Back on the Rim Trail... where we will more or less trace our steps back to the car.
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Hiking back to our car on the Rim Trail... with Applegate Peak and Garfield Peak in the distance on the crater rim.
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Continuing back to our car on the Rim Trail.
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Still on the Rim Trail... here looking back at The Watchman on the left... with Hillman Peak in the center and Llao Rock on the right... today's hike was 3 miles, gaining 895 feet of elevation.
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After the hike we drove over to the Rim Village... and took this photo looking back at The Watchman and Hillman Peak in the left center of the photo... with Llao Rock in the right center of the photo.
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