Lots of pictures! Sunrise, chipmunks, pinnacles, etc....

I didn't get anything posted last night (Tuesday) since the Internet connection was awful!

Since we were expecting a repeat of the smoke over the lake, we decided to try and see a sunrise there.  Tommie got me up just after 5:00AM, and we brushed our teeth, threw on some clothes, let the dogs out, and hurried over to the lake.  We made it just in time, and saw only three other hardy souls.

We came back to the motorhome, ate breakfast, fed the dogs and birds, and packed up for our day trip.  The lake was still a little hazy but we saw some pretty sights and got some good pictures.  At one overlook, a little chipmunk came right over and begged, so we gave him some of the Cheerios we use for dog treats.  Of course, I took tons of pictures of him!

We continued on around to the spot on the rim road where we left off yesterday, and by 9:00 the opposite side of the lake was obscured by smoke again.  So we rode the seven miles to the pinnacles, which are "fossil fumaroles" where volcanic gasses rose up through the volcanic ash, cementing it into solid rock.  Some of them are hollow.  As we drove back on the same road, we didn't make overlook stops, since all you could see was smoke.

We then went west on 138 to several waterfalls, the most impressive of which was Watson Falls.  We took a .3 mile hike, almost all uphill with the dogs, and the view was worth it!

There are cute chipmunks all over this campground, chasing each other and asking for snacks!

Sunrise over the Crater Lake mountains

Morning sunlight on the opposite hill

Fog/smoke in the valley with mountain tops sticking out

Early morning lake

Boats WAY down on the lake

Our little car with "ears" in the parking lot

This is the little guy who begged from us.

Red crossbills
Their beaks look like they're overgrown, but that's normal for them.

He ate Cheerios from Tommie's hand.
Obviously, lots of people have fed him!

Look at that blue water!

Portrait of the boys on the rock wall

Wizard Island

Wildflowers on the rocks

Phantom Ship Island
The smoke is starting to move in, so this looks hazy.

Some of The Pinnacles

Amazing formations!

Cute lizard at the Pinnacles

Looks like a Goldfinch to me

The guys on our hike up to Watson Falls

Upper section of Watson Falls

Water hitting the rocks below

Chipmunk at our campsite
They were everywhere!