Mount Thielsen and Timber Crater

By chance, I happened to capture a few photos (unknowingly) of some features off in the distance and outside of Crater Lake while we were at Crater Lake that are worth writing about very briefly here in my blog.  These features are still within the National Park but they are not really part of the rim of Mount Mazuma which is now Crater Lake.  

The first notable feature is Mount Thielsen at an elevation of 9,184 feet.  I did notice this mountain almost immediately when I was first gazing across the lake.  It is very prominent and distinctive.  In fact, it instantly reminded me of the Paramount logo.

This particular mountain is an extinct volcano with its last eruption being 250,000 years ago.  Volcano activity in the Cascade Mountains dates back to 55 million years ago so, relatively speaking, 250,000 years ago is on the more recent side.  

This horn-like peak has been carved by glaciers which have eroded the mountain to produce the pointy, Paramount logo-like shape we see today.  When I first noticed this mountain, I couldn't help but wonder if this is the "Paramount mountain peak" used in its logo (apparently, it is not although I'm not sure I believe it).  This mountain was clearly visible straight across the lake, to the north, from our lodge.    

Another notable feature is the Timber Crater, seen below in the distance behind the rim of Crater Lake, with an elevation of 7,425 feet.  

I have to be honest and say that I didn't actually notice this flattened mountaintop until I was processing photos at home.  After a little bit of research, I found that this mountain blew its top off approximately 137,000 years ago and it is one of the younger volcanos in the region.  This last eruption created a crater that is now five miles in diameter.  The crater that was created on this mountain by its eruption reminds me of the shape of the crater on Mount St Helen's although the Timber Crater is far larger than the one created at Mount St Helen's.  

This crater, which appears as though it is a flattened mountaintop from this angle, is located just to the right of Mount Thielsen (to the east and a bit closer to Crater Lake).   It is actually halfway between Crater Lake and Mount Thielsen.

Here, below, is another view of Timber Crater with Mount Thielsen behind and slightly to our left of it.  

For reference, here is my original panoramic image that I showed in a previous blog entry making it easier to point out five distinct features as viewed from the lodge.  These two features are indicated at #3 and #4 on this image...

As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog entry, I didn't set out to capture any photos of these features.  Actually, I didn't really notice that I had captured them in photos until I was reviewing my photos back at home!