Crater Lake we knew was only partly open - the back side of the ring road was still snowed in. But the main branch was open, as was the lodge. The rim is at about 7,000 feet, the lake is 1,000 feet below and is 1,900 feet deep - the deepest in the US (Superior is 1,300, and Tahoe second deepest at I think about 1,600). They only had 650 inches of snow this year, 130% of normal, and the lake is fed entirely by the snow that falls on it, being in a sheer walled crater. This is another place it's almost impossible to take a bad photo. Every view is so remarkable and unusual. The lake was formed when Mt. Mazama erupted about 7,000 years ago, then collapsed 5,000 feet (probably in under an hour) into itself when its lava chamber was emptied. That would have been a site to see - at a safe distance! They said it was equivalent to 43 Mt. St. Helen's eruptions, and ash has been found from it in Saskatchewan. 
The drive up the west slope is mostly gradual, becoming steep only at the last past above the park headquarters. You have no clue that there is anything unusual about this mountain. But when we crested the ridge and arrived at the first overlook, I was dumbfounded, staring 6 miles across a vast blue lake rimmed by 1,000 foot cliffs, capped with broken sun and grey-bottomed clouds. We drove from overlook to overlook, walking short trails, clambering over dirty white snow drifts, looking and looking again, taking pictures. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Because of the constantly changing clouds, the view was never the same. Stunning.
The tour boats were not yet running, but the hiking path from the rim to the boats was open (nice to know that not all National Park rides have to be reachable with motorized vehicles). While the boats would have been fun, the hike down, switching back and forth, was a great way to see the rim from various perspectives and heights. Then to touch the cold, ancient water and look up at the ring of snow tinged mountains where we had stood before was a great experience. The water's only source is the snow and rain that falls lake itself every year, there is almost no turnover in the water from year to year. Very old water.
We then got reservations at the old lodge for lunch, and while we waited, hiked along the rim and explored the hotel. It was in the 40's that day and the clouds would rise and drop above the rim and lodge, quenching us in fog and rain, the lifting again and sending rays of sun between the scattered clouds. Dramatic. The lodge looked old, but had an interesting story. It had been built 1915, but was underfunded and corners were cut (like good foundations). It became a hazard, and was closed in 1989. Public opinion forced the more expensive option of restoration instead of replacement, and it was gutted of finishes, rebuilt to modern structural and earthquake standards, then veneered with many of the original finishes. You'd hardly know. The big stone fireplaces were hugely popular on the chill, wet day, and the waiting areas full of happy people playing cards, talking, and waiting for lunch.
After our lunch we took another short hike to the rim for a different perspective, then headed back down. Ann had to catch a flight the next afternoon from Reno, so we need to get within a few hours of Nevada before bedtime. We thought we'd try for Susanville, California that night.
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