Wizard Island, which is more logical to call Wizard Island (4 photos)

The real Wizard Island - Wizard Island - is in US state of Origon. Its appearance and name are directly related to local volcano and the imagination of the discoverers.





Wizard Island in Crater Lake

The island itself is a cone of volcanic ash that rises 230 meters above the surface of the lake, which is called Crater. It itself is located inside an extinct volcano - or rather caldera, formed many millennia ago on the site of a volcano, which was called Mazama (Mount Mazama).

And this very cone, which became the island we are talking about - the result of smaller eruptions that occurred after calderas emerged. There were several such eruptions, that is, similar There are more than one cinder cones in the lake.

True, all of them do not rise above the water level - but Wizard Island has magically risen.



So, at the top of the Island of Wizards there is a small wide crater (150 by 30 meters) - William Steele, who visited here the first (not counting the natives) in 1885, the year, called the crater "Cauldron witches" (Witches Cauldron). Well, continuing the "theme party", decided that the whole island should be no less than an Island Wizards.

Although rather Wizard Island should be translated as Island Koldunov, if we are talking about witches - but it is customary for us to translate exactly.

If measured from the bottom of the lake, then the height of the mountain, the top of which called by this name, is 820 meters. And Crater Lake, by the way, is the deepest in the US. It is easy to calculate that its depth - at least 590 meters at the place where the island appeared. Actually in fact, even more - the maximum depth of the caldera is 655 meters.





License plates depicting Crater Lake and Wizard Island

All this natural wonder, of course, is the pride of Origon, whose authorities not only made him one of the symbols of the state, but also used for various social benefits. For example, they release special license plates featuring Crater Lake and Wizard Island, part of the payment for which goes to support this "national property".

Of course, no similar tourist destination in the United States is complete without legends from the indigenous population.

It is believed that the natives appeared here even before the eruption. volcano, that is, before the formation of Crater Lake. Reason to think so is that during the excavations under the lava they found various products and clothes that are identified with the local people.



The Klamath are the original inhabitants of Origon.

The indigenous inhabitants of these places are called Klamath (Klamath) – legends say that their ancestors witnessed the collapse of Mount Mazama and the formation of the lake, which has since been "abode of the Great Spirit."

It is said that there was a battle between the sky god Skell and the god of the underworld Llao, which caused the mountain to collapse.

For modern residents of the state and its guests, it's easy natural reserve, and it is even allowed to swim in the lake - but only In one place. In general, Crater Lake is famous for its unusual deep blue and clear water.