4 of us went to crater Lake and Yosemite during 2017 Xmas and new Year period, it was a trip of mixing backpacking/snow camping, day hiking, sightseeing, cooking,eating and drinking, etc, we all really enjoyed! here are some of our pics that could tell the story, most pics were taken by group member Windy, many thanks to her for sharing!

some trip food pics

Wow. Windy is quite a photographer! And your food photos always make me hungry ��

Gloria, your photos are so beautiful and stunning; first class among first class.

Visited this crater lake area as a rush drive by with short walk and hops around its perimeter in the summer of 2003 ..

K

Nice Christmas break road trip Gloria. Going to backpack snowshoe around Crater Lake Easter weekend myself so appreciate the pictures. Is it looking like a big snow year there? Windy has some pretty good shot's there I have to say.

Wow fantastic pictures

It was my first time there in the winter, ~1 meter snow in the most places when we were there. very very windy on the rim. and it's not easy to find good weather Nov- Feb there, we were lucky this time, except the first day, the weather for the rest 2 days was nice.

Oh wow, what a great trip. Lovely pictures, what a brilliant night sky. We've been there a number of times but only in fall or late summer. We must try it winter.

How was the road around the lake? was it well maintained?

Gloria, where did you stay @ Yosemite? Did you also camp, and if so where?

Did you do the whole circuit around the rim?

We stayed in Sorona, Ca and did day hikes in Yosemite, we also did Deway Point overnight backpacking. I think camping around Glacier Point might be much better choice for the greater views, next time.

It was our original plan, but we only had 2 day good weather and only did less than half distance of the circle, the weather in the first day was very bad, we do not have enough time to do the whole circle as day night was short and we are the first group this winter so that we had to break trail, very windy around rim, usually it's hard to get a couple days good weather during this time of year. anyway, we hiked,camped and enjoyed

You can not drive around the lake in the winter time, but can ski/snowshoe around the lake, and you can camp on the rim as well (must at least 1mile from any parking lot). the road to the Steel Visitor Center and Rim Village was not bad, a little bit icy but well maintained.