crater lake beta for May 1st?

I am going to CA next week and thinking about stopping at Crater Lake on way back.

is there anyone here can direct me to current information on snow pack and road openings/closures and good camping spots and tours?

we are probably just bringing classical cross country gear (avoid the steeps and the unfamiliar snow pack).

I found the national park cross country ski flier and the crater lake ski patrol sites. any active forum information would be even better...

You could try the Mt Bailey Snowcat guys. I'm sure Mt Bailey has a similar snowpack to Crater Lake.

Alisa - Darryl Olson (" Darryl " on TAY) just got back from skiing around Crater Lake about a week ago.
If he doesn't chime on here soon you just might PM or better yet email him. He'll respond to most email in a day or two.

The CLNP website gives updated road closure info and the number you can call to reach park headquarters.  The ski patrol site is also a good resource.

www.nps.gov/crla

www.craterlakeskipatrol.org

IME you can always get to the headquarters building and nearly always drive to Rim Village.  They sometimes have to close the rim drive briefly for plowing after a big dump.  The best constant views of the lake are skiing out the West Rim Road from the village, but you also can ski out the East Rim Road 5 miles to Sun Notch for spectacular views.  There's just much to see until you get to Sun Notch.  I've snow camped at Sun Notch as late as Memorial Day and it is my favorite place to camp.  You can also try the 33 mile circumnavigation on the Rim Road if you are up to it.

The Annie Springs Snotel is located near the park entrance from Hwy 62:
www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/maps/sitepages/22g06s.html

National Weather Service point forecast:
forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=42...&lg=en&FcstType=text

And of course ODOT for highway conditions:
www.tripcheck.com/Pages/RCmap.asp?curReg...inNav=RoadConditions

Have a great time.

We did a trip around the lake mid May in 2008 and it was quite a challenge on randonee gear.  The first day was extremely foggy and route finding was sporty due to a thick snow pack covering the road and everything else (Crater Lakes receives the hightest snowfall in OR at over 500" a year); the first night got down to around around 0 with wind chill (reported to us by the ranger after).  After that the trip  improved greatly and only minor things such as watterlogged skins, my feet turning into one big bloody blister and having to cross some fresh avy paths on the backside detracted us from the remarkable beauty of the area.

A few things to note:
If you do the loop, when singing in at the ranger station you maybe asked to give a S&R date - the date for the rangers to initiate a search.  The rangers take this date quite litterally so unless you're a zooming human, give yourself some wiggle room; we gave ourselves an extra day and barley made it out at the end of that day.

Where to park (top or bottom)?  If you leave your car at the top there is a possibility of finding the road closed upon your return due to bad weather.  If you park at the bottom it's a long way up to the rim (think Government camp to Timberline).  The clockwise loop finishes at the lower ranger station and then you must either hitch hike (we tried without success) or beg one of the Rangers for a ride (not too pretty, but it worked).   

So if you want to do the loop - there you go  .  It was a brilliant trip and I would not hesitate to repeat it.  The views are stunning and the area is just beautiful.  Next time I would bring a pair of F1's, a pair of Karhu Guides and more Scotch. 

great information!

my group is leaning toward a few hours of siteseeing on crosscountry skis, recovery day for the wildflower 1/2 ironman saturday

of course, it's RECON - for the big loop and fat skis and scotch, another day...