Irazu - Part 3

This past October, our daughter, Becca, and her husband, Mike, made a trip up to Irazu with us. As usual, you back into your parking spot. This is normal practice at all the active volcanoes here in Costa Rica. It makes for a quick get-away in case of an unexpected eruption. (That pretty much includes all eruptions! LOL!) Up on Irazu that day, it was cold, windy, and shrouded in cloud-cover. Eerie and melancholy. And no other people. This is Irazu at its best, at least for me. The moisture in the air was so thick our jackets were soaked through by the time we headed back to the van. Becca and Mike took some great photos that I want to share with you.




This is the diagram (map) of the Irazu Volcano National Park as you enter the crater area.



It is dangerous around the crater rims. The edges frequently crumble off. Tremors are common and happen without warning. There are several signs like this one.



Isn't it amazing how beauty can be found in the harshest and most desolate of places!? God, our great Creator, certainly has an eye for beauty!




This crater is named Diego de la Haya, after the Spanish gentleman who made a detailed description in 1723 of the first recorded eruption. You walk past this crater on your way to the main and presently active crater.

The rims of the craters are fenced like this to discourage the overly curious, and unwise from getting to near the edge.



The rim of the principal crater. There were moments when the clouds billowed up and out of the crater and we could see the lake at the bottom. It was a greyish, milky, green that day.



A close-up shot of the flowers growing beside the fence.


The sign giving the depth and the diameter of the main crater. 300 meters = 975 feet deep. 1050 meters = 3412.5 feet in diameter.

This is our favorite photo. Even though it was windy and cold, there was a hushed quality to the place that day. It was awesome. So much power lying quiet, waiting.