Crater Lake Special Events Log

The Smith Brothers' Chronological History of Crater Lake National Park

1979

A suit seeking $8.6 million in damages is filed by Ralph Peyton and Crater Lake Lodge Company against the U.S. Governament in Portland's U.S. District Court. Peyton seeks $4,000,000 for alleged loss of business, phyiscal damage to the property, medical expenses for his employees, loss of credit standing, and lost profits. The suit also seeks recovery from the government of $4,616,180 to cover pending claims against the Lodge. The suit claims that the national Park Serivce was responsible for sewage contamination in the water supply during the summer of 1975.

Fiscal year 1979

For the first time Park's budget tops $1 million dollars. ($1.04 million)

February 1979

111 inches of snow falls during the last three weeks of February.

February 8, 1979

Fire in the generator house causes minor damage.

March 18, 1979

A seventeen year old operator drives his snow mobile over the Caldera Rim, north of Merriman Point, near North Junction . The snow mobile falls 400 feet before sticking its rear end into a soft snow bank and stopping. The driver is thrown another 10 feet before he is able to catch himself and is finally rescued. The snow mobile is secured with a safety rope and pulled out in the Spring after the West Rim Drive is opened.

April 1979

Nancy Jarrell and ski party observed and photographed a mountain lion in the snow, near Sun Notch.

May 22, 1979

A 28 ft. U. S. G. S. research boat is lowered down the snow chute west of Rim Village. Because of its canvas sun and shade, the boat is promptly christened the "Queen".

May 27, 1979

Jerry Civitts is killed and passenger Sandra Coeiz is injured near the West Park Boundary when the motorcycle they are riding slides out of control on a corner and strikes a tree.

June, 1979

In a period of five days, Rangers twice from their weapons in order to disarm violators. One case involved threats to a Park maintenance employee at his quarters. If the in other involved two individuals hitchhiking in the Park and wanted for questioning in Indiana on murder charges.

June 20, 1978

The Rim Road is plowed out and opened.

Summer 1979

Extensive geological study of the Lake, Caldera and the surrounding volcanic landscape by Dr. Charlie Bacon of the U.S. G. S. An exhaustive mapping of Rim wall is also planned. Bacon estimates the project will take ten years for him to update Mt. Mazama's story and to produce new topographic maps. This will be the first major geological study of the Park since Howel Williams' major study over 40 years ago.

June 1979

The name of the Exhibit Building's (EB) (formerly the Kiser Photo Studio) is changed to the Visitor's Center (VC). Previously in the 1940's and 1950's the building was known as the Information Building (IB). (by the 1990's some staff are referring to the building again as the, "Kiser Studio."

June 12, 1979

Nancy Rohn, 21, of Chicago, becomes the first female law enforcement patrol ranger at Crater Lake.

June 12 1979

Baby boy born to Ken & Jeannie Newfield, YCC Director, of Ashland, Oregon. The baby boy and was home delivered in Building 74 and is the first or recorded birth at Crater Lake. Young Newfield is temporarily named, "Mazama Wizard". But is eventually named "Austin".

June 15, 1979

Boat drivers, Clay Miller and Dan Sobel, pull the trail tractor trailer, by hand, up Cleetwood Trail in 2.5 hours.

July 9, 1979

Monday - Suzie Stricker, seasonal ranger, in fee collection, flies a 40 foot dragon kite from the top of Wizard Island. The kite was held aloft by the winds ranging from 30 to 50 mph reached a height of 500 feet, the total length of her line. Susie said "I almost lost the kite due to high winds."

July 14, 1979

An extremely bright light is seen by many each streaking over Crater Lake. Witnesses claimed it was bright enough to have taken a photo. Some claim the meteor could have been the seize of a car. The flame trailing the meteor had some blue light, turning to green.

July 14, 1979

Lakee-Looney wedding on the Rim.

July 29, 1979

A Lodge girl is struck by a visitors car while jogging out near Discovery Point. A broken pelvis.

July 21, 1979

The Wayne Taylor wedding, from Madison, Wisconsin, is held at Grouse Hill Picnic Area.

July 23, 1979

A 15 year old boy falls on the Watchman while cutting trail. The boy slides the full distance amd ends up with a concussion.

July 24, 1979

The Lodge's garbage truck rolls across the parking lot area behind the Cafeteria and crashes into the sleeping cottage, opening up the whole front of the cabin. The family occupying the cottage had vacated only minutes before the accident.

Aug. 1979

Rim Run Winners

Men:

6.7 John Powell Klamath Falls, Oregon 34.15

13.0 Glenn Jobe Alturas, California 1:22.43

26.2 Martin Balding Altaloma, California 2:55.29

Women

6.7 Wendy Roberts Klamath Falls, Oregon 44.22

13.0 Shelley Briggs Eugene, Oregon 1:43.40

26.2 Jeanne Ottoman Klamath Falls, Oregon 3:52.41

Aug. 10, 1979

Carl Long, official court reporter for The Dalles, Oregon reports reading a court report several years ago that described a trial for several men accused of murdering a victim and Crater Lake in the 1920s.

Aug. 24, 1979

Seasonal Rangers Susie Stecker experiences and armed robbery while on duty at the North Entrance. Robbery is aborted by choice when the assailant discovers only $35 in the till. The criminal sped away in a white Ford Pinto.

Aug. 26, 1979

Wayne Ruedz of Minnesota rides his bike through the Park on a 23,000 mile trip to the tip of South America. Ruedz has traveled 8,000 miles so far, starting in Alaska on May 2. Averaging $7.00 per day in expenses, Wayne is that estimates the bike trip will take 18 to 24 months.

Summer 1979

Oregon's only Peregrine falcon nest located on a ledge below a cliff overhang, inside the Caldera's eastern rim. To fledglings are successfully raised. A third egg was found in the nest, but it failed to hatch. Tests show a 15% reduction in the shelf thickness due to the DDT. Hopes are high for survival.

Water year: 66.79 inches of precipitation

Sept. 1, 1979

22 Elk (3 bulls and 19 cows and calves) are observed at 5:30 a.m. on Pumice Flat, below Rim Village. Later in the day, 16 elk are spotted at Vidae Falls.

Sept. 2,1979

Vern Sumner, 34 Irving Road, Eugene, Oregon, copyrights a disaster movie script about Crater Lake's West wall collapsing and destroying Diamond Lake and Roseburg.

Sept. 2, 1979

Scott and Pam Burnett attempt to be married on Wizard Island, but bad weather and 1.20 inches of rain force the wedding party back into Cleetwood Cove. The groom asked Ranger Mykal Ryan, who he had just met on the boat, to be his best man.

October 1979

Bear is killed by injection by Ranger Mark Forbes in Mazama Campground. The Bear had been trapped 8 times, once in Union Creek, since 1972 and had picked up (for a bear) many bad habits.

October 8, 1979

After first to being spotted by Ranger Larry Smith, two would be canoeists are fined $25 for launching two canoes on the Lake and camping on Wizard Island. Ranger Jim Donovan made the contact with the two at 9:00 p.m. after kayaking to the Island on his own kayak. The first midnight Lake kayak operation on record.

Season 1979 Visitation: 445,397

(Next stop 1980)