Crater Lake Special Events Log

The Smith Brothers' Chronological History of Crater Lake National Park

1980

Winter 1980

A six-month high-level study of Crater Lake's winter operations concludes that no charges are warranted.

1980

Emil Nordeen's 1931 Crater Lake ski trophy (38 inches high of solid silver) comes out of retirement in Sweden, when the trophy is awarded as the first place prize for a 37 mile Kalutra Skloppet race in Northern Sweden. This is the first time the Swedes have lived up to their 1960 agreement with Nordeen.

January 1980

Park's rescue raft is slid down the Rim at Rim Village for a practice rescue run to Wizard Island. 12 Rangers camp in snow caves on the Island. The nighttime temperature at the Rim reaches a minus 7 degrees, with 31 degrees being measured in the snow caves. Sinse it was a clear night, the Rangers climbed Wizard Island by moonlight.

James Stansberry, Diamond Lakes snowmobile guide, cited for leading 5 other snowmobilers off the established route. Stansberry was fined $500 (with $400 suspended) and restricted from any further guided trips into the Park.

January 1980

A new government reports estimates the Lodge needs to $2.4 million in safety repairs. Additional studies concluded that the Lodge needs and $6.5 million dollars of repairs. The work is scheduled to begin at the end of the 1982 season, but because of the cost, the work is delayed.

January 8, 1980

Famed geologist Howell Williams dies in California. As requested by his brother in England, Williams' ashes are shipped to Crater Lake. Superintendent Jim Rouse slips the silver tube containing Williams' ashes into the Lake at Cleetwood Cove the following summer. Forgotten Crater an extension of Hillman Peak is renamed to "Williams Crater."

January 13, 1980

Wesley Stanfield, 54, of Central Point, dies while skiing on the East Road, near the Wildflower Garden. The Chiloquin Ambulance runs off the Road near Fort Klamath, while transporting the victim, moderately injuring the four attendants who were giving CPR.

January 28, 1980

Congress is asked for $781,000 to reconstruct four miles of the West Rim Road, between the Watchman and North Junction.

February 23, 1980

Senator Mark Hatfield, following on a previous promise, introduces legislation to expand Crater Lake by some 23,000 acres. The bill would add Sphagnum Bog and Thousand Springs, Desert Ridge, Boundary Springs, all of Timber Crater, Bear Butte and the Sand Creek drainage. Hatfield left out some of the recommended Diamond Lake area so as not to further restrict snowmobile use.

March 1, 1980

The first annual Dutton Creek Cross Country Ski Race. Reider Pearson, age 40, former U.S. Olympic Team member, wins in 39.0 minutes. Ten year old Brian Smith, wins in the youth division and 80.45 minutes.

March 15, 1980

Ambassador and Mrs Merwyn Norrish of New Zeland are shown around the Park by Superintendent Rouse.

March 16, 1980

Annual Portland Nordic Club Rim ski race.

April 1, 1980

The Klamath Falls Group (Cluster) office is abolished and all personnel are informed that they must either transfer to other parks, retire or move to Crater Lake by August of 1982.

May 1980

Seasonal Ranger Rod Cranson publishes the geological story of Crater Lake entitled "Crater Lake - Gem of the Cascades". Rod's book is the first geological book published about Crater Lake since Howell Williams' 1942 book.

May 18, 1980

The destructive eruption and eventual explosion of Mt. St. Helens, focuses renew attention to Mazama's eruption and collapse, 6,600 years ago.

Summer 1980

The complete Interpreter Ranger crew are returning veterans. This is the first time in memory that there has not been several new seasonal employees.

Oregon's only nesting Peregrine falcons laid three eggs, but they fail to hatch. Again studies show that the shells were to thin and the eggs had dried out before hatching.

June 1980

Massive surge conducted for two teenage boys who became lost while playing on a snow field just below Rim Village. The voice confuse their directions in end of walking 20 miles West to Highway 230 where they were picked up by trucker and are fed their first food for the day at Beckies in Union Creek. The boys said that they were following their Boy Scout training which says to "head downhill when lost."

June 15, 1980

Two floating Styrofoam docks are air lifted by helicopter from Discovery Point to Cleetwood. The foam floats end up bouncing so badly, the docks are unsafe to use. Compounding the problem was the ripping off of huge chunks of Styrofoam every time the dock struck a rock. (Styrofoam was seen floating in the Lake for years.) One dock was destroyed in a storm and another one served for a time as an unstable fueling dock.

June 18, 1980

The 1600 acre prescribed burn is set, extending from Sharp Peak to the northeast corner of the Park.

June 23, 1980

The Oregon Court of Appeals is asked by former Crater Lake Lodge owner, Ralph Peyton, to set aside the $15, 000 in punitive damages formerly awarded to Janice Joachim in 1978. Her lawyer accused Peyton and other officials of a "massive cover-up". The lawyer said there is evidence that most of the Lodge staff was sick by June 30, and it Peyton allowed sick employees to serve food and that he did not notify authorities of their gastrointestinal illness.

July 1980

Ten year old Brian Smith runs of Cleveland Cove Lake Trail, with a pack on his back, in 12 minutes.

"A Crater Lake Boy", written by his father: I find myself relieving again and again that look of pure joy on Brian's face as I climbed off the Crater Lake Tour Boat. Brian was waiting at the dock expectantely. "Dad, I caught a fish!" He announced in front of everyone. His first one! All on his own!

What was that strange inner desire that drove this ten year old son of mine to ride his little one speed bike 14 miles around West Rim Drive at 5:30 a.m. so he could fish in Crater Lake? Perhaps it was the ovation Brian received from that early morning boat load of Park visitors after the attending Ranger announced how Brian had arrived at the lakeshore that morning. Perhaps it was the special award she gave Brian that morning as the bull pulled away from dock. Nevertheless, Brian's enthusiasm for fishing has continued, even on the days when he goes fishless. There is certainly something mystical about spending hour after hour keeping a fishing line wet when nothing noticeable is happening. Success does not come easy to a 10 year old fishermen, but there is always hope.

Brian has spent eight years of his short-lived exploring the Meadows and trails of Crater Lake National Park. First it was the frogs of Munson Creek that attracted his attention. Now, as he has grown older, he finds added joy in locating a new waterfall or perhaps discovering was over the next mountain ridge. Observing the moving waters of Munson Creek or watching the splash of water on wet stoves continue to have a special fascination.

Now the Munson Valley has been explored from ridge to ridge, Brian's desire for further exploration has expanded. Christmas backpacking equipment has remained in the closet to long. Red Cone Springs and Boundary Springs are shouting to be explored. Soon it will be Tututni Pass and Stweart Falls. The joy of reaching the day's desired destination creates a special satisfaction. Perhaps this specialness comes from being away from his pesky sister, or may be just with his dad.

Millions of visitors have enjoyed Crater Lake and its environs, but no one more so than this son of mind. Each day bring special plans to enjoy this spectacular place. Perhaps one of these years Brian will realize how fortunate he really was raised in a National Park and that he was truly a favored person. "Dad, aren't you glad that I enjoy doing things like this, so that you to can enjoy places like this?"

July 1989

Morton Clark of Grants Pass, loses the engine of his Waco UPF-7 biplane trainer while flying over Crater Lake. The engine dies completely "It was to 2 to 3 minutes before I could get the engine started again, and all the time, my wife and I are circling over the Lake wondering how cold water was." The Clark's dropped 1500 feet even with the Rim before the engine was restarted.

July 7, 1980

Thirty-five year old ultra-marathoner (100 miles), Warren Finks of 6917 SW 33rd Street, Portland, Oregon, runs the Cleewood Lake Trail twice in 38 minutes, including a drink from the Lake.

July, 18, 1980

Jonel Jack and John Todd marry in the Rim Center.

July 20, 1980

Domesticated sheep found grazing inside the Rim at Steele Bay. Two carcass are later found on the East Rim.

July 22, 1980

Mrs. Stanley Service, sister-in- law of the famous Alaskan poet, Robert Service "Cremation of Sam McGee," etc. visits the Park.

July 28, 1980

National Geographic editor, John Eliot, visits Crater Lake while doing research for a future article on the 75th anniversary of Teddy Roosevelt's legacy establishing National Park. Eliot hikes several trails intakes above ride.

August 8, 1980

Rudy Luech, Box 333, Springdale, UT 84767, a Ranger at Crater Lake from June 16, 1929 until June, 1936, visits the Park. Luech was with Chief Ranger Godfrey when he died in a snow storm on the South Road in 1930.

August 9, 1980

Fifth Annual Rim Run Winners:
Men:
6.7 Pat Fox Beaverton, Oregon 34.42

13.0 Dave Collins San Francisco, California 1:20.11

26.2 Al Gliden Klamath Falls, Oregon 2:44.12

Women:
6.2 Kris Haecker Grants Pass, Oregon 43.35

13.0 Shirley Sandrowski Chico, California 1:51.48

26.2 Jeanne Ottoman Klamath Falls, Oregon 3:30.29

Nearly 500 runners participated on a very warm race day.

August 23, 1980

Richard DeYoung, 4594 Paradise Knoll, Castro Valley, California, age 40 runs the complete 33 mile Rim Drive taking four hours and 55 minutes. Richard used 2.5 liters of water, sipped at half-mile intervals. DeYoung started his run at 6:15 a.m. from the front of the headquarters.

August 28, 1980

Crater Lake is experiencing the driest summer on record with only a total of 0.5 inches of precipitation recorded since June 13. Emergency fire presuppression funds are requested from the regional office.

August 31, 1980

Scott and Pamela Burnett of Vancouver, Washington are married on Wizard Island. The couple had attempted the ceremony on September 3, 1979, but storm a weather had canceled the boat tours and the couple had to settle for an impromptu marriage ceremony at Cleetwood Cove. Judge Ken Odiorine of Chiloquin said that "this wedding was the most unique I have ever performed." After failing to find any record of the previous Wizard Island marriage, the judge "entered their names in the Guinness Book of World Records."

Jeff Adams maintenance superintendent, retires after 23 years of continuous work at Crater Lake. Mr. Adams then begins another career as Liason Officer for the contractors working on the Lodge.

September 22, 1980