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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Gunman arrested: Portland-area officer OK, hostage safe ... AP: Klamath County teen charged in second death ... Early harvest means shortage of workers ... Gunman arrested: Portland-area officer OK, hostage safe ... AP: Klamath County teen charged in second death ... Early harvest means shortage of workers ... OUT THERE: CRATER LAKE Old Man of the Lake still evokes curiosity By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2016 @ 12:01 am By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2016 @ 12:01 am --> Standing on the Old Man The practice of standing on the Old Man, something done by rangers as part of boat tours of Crater Lake, was common for several decades. Mark Buktenica, C... » Read more X Standing on the Old Man The practice of standing on the Old Man, something done by rangers as part of boat tours of Crater Lake, was common for several decades. Mark Buktenica, Crater Lake National Park's longtime aquatic biologist, doesn't remember when, but he ended that use about 20 years ago after noticing the log's top was slowly chipped away and becoming eroded. "I just felt he was deteriorating too much and showing wear and tear," he says of his decision. "He's showing his age at 120." Years ago, while gathering information for a story about water quality studies at Crater Lake National Park, I was aboard the park's research boat when we cruised alongside the Old Man. One of the aquatic biologists asked if I'd like to stand atop the vertically floating log. For many years, park rangers providing commentary for lake boat tours used to stand on the Old Man while passengers snapped photographs. There's an unverified story about an unpopular park ranger who dutifully stood on the Old Man, then watched as the boat didn't return but drove off, leaving him literally high and dry. According to legend, he had to wait until another tour boat made its rounds. When the boat motored away after I climbed on the Old Man, I hoped I wouldn't share the humbled ranger's fate. Rising about 4½ feet above the lake, the Old Man's weathered and jagged top rocked under my weight. I breathed easier when the boat circled back while rangers snapped photos. I'm not the only family member to stand atop the Old Man. During her college years, my daughter, Molly, was a seasonal ranger at Crater Lake. One summer her duties included providing narration for lake boat tours. Just like her old man, Molly stood on the Old Man.   Historical Insights Excerpts from a 1902 report, "The Geology and Petrography of Crater Lake National Park," by geologist Joseph Diller, provide insight about the Old Man of the Lake. "In 1896, a tree was found near the west shore of Wizard Island standing erect in 37 feet of water," Diller wrote. "The trunk was broken off just above the water level, and the roots at the base were seen through the clear water on the bottom as if the tree grew where it was standing. It could not be shaken from the boat, and it was evident that if the tree grew where it was standing, it proved the lake to have been much lower than now at a recent time. Sufficient baling wire was secured to reach the shore, and it was discovered that the tree had no hold upon the bottom. It had drifted from the shore of the island. "In July 1901, the same tree was off the north edge of the island, at least one-fourth mile from its position in 1896. Owing to the steep slopes of the rim a tree frequently slides into the water in an erect position, and the lower part becoming water-logged it floats about the lake with only a few feet of the top projecting above the water, and thus furnishes a spectacle curious enough to excite the imagination.”   Seeing the Old Man The Old Man of the Lake is seldom visible from the rim. It's frequently but not always seen during concession-operated, ranger-narrated boat tours. For information on boat tours, visit www.craterlakelodges.com/activities/volcano-boat-cruises . Because of ongoing construction at the Cleetwood Cove parking lot, where a 1.1-mile trail goes to the lake and boat dock, tours are scheduled to end Aug. 15. For updated information, visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/crla . » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> "A spectacle curious enough to excite the imagination." — Joseph Diller, 1902, writing about the Old Man of Crater Lake. CRATER LAKE — The Old Man of the Lake has stumped and excited people who've seen it for years, decades, more than a century. Make that 120 years. The Old Man is the name of a log that's been seen randomly floating around Crater Lake since 1896. Despite its longevity, there's a lot that's not known about the Old Man, and that's fine with Mark Buktenica, Crater Lake National National Park's longtime aquatic biologist. "He really captures the imagination of the public," says Buktenica, who believes those lingering mysteries add to its appeal. "I'm continually surprised at how universally excited people get." That excitement recently captivated Conor Knighton, who is visiting all 59 national parks for "On the Trail" segments for CBS's "Sunday Morning With Charles Osgood." The series is part of the focus on the National Park Service's year-long 100th anniversary celebration. Buktenica said Knighton, who visited Crater Lake earlier this month, largely focused on the Old Man while recently filming a segment that's scheduled to air in September. Knighton isn't the first person intrigued by The Old Man. He — that's how Buktenica refers to the Old Man — also captivated Joseph S. Diller, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey who visited and explored the lake extensively beginning in 1886. While rereading Diller's 1902 manuscript, Buktenica realized Diller didn't spot the Old Man until 1986, meaning this year is its 120th birthday. "This is probably the best estimate of a birthday we may get," Buktenica says. Several years ago he and Scott Girdner ran a carbon date on a piece of the Old Man that had fallen off naturally. The test indicated the sample had stopped growing 465 years ago, plus or minus 100 years. "We aren't sure if the piece was from near the core when it began growing or from the outer portion when it stopped growing," Buktenica notes. "But given the recorded history and the diameter of the tree, 465 years seems like a reasonable ballpark estimate." Although commonly referred to as a mountain hemlock, he says studies haven't been done to confirm its species. Hemlocks do grow within the caldera walls, and it's theorized he — the tree — died and slid into the lake. Why it hasn't become waterlogged and sunk is another unknown. Buktenica first saw the Old Man in 1985. Like others, he stood on the tree and had his photo taken. Unlike others, he's seen the Old Man from below while scuba diving "to see what's growing on him." Below lake level, he found mosses, mayflies and other aquatic insects and crayfish. He's seen ant colonies and spiders living on its bleached top. Although actual measurements haven't been done, he believes Diller's studies indicating the Old Man has a 2-foot diameter trunk, sticks about 4½ feet above the lake and dips about 37 feet underwater are relatively accurate. Another mystery is why and how the Old Man moves about the lake. A 1938 study showed it moved 64 miles between July 1 and Sept. 30, including 3.8 miles on a single day. "I've seen him travel from one of the lake to the other in a day," says Buktenica. "And stay in one place for days, weeks, a month or more." The Old Man generated special attention in 1988, when a one-person submarine was flown to the lake that summer to conduct underwater explorations. Buktenica, who made 17 dives, including one to the lake's deepest spot — 1,943 feet — remembers the lead researchers had the Old Man lassoed and tied it to Wizard Island's eastern shore to prevent it from possibly interfering with the submarine. Almost immediately, the calm, sunny weather turned stormy and violent. When the Old Man was released, the weather eased. "Even scientists don't know what they don't know," Buktenica says of the lesson learned. He's pleased the Old Man evokes curiosity — and a sense of mystery. "I think the Old Man is still a spectacle, and his story still excites the imagination," Buktenica says. "Maybe some questions should be left unanswered." Lee Juillerat has been writing about outdoor adventures in Southern Oregon and elsewhere for more than 30 years. He is also a regular contributor to the outdoor-travel website High On Adventure at www.highonadventure.com . He can be reached at [email protected] or 541-880-4139. By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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