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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 NEWS NOW Saved by the Pit Crew ... Our View: Campaign money train has left the station ... Prosecution: Father tried to arrange assault on babysitter ... Saved by the Pit Crew ... Our View: Campaign money train has left the station ... Prosecution: Father tried to arrange assault on babysitter ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: About that floating tree in Crater Lake ... MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Jul. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am » 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" --> Some time ago, I heard that a tree or tree trunk was floating vertically, not horizontally, in Crater Lake in the vicinity of the Phantom Ship.  Question: If so, why vertically, what size, and is it still there? — James D., Medford   If the "some time ago" was within a 100-plus year period, James, you heard correctly.  Crater Lake National Park officials tell us the remains of a 30-foot or so mountain hemlock tree, affectionately known as the "Old Man," have been floating in the lake for at least a century, probably longer.  "The water's so clear, you can see the moss growing on the trunk," park spokeswoman Marcia McCabe says. "It absolutely floats vertically all around the lake." It probably was in the Phantom Ship's vicinity at one time, James, but it doesn't seem to want to put down roots. Or it can't. Whatever. The point is that the Old Man is nomadic, meandering back and forth across the water as the breezes change. "The winds and the currents from the winds in the lake blow him around," McCabe says. In a 1938 paper, " Wind Currents in Crater Lake as Revealed by The Old Man of the Lake,"  by park naturalist John E. Doerr, Jr., the tree is described as "mute evidence  of a rock slide which occurred on the crater wall years ago, the slide breaking off a tree and carrying down the stump in the roots of which rocks remained wedged." Doerr adds: "For a number of years, The Old Man of the Lake has been observed by visitors at Crater Lake. Not infrequently it has been mistaken for a boat, and occasionally for a white pelican." Visitors can still see it to this day. McCabe says boat tours on the water make a special effort to pass the Old Man by.  "You never quite know where the Old Man's going to be from one day to the next, which is part of the fun of it," she says.  Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501