Centennial Crater/ Crater Lake National Park Turns 100 This Year, But

Give Crater Lake a break. After all, it's 100 years old.

Not the lake - it's been around thousands of years. I'm talking about the national park. Next month a party will be held to mark the creation in 1902 of the park at the crest of the Cascade Mountains in south central Oregon. The real birthday was back in May, but it's a little cold for a party at Crater Lake in May.

Not everyone is sending presents. Travel Holiday magazine recently rated Crater Lake one of the most overrated national parks.

"This park's a one-liner that," the magazine wrote, "being way the heck out in eastern Oregon, takes hours to work up to. Buy a calendar or a jigsaw puzzle of it instead."

It's part of a tradition of griping that has surrounded Crater Lake practically since its inception.

Too remote. Not enough places to stay. Not enough to do. No other national parks nearby to combine on a trip the way visitors can at Zion and Bryce or Yellowstone and Grand Teton. The National Park Service once deemed the Crater Lake Lodge "a firetrap of the worst sort" and considered bulldozing the stately structure to make way for a motel.

All of the badmouthing is fine with me. Maybe it will be easier to get my favorite rocking chair on the big stone balcony overlooking the lake. The one on the spot where my father rocked and I've rocked and my son now rocks.

It may not pump up your adrenaline like scaling Half Dome in Yosemite or even riding a mule down into the Grand Canyon. But when I tally up my favorite pleasures of the national parks, rocking away the day beside Crater Lake is up near the top.

Sure, there's stuff to do at Crater Lake. Hike some of the 90 miles of trails that range from leisurely strolls to a heart- thumping climb to the peak of 8,929-foot Mount Scott.

Clamber down to Cleetwood Cove for a summertime Volcano Boat ride on the lake and look down through the crystal clear water toward the bottom nearly 2,000 feet below. Fish from the steep shoreline for salmon or trout (no license required).

No private boats are allowed on the lake, and with water just below the surface registering temperatures in the low-50s, swimming isn't much of an option. A limited amount of supervised diving is allowed - bring an extra-thick wet suit, as the temperature below 250 feet is a constantly frigid 38 degrees.

A popular option is to just get in the car and do the lazy 33- mile circle of Rim Drive, stopping along the way to see the ever- changing face of the lake. Spunkier types can do the route by bike.

Me, I'll take the rockers. Judging by the competition for seats on a warm summer day, I'm not alone in my love of the sedentary sensation. About 445,000 people visit the park each year, a fraction of the crowds at Yellowstone or Yosemite. Among the 10 oldest national parks, Crater Lake gets the fewest visitors. But those who come end up by midafternoon jockeying for the rockers.

Sometimes I'll park myself with a book, but mostly I just watch the play of light on the mirror-like oval of the lake. White fluffy clouds move across the watery stillness, broken a few times a day by the Volcano Boat chugging out to Wizard Island. The water remains so pure largely because it's replenished with rainwater - no streams, so no mud or minerals. The volcanic rock that makes up the lakebed is practically insoluble in the cold water.

I've sat out bundled up to watch the sunrise, the sky turning from black to orange-streaked deep blue as Venus, the morning star, burns bright above the horizon. I've sipped a glass of wine as the day slipped away and the ridges of the caldera cast shadows across the lake, the water turning a deep green, then ashy gray.

When I first visited in the 1960s, we'd run back inside when the cold finally made its way through our blankets. The wind would make the old lodge, built in 1915, groan and whistle as if inhabited by grumpy ghosts.

The bang and rattle of the radiators would keep us awake even as the heat from the ancient objects in the corner of the room didn't heat the space much above lukewarm. Oh, that run to the shower in the morning!

We counted ourselves among the fans of the lodge, reveling in its rustic nature as other visitors complained that it paled in comparison with Ahwahnee in Yosemite or Timberline Lodge up the road at Mount Hood.

The old lodge was finally closed in 1989, deemed unsafe and unfit for guests. After looking at the options, the National Park Service approved a plan to essentially raze the lodge and spend $15 billion to rebuild it as close to the original design as possible. The service had hoped to use much of the original materials, but in the end only 10 percent of the old lodge was salvaged.

What is left is a beautiful reproduction - familiar, but sturdier and with modern amenities. The new lodge opened its doors in 1995 to mostly rave reviews. The dining options are few - a cafeteria, an upstairs eatery and a fast-food joint. But they're the best options. The nearest town of any size is Klamath Falls, a 90-minute drive south.

It's unlikely you'll want to wander away if you choose to stay at Crater Lake Lodge. Once the day visitors have left, the pace at the lodge slows to a near stop, with guests reading in big chairs of the lobby or playing card games in a quiet corner.

I remembered the rooms in the old lodge as tiny, with paper-thin walls. Returning after an absence of more than 10 years, I found myself in a luxurious loft room, two stories high.

There was a queen bed on the ground floor for my wife and I and a second queen bed upstairs where my son could look out at the lake. The private bath had modern plumbing, and the heater kept us toasty warm all night long. I missed the ghostly noises, but not the frosty dash to the shower.

Some things don't change - the rooms have no telephone, TVs or air conditioning. Just peace and solitude.

Thank goodness for the naysayers.

Unfortunately, the word may be out. A friend sent me an article from the Guardian newspaper in Britain. It named Crater Lake one of the 10 best parks.

Great. The British are coming. There go the rocking chairs.

- Warner can be reached at (888) 436-0026 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Cleetwood Trail: The 1.1-mile hike drops 700 feet to the water, leading to tour boat launch and diving put-in spot.

Rim Drive: Provides a stunning 33-mile loop around the lake.

Pacific Crest Trail: The famous Pacific Crest Trail meanders for six miles along the caldera rim, where you can enjoy some of the best lake views. While hiking in the park you might glimpse elk, foxes, marmots and colorful wildflowers.

Historic lodge

The 71-room historic Crater Lake Lodge opened in 1915, built of local wood and stone. The impressive lobby has a massive picture window on the lake. The gigantic stone fireplace is a focal point on chilly evenings. Because of the harsh winters and rather inconsistent construction quality, the lodge eventually had to be closed. In 1995, the lodge reopened after a $15 million restoration, which captured as much as possible the original spirit of the lodge. For reservations: (541) 594-2255, Ext. 3014

How Crater Lake formed

The lake was formed after the collapse of an ancient volcano called Mount Mazama, which erupted about 7,700 years ago. That eruption was 42 times as powerful as the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

The basin, or caldera, was formed after the top 5,000 feet of the volcano collapsed. Subsequent lava flows sealed the bottom, allowing the caldera to fill with trillions of gallons of water.

No streams flow into the lake. It is fed only from rainfall and snow melt. Wizard Island was formed when a new magma vent allowed lava to the surface, forming a new volcanic cone.

Diving into the clearest blue: The water is cold, but one survey, found the lake to be the clearest fresh water lake in the world. Considered a rare opportunity in the diving world, going under the lake provides views of unique fish, plants, and lava rock formations. Normally accessible only June 15 to Sept. 15. Check in at Rim Village ranger station, where your diving ability will be confirmed and you'll be issued a free diving permit.

Sources: Crater Lake National Park, "Moon Handbook to Oregon," World Book Encyclopedia

Graphic reporting by April Jackson; graphic by Scott M. Brown/ Staff Artist

Checklist

GETTING IN: Entry prices are $10 per car plus $5 per person. Individual entry by bicycle or on foot is $5. Admission is good for seven consecutive days.

HANG YOUR HAT, PITCH YOUR TENT: Crater Lake Lodge, with 71 rooms and a dining room, overlooks Crater Lake. Open mid-May through mid- October. Reserve well in advance. Call (541) 830-8700 or see www.craterlakelodges.com. Rates from $117 to $227 per night.

Mazama Village Motor Inn is seven miles from the lake on the south side of the park; open mid-May through September. (541) 830-8700. Rates from $98 per night.

Mazama Campground has 198 sites, and is open mid-June through early October. Reservations are not accepted. Disabled-accessible sites are available.

Lost Creek Campground has 16 sites for tent camping, available mid- July through mid-September.

GETTING AFLOAT: The Volcano Boat Cruise operates from late June through mid-September, offering a guided tour of the lake that takes just less than two hours. Up to nine tours run each day. Access is by the steep 1-mile trail to Cleetwood Cove. Prices: adults, $19.25; children 3-11, $11.50; children younger than 3 are admitted free.

BIG DOIN'S: Centennial Weekend, Aug. 23-25, culminates with ceremonies and a "rededication" of the park Sunday and groundbreaking for a $2 million Science and Learning Center. For an extended Web listing of events, go to www.drizzle.com/~rdpayne/fclnpv71e.htm.

Southern Oregon University in Ashland is holding two events marking the 100th anniversary of Crater Lake National Park. A centennial art exhibition runs through Oct. 5 at the Schneider Museum of Art on the campus. A symposium, "A Tapestry of Inspiration," will be held Oct. 4-6.

CHILLY THRILLS: Crater Lake averages 553 inches of snow per year. During the winter season, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling are popular. No lodging is available in the park in winter, however. There are nine skiing trails of varying degrees of difficulty available. Back-country camping is available with a permit.

JUST ASK THEM, CLICK ON IT: For general park information, call (541) 594-3000. The Steel Information Center, at park headquarters, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except December 25). The Rim Visitor Center is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during the summer season.

For more information, write to P.O. Box 7 Crater Lake, OR 97604 or call (541) 594-3100. The official park Web site is at www.nps.gov/ crla/.

The Friends of Crater Lake supports efforts to maintain the park. The group's Web site is www.drizzle.com/~rdpayne/foclnp.html. The group's mailing address is P.O. Box 88, Crater Lake, OR 97604.

The U.S. Geological Survey has an excellent Web site showing soundings from its high-resolution multi-beam technology survey: craterlake.wr.usgs.gov/bathymetry.html.

Ten Deepest lakes in the world

North America claims five of the 10 deepest lakes in the world:

Name Location Depth (in feet)

1. Baikal Siberia, Russia 5,369

2. Tanganyika Africa (Tanzania, Zaire & Zambia) 4,708

3. Caspian Sea Iran and Russia 3,104

4. Nyasa Africa (Mozambique, Tanzania & Malawi) 2,316

5. Issyk Kul Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia 2,297

6. Great Slave Northwest Territories, Canada 2,015

7. Crater Lake Oregon 1,943

8. Lake Tahoe California and Nevada 1,685

9. Lake Chelan Washington 1,419

10. Great Bear Northwest Territories, Canada 1,356

The first national parks

Order named, name, year created, state, acres where available.

1. Yellowstone, 1872, Wyoming, 2.2 million. 2. Mackinac Island, 1875, Michigan. Given back to the state of Michigan in 1895. 3. Sequoia, 1890, California, 402,482. 4. Yosemite, 1890, California, 761,236. 5. General Grant, 1890, California, 461,901. Originally a small park, General Grant was incorporated into Kings Canyon in 1940. 6. Mount Rainier, 1899, Washington, 235,613.

7. Crater Lake, 1902, Oregon, 183,224.

8. Wind Cave, 1903, South Dakota, 28,295.

9. Sully's Hill, 1904, North Dakota. Converted to a game preserve in 1931.

10. Mesa Verde, 1906, Colorado, 52,122.

11. Platt, 1906, Oklahoma, 9,889. Now part of Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

12. Glacier, 1910, Montana, 1.01 million.

13. Rocky Mountain, 1915, Colorado, 265,727.

14. Hawaii Volcanoes, 1916, Hawaii, 209,695.

15. Lassen Volcanic, 1916, California, 106,372.

* Acreages listed are parks' current size. Most parks were much smaller when they were established.

Source: National Park Service

Copyright 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.