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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1956)
TWELVE MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE Sunday, April t. 1958 Extensive Improvements Planned in Next 10 Years by National Park Service Mission 66 Will Make Lake More Accessible For Visitor Increase A young prospector named John Wesley Hillman, leading party from Jacksonville in search of a lost gold mine in 1853, re ceived what must have been one of the most impressive surprises in history. Comin? suddenly to the top of a steep mountain he saw below him one of the clearest, most vividly blue and beautiful lakes in the world. Crater Lake has been surprising millions of visitors ever since. Even those who have seen it many times still experi ence surprise at the always new discovery of a lake in the top of a mountain. The U.S. National Park service, as part of a 10-year park im provement program known as Mission '66. now has plans to make Crater Lake more accessible and enjoyable to more visitors than ever. Under the Mission '66 program the park service hopes to im prove all national parks and bring them up to standards felt neces sary to preserve their beauty and handle the 80,000,000 visitors expected at the parks by 1966, the golden anniversary of the park service. There has been little improvement of national parks since the beginning of World War II although there has been a tremen dous increase in the number of park visitors. An appropraition of $381,000 is now bfore the Senate for im provements at Crater Lake. It is expected that this will be the first of appropriations planned for use during the 10-year program of Mission '66. Work Slated To Start This Year Work which is is hoped will start at the park this year and be completed by 1966, includes improving roads and trails to formerly inaccessible corners of the park, building new camp grounds, constructing a museum, development of information cen ters and small picnic sites around the rim of the lake, in stalling more comfortable facil ities for winter visitors, and con structing comfortable winter quarters for employees and equipment. "We want to make more of the park accessible," Park Su perintendent Thomas Williams said recently, "to give people reason to remain longer in the park than they have stayed in the past, and give them a better opportunity to study and under- stand the formation of the mountain." When Hillman first found the lake he named it Deep Blue lake. In October, 1862, Chauncey Nye, leading a party from east ern Oregon to Jacksonville, hap pened on the lake and thinking he had made a discovery, named it Blue lake. A third "discovery" was made in 1865 by two sol .diers stationed at Fort Klamath who called it Lake Majesty. Name Changed in 1869 In 186a the name was chang ed to Crater Lake by visitors from Jacksonville. Largely through the efforts of Judge William Gladstone Steel the lake was established as a national park in 1902. Steel de voted the remainder of his life to development of the park, serving as its second superinten dent and later as park commis sioner until his death in 1934. Located on the crest of the Cascade mountains in northern Klamath county, the park in cludes 160,290 acres. The lake itself is about 20 square miles in area, 6 miles wide, and has 20 miles of shoreline. It is nearly 2.000 feet in depth, the second deepest lake in North America and the seventh deepest known in the world. The crater walls, which average about 7,000 feet above sea level, rise as much as 2,000 feet above the surface of the water. About 60 species of mammals live in the park and deer, bear, martins, marmots, golden man tle ground squirrels, chipmunks and many others are commonly seen by visitors. As trails and roads are advanced into now in accessible sections of the park. visitors may become familiar with other, less well-known spe cies. 120. Kinds of Birds More than 120 kinds of birds have been recorded at the lake. Both golden and American ea gles nest at Eagle Crags; Cali fornia gulls are seen regularly flying over the lake, Llao Rock is the home of falcons, and sev eral species of ducks and geese visit the lake during migration. The humor and tragedy of na ture may be seen almost con stantly at the park. Squirrels and chipmunks last summer con sumed about 3.275 pounds of peanuts from the hands of visi tors. Quick, grey camp robber birds not infrequently steal bits of food from picnic tables while j visitors are in the process of eat-1 ing. i Study Formation 1 About 10 naturalists from all j parts of the United States come ! to the lake each summer to i study plant, animal, fish and ' bird life, and the geologic for-j mation of the mountain. This ! summer they plan to make a j study of marine life at the bot-I torn of the lake. It is expected that the studies will be valuable i in determining the amount of! feed existing for fish. i Rainbow trout were first j planted in the lake in 1888, as j no fish were native to the lake. ; Only rainbow trout and silver side salmon have been planted in recent years and good catches are made. No fishing license is required One part of the program to make the lake more accessible to visitors is the construction of a new trail from the rim to the edge of the lake. The present trail is narrow, steep, and dan gerous m places, Williams point ed out. The new trail will be about VA miles long and will cost an estimated $50,000 to build. Easier Grade It will be constructed on an easier grade and will be wide enough so people can travel up and down it side by side instead of in single file as is now neces sary. It will enable the park ser vice to transport boats and equipment from the rim to the lake more easily and in case of accidents or sickness at the sur face of the lake stretcher cases may be brought out more auick- ly. The high cost of construc tion, Williams said, is due to the rock formation and the necessity of screening the trail in such a way that it won't mar the natur al beauty of park. Improvements are planned on all major roads in the park. En trance roads and the road from park headquarters to the rim will be widened, and restored to good condition. Some fire trails, one to Union Peak in the south west corner of the park, that now are" passable only by truck will be widened and improved for public use. New Facilities New picnic and campine facil ities are planned at the park to provide more space for visitors and to encourage them to stay longer. Funds for construction of a new camp ground at Annie Springs are now in the process of being approved. It will be lo cated at the old CCC camp where .there was a temporary camp last summer and will con tain parking space, tables, fire places, restrooms and space for tents and trailer houses. Picnic sites are planned at several places along ' the road that circles the rim of the lake, where the view is exceptionally good or there is an object of geological interest. Construction of a museum where the community building now stands is planned to house me parK s large collection of naturalist' specimens and the story of the lakes geological crea tion. New Museum The new museum would house n ai , dn ine pane service require ments such as display rooms for bird and animal skins and plant specimens; an auditorium where ciauy and evening lecures bv naturalists would be held, an information booth, and in winter time, space would be available for warming hut services. - The museum might also iiv elude diagrams showing the ge ological development of the lake from early Indian times to the " " l' Constellation of Leo Has Mythological Background By FAY VAN SCHOIACK "If the star of the great lion is gloomy the heart . of the people will not rejoice." The "great lion" referred to in this inscription discovered on an old clay tablet in the ruins of ancient Nineveh, is the con stellation or group of stars known as Leo, the Lion. This star group has been mentioned in the legends of many ancient peoples, and always as a lion. The Greeks pictured it as the "Terrible Nemean Lion" and the Hebrews called it the "Lion of Judah." Many authorities be lieve that Leo, the Lion was so named because lions are sym bolic of hot countries, and when the sun was "in" this constella tion of the Zodiac the weather was extremely hot. "What "is the Zodiac?" some one may ask. Path Divided Astronomers have divided a path, 18 degrees in width and extending entirely around the sky, into 12 equal parts. In each division is a constellation and these 12 star groups, one for each month, are called the constella tion of the Zodiac. The sun, moon, and planets apparently WINTER RESORT Snow that commonly reaches depths of more than 10 feet at Crater Lake National park creates win ter scenes like that shown above. Hundreds of visitors to the park each winter enjoy skiing, toboganning and breath-taking scenery. Park supervisors plan, under the National Park Serv ice's Mission '66 program, to make Crater Lake more enjoy able for winter guests. A warm, glass enclosed building is planned on the rim of the lake where visitors can view the lake in comfort. A tunnel will lead to the view station from a new museum and warming hut located near where the pres ent community building stands. (Brainercf photo) WINTER HOUSING Crater Lake employees who work at the park during the winter live in one of the heaviest snowfall areas in North America. For more than six months of the year snow completely covers the lower story of housing originally designed only for summer use. Under a new building program it is hoped that insulated employee housing may be constructed with living quarters on the second floor. The building shown above has two stories. LAjr-AN&iOiN iviore visitors are expected to view Crater Lake in the next few years. In order to make their stay in the park more enjoyable the park service plans to make more of the' park "accessible to them and to increase camping and picnick ing facilities. It is expected that a new camp ground will be con structed at Annie Springs this summer. A new, wider and safer trail from the rim to the lake's edge is also planned. present. A nearly innumerable collection of volcanic material is available for display. A number of roadside exhibits pointing out objects of interest are also planned. For example, an exhibit on the north entrance road near the approach of the pumice stone desert might ex plain when and how the desert was formed and how plant life is gradually taking over. Community of 48 The little community of 48 people who this year comprise the park's winter staff may well be subjected to greater snowfall than any occupied community in the United States. Annual snow fall at the park is 622 inches, or almost 52 feet. The record amount of snow on the ground at park, headquarters was 18 feet, two inches in 1952. Depths of over 10 feet are common. Highway 62 through the park and the road from Annie Springs to the rim are kept open all year long, however, with very few exceptions. Park personnel work 24 hours a day plowing snow out of the roads. Many visitors I go to the park during the winter j to ski, hike on snow shoes, tobag-, gan and look at the lake. In an effort to make viewing the lake more comfortable for winter visitors it is planned, if funds are made available, to en close with glass Sinnot Memorial, which affords one of the best views of the lake from its loca tion just under the rim. The memorial will be insulat ed and heated and reached from a tunnel built under the road from the museum building. This tunnel will also allow visitors to travel from the museum or caf eteria in summer time without crossing traffic. A park ranger would be sta tioned at Sinnot Memorial during the winter to provide aid and in formation to visitors. Wooden Buildings The 17 families who live at the park during the winter oc cupy wooden frame buildings which were originally erected only for summer use. Snow dur ing the winter covers the first story windows and sometimes drifts to the eaves of the two- story park headquarters build' ing. Snow, melting from the roofs due to heat from inside forms huge, grotesque icicles along the eaves and over win dow ledges. All houses built back from the edge of the road must be entered by wooden tun nels covered over by the snow. The biggest, single activity during the winter is the battle against the snow to keep roads open. Two big rotary snow plows and smaller, blade-type plows worked on a 24 hour basis much of this winter. There is much else to be done, however, and rangers are occupi ed keeping records, aiding park visitors and preparing for the coming summer season. Rescue Toboggans Rangers are experts in first aid and rescue toboggans are kept in readiness for emergency use. Equipment includes basket type stretchers . laced to the tobaggans, snow-shoes, skis, first aid kits, and mountain climbing equipment. An ambulance is kept in readiness. Accidents this winter have been at a minimum but the am bulance has been used twice once when a car skidded into a snowplow and another time when a tobogganing party from Grants Pass got out of the reg ular tobogganing area and drop' ped ten feet into the road. In the latter accident five girls re ceived serious back and pelvic injuries. s Rangers make park signs dur ing the winter and repair equips ment so it will be ready for the sudden burst of summer activity The community fire truck was painted this winter, an aerial radio to supplement exisiting communications was installed and all hand tools were sharpen ed and repaired. Wives are Busy The wives of the men are also kept busy. Several are employed at park headquarters. One of the wives, Mrs. Jackie Pool, teaches the school. There are 11 children at the school in grades one through eight. They take a full course of study and activities. Outdoor sports, however, are limited to the winter variety. They have a room in park headquarters for tumbling and other physical activities. Many of the shops where the men must work are difficult to heat and uncomfortable in tern peratures that frequently drop below zero. Only a newly con structed mechanic's work shop is designed for the existing weather conditions. . Heated Garacre The new garage has a heated cement floor that quickly melts snow from vehicles to be re- Daired. is fully insulated and equipped in such a way that should expansion be necessary many of the facilities such as the air compressor and- overhead cranes will be adequate. An ex tension is planned to the gar age to provide housing for the plows, trucks and other vehicles at the park. Many of these must now remain outside at all times. Part of the program that will be completed this year if funds are approved will be the start of construction on a new park headquarters located across the roadt slightly southeast of the present headquarters. . The new building will be completely insulated and placed close to roads to eliminate the use of tunnel entrances. They will be arranged more compactly so that much of the snow re moval now necessary may be avoided: New Housing The new housing will include four unit apartment dwellings, plus some two and one unit dwel lings. Garages, heating plants, laundry and storage rooms will be on the first floor and living quarters will be. on the second floor to allow light Jto enter and the inhabitants to see out above the snow. The lodge and the cafeteria at the park are managed and main tained by concessionaires, H. C. Smith and his son H. W. Smith. They have already remodelled some rooms in the lodge and plan this summer to enlarge the cafe teria dining area. The present kitchen and food counter is ade quate to feed a large crowd that can be seated m the room. A 40 by 40 foot extension is planned and the building will be redecor ated. travel in this same path but are really between the earth and the constellations. When we read that the sun is "in" the constellation, Leo the Lion, it means that the sun is be tween the earth ' and this star group. Actually, the "Terrible' Nemean Lion" is trillions of milies distant from our sun. During a year the sun is "in" each one of the 12 Zodiacal con stellations for approximately a month. This apparent movement of Old Sol is the result of the earth's yearly journey about the sun. Locating Constellation How can you locate this con stellation? By 8 p.m. Leo, the Lion, is high in the southeastern sky. The identification point is The Sickle or a "question mark backwards," as students often say. Just to the west of The Sickle shines the bright non- twinkling planet, Jupiter, who will light the way for The Lion as he travels across the sky. How ever, Jupiter will not always be so near The Sickle, as planets move among the "fixed-stars." The Sickle forms the fore part of the animal's body, while a right triangle lying to the east, or left, of The Sickle represents the hind quarters. Denebola, the outer star in this triangle is the tuft at the end of the Lion's tail. Regulus, a bright star at the bottom of The Sickle, is the heart of the fierce beast. During the first part of Feb urary, Leo the Lion appeared low on the eastern horizon, and since that time has journeyed steadily toward the west, where he will sink from sight during the early part of August. Mythology Background In mythology, Hercules, to perform the first of his Twelve Labors, journeyed to the Ne mean Mts. to destroy a huge lion that " had been terrorizing the people. Hiding by the water hole he crept quietly upon the drink ing animal which he hoped to kill Instantly with a single sword thrust. Just as Hercules was ready to attack, the beast lifted his head, jumped out of reach of the sword, and crouched ready to spring upon his attacker. Hercules threw the sword away, uprooted a tree, and using the trunk for a club subdued the fierce animal. Then, with his bare hands, grabbed it by the throat and strangled it to death. Juno, who hated Hercules and sympathized with the lion, per suaded. Jupiter to place the lion in the sky, where it is the-most spectulap of the constellations of the Zodiac. RECORD HAUL Plain City, O.CU.R) Burglars went to a lot of trouble to haul away a 400-pound safe from the Yoder Elevator here. After lugging it more than 50 miles they opened the safe. The cha grined robbers found no money, just company records. Enjoy heattti, mt. comfort ond hoipitoWv fX. -w'nnt urroundinoi. Comptewy Cobim, with oil m, . 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ON ALL YOUR GLASS NEEDS 303 NORTH BARTLETT PHONE 3-3613 SINGING CHRIST'S PRAISES ii ii i in mi in ii HI ii l - . Pacific Bible College A Cappella Choir IN CONCERT Monday, April 9, 7:30 P.M. The Salvation Army Mrfrford, Or. -4 and Bartlett Presenting a Program of Anthems' Gospel Hymn. Negro Spirituals The director of the Choir, Jack Arthur.. Rains, H widely known for his "A-Rains-Ments." The choir has had many radio and TV appearances. You will want to avail yourself of the opportunity to hear the Pacific Bible College A Cappella Choir of Azusa, California. This will be the only appearance of the choir in Southern Oregon.
