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.
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Cobim, with oil m, .
HOT MINERAL 4 " J
For Rfcewxatiun. Arthrtrw, i""
Sciatica. Nwowew
CARBON DIOXIDE VAPOR A1
Am xcm for tmm: "
ulh mmA Law Bleed
. "Your Heolth I Our Bume
R.rvotio-. am Hrro
BvcM.om MlMfol Sermf,
0eo or Pfcoe Lone P"""
Dr. Hermon Wrxier, Director
Oiiroprocrie Phyiieie"
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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.