Buck Evans, NPS 1929 – 1971, retires after serving 9 years as Chief Ranger at Crater lake, and 20 years at Yosemite. Buck has spent his last 5 years at Crater Lake serving as an Administrative Assistant.
January 14
Park Commissioner title changes to “U.S. Magistrate.”
March 28
Nick Carlino of Grants Pass, Oregon disappears while snow shoeing along the Rim, just west of Rim Village. When his German Shepherd returned to the Cafeteria Building alone, Nick’s wife instituted a search. Calino’s snowshoe tracks were traced to the Crater’s edge where they abruptly disappeared, giving the impression that Carlino had been carried over the edge on top of an avalanche when the cornice broke loose.
April 7
Nick Carlino’s body found in approximately five feet of water, encased in ice, near the base of the fatal avalanche.
July
Major extension begins on the Cafeteria Building, doubling the floor area.
The Rim Road is turned into a one-way circle drive, beginning at the Rim Village Junction.
Park officials feel that considering the Park’s narrow and dangerous roads and with the size of motor homes becoming increasingly bigger, drivers would be much safer all driving the same direction.
August
Sen. N. Sinnott’s daughter visits the Park
A large concentration of California Tortoise Shell butterflies are observed slowly fluttering their way through the east side of the Park.
All remaining historic log Boundary Patrol Cabins are razed by bulldozer in preparation of the Park’s backcountry being considered for Wilderness classification.
Wooden Annie Spring garage torn down.
August 8
John Wesley Hillman’s great-grandson visits the Park and takes a boat ride.
August 10
Four and a half acre fire, two miles south Annie Spring.
August 14
Lodge Rim Tour bus totaled in accident behind Llao Rock after the driver, Bill Ellhart, blacks out because of a sudden pinching of a neck nerve as he turned to answer a question from his passenger and smashes into a rock road cut, with the bus sliding for 170 feet. Elhart is sent to the hospital with a broken back, four broken ribs, a broken nose and numerous cuts and bruises. Bill’s two elderly passengers sustain only bruises.
August 21
Ranger patrol boat sinks at Cleetwood Cove following a small wind storm. The boat is refloated the next day.
August 23
An employee car with four Lodge employees on board, rolls three times at North Junction. All four are transported by ambulance to Klamath Falls.
August 28
The “Rudy Wilson” Lake tour boat is officially added to the growing Crater Lake navy, replacing the venerable and 50 year-old “Sparrow”. The Sparrow is burned on the Island, with the name plate presented to the daughter of former Superintendent Sparrow, who lives near Applegate, Oregon.
August 31
Armed robbery occurs at the Lodge. A 22 year-old man robs a Park visitor, at gun point in a Lodge restroom. The robber gets away with about $38.
Season Visitation: 557,958
