Walking on Crater Lake
Herald and News
Klamath Falls, Oregon
February 21, 2006
By LEE JUILLERAT
Not many people walk on water, especially on Crater Lake.
Duane Fitzgerald. |
But Duane “Do-We” Fitzgerald did.
It was March 14, 1949, when Fitzgerald, Crater Lake National Park’s acting chief ranger, and George Ruhle, the park’s chief naturalist, climbed down the caldera walls and walked across the frozen lake to Wizard Island.
“I knew that come summer we were going to get questions about how deep the ice was,” recalls the 91-year-old Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald, who has lived in Corvallis since the early 1950s, remembers the day and reason for the never-duplicated walk: “People had heard the lake was frozen, and it was the first time that it ever had as far as we knew.”
Historically, Crater Lake does not freeze because of its depth – it is nearly 2,000 feet at its deepest point.
But during the winter of 1948-49, a combination of occurrences, including temperatures that stayed below zero for several days, allowed the upper levels of the lake to freeze. It’s the only known time the lake has been completely frozen.
Ruhle wrote about the walk in the September 1949 issue of the park newsletter, “Nature Notes.”
“… the lake not only was completely covered by a sheet of ice, but this ice was strong enough to support a significant blanket of snow. For over three months, from mid-February to mid-May, park visitors beheld a white expanse in place of the sapphire sea so justly famous.”
Ruhle’s story, which was reproduced in the 2002 issue of the Shaw Historical Library Journal, “The Mountain With a Hole in the Top: Reflections on Crater Lake,” has been told before.

Photo courtesy Crater Lake National Park Museum & Archives CollectionsDuane “Do-We” Fitzgerald, third from left, gathered with other Crater Lake rangers in 1941. George Ruhle, who accompanied Fitzgerald on the 1949 frozen lake walk, is shown at far right. |

Photo courtesy Duane Fitzgerald family
Duane Fitzgerald was photographed walking on cross country skis on the frozen, fog-shrouded lake by hiking partner George Ruhle March 14, 1949. |

Photo courtesy Crater Lake National Park Museum & Archives Collections
Crater Lake as it looked during the winter of 1949 when it was completely frozen —the only known time in park history. |
Other pages in this section
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- Brian Smith plans to answer call of world’s highest peak – December 31, 2006
- Survey says: Snow level ‘nearly normal’ – December 29, 2006
- Fatal crash closes Highway 97 – December 29, 2006
- Under proposal, Crater Lake entry fees would double – December 22, 2006
- Oregon Neutral In Shift From National Parks – December 15, 2006
- Big fee hikes at national parks are a bit too big – December 21, 2006
- Proposal would increase Crater Lake fees – December 18, 2006
- America’s Largest Bald Eagle Festival is President’s Day Weekend 2007 in the Klamath Basin of South Central Oregon – December 19, 2006
- Since You Asked: how much snow does Crater Lake get each winter? – December 14, 2006
- Volunteers become Park Service’s public face – November 28, 2006
- Pacific Crest Trail journey is a repeat performance – November 28, 2006
- Remembering a little boy lost – November 23, 2006
- Memorial Service Scheduled for Boy, 8, Lost at Crater Lake – November 18, 2006
- See old-growth, National Creek Falls on short trail – November 17, 2006
- Pine Beetles Can Set Stage for Disastrous Forest Fires – November 6, 2006
- Mom hopes to use dogs to find son – October 25, 2006
- Search for boy winds down – October 21, 2006
- Ceremony honors missing 8-year-old – October 21, 2006
- Search, hope for Portland boy all but over – October 21, 2006
- Searchers scour woods in vain – October 19, 2006
- Crater Lake Highway Renamed – October 18, 2006
- ‘Frustrating’ search – October 18, 2006
- Boulders, brush and bravery, but no boy – October 18, 2006
- Missing boy faces snow, wind – October 17, 2006
- Searchers continue to look for Portland boy missing near Crater Lake – October 17, 2006
- Snow slows search for boy missing at Crater Lake – October 17, 2006
- Massive search underway for Portland boy missing at Crater Lake – October 16, 2006
- Boy still missing at Crater Lake – October 16, 2006
- Mount Scott rewards hikers with a peak experience – September 29, 2006
- ‘The Good Fire’ – September 25, 2006
- Block Island will be featured on ABC show – September 22, 2006
- Bybee Complex Fires – September 14, 2006
- Snow job at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon – September 7, 2006
- Trees of heaven – September 7, 2006
- WebCam now available to view Crater Lake fire – September 7, 2006
- Natural end sought for Crater Lake fire – September 06, 2006
- Bybee Fire Complex Fact Sheet – September 2, 2006
- Crater Lake science and learning center opens – August 28, 2006
- Scientist to lecture about pines threatened by rust – August 27, 2006
- Lightning-stoked burns still growing – August 27, 2006
- Grand Opening of Science and Learning Center – August 24, 2006
- Newest Puzzle Fire near Mt. Jefferson tops 4,100 Acres – August 22, 2006
- Roving the Floor of Crater Lake – August 21, 2006
- Weather makes firefighters work harder – August 20, 2006
- Found in the ashes – August 20, 2006
- Crater Lake due for odd visitor – August 18, 2006
- Army veteran finally gets to run – August 14, 2006
- Crater Lake hosts marathon – August 13, 2006
- ‘What you see is what you get’ – August 12, 2006
- Tourists watch fire left to burn at Crater Lake – August 7, 2006
- Terry Richard picks Oregon’s best mountain hikes – August 6, 2006
- Bybee fire use update – August 3, 2006
- Crater Lake will help clear brush – August 1, 2006
- John Carl Owings – August 1, 2006
- Finding their place in the sun – August 1, 2006
- Building improvements, relocation of the primary parking lot – July 28, 2006
- ‘Vets’ highway’ idea reaches impasse – July 26, 2006
- The essence of Oregon summer: visiting Crater Lake – July 23, 2006
- Bill would boost size of Upper Klamath Refuge – July 10, 2006
- History into stories – July, 2006
- Find haven of coolness along Red Blanket Creek – July 14, 2006
- U.S. considers closer watch on volcanoes – July 13, 2006
- Lack of cash strains national parks – June 24, 2006
- Volcano Man: New Superintendent Enjoys Craters of the Moon – June 23, 2006
- Can bicycling be Oregon’s Maine event? – June 16, 2006
- Annie Creek Restaurant set to open at Crater Lake – May 25, 2006
- Rouse to mark 50 years – April 23, 2006
- Gerald L. ‘Gary’ Hathaway – December 12, 2001
- Senator Boxer announces National Scenic Byway grants for northern California All-American Road – March 31, 2006
- Dispute swirls around geothermal project – January 14, 2006
- William Arthur ‘Bill’ Bloom – January 13, 2006
- Crater restaurant-gift shop nears completion – January 05, 2006
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