In 1931, planting continued east an additional 300 feet along the rim. The area outside the parapet was also planted from the Cafeteria as far east as the Sinnott Memorial. There are suggestions that some of this planting was done for the purposes of controlling erosion near the top of the caldera wall, but as discussed by the landscape architects, the primary effect of the planting was to visually extend the landscape so that the parapet appeared to “fit” into the site. Shrubs were planted on either side of the steps leading down to the memorial to mark the trailhead. During the peak construction season at Rim Village, from early August through September, a crew of twelve men was working full-time on the revegetation program. Seven thousand five hundred square feet of sod was transplanted and installed around the shrub beds. Using special equipment the first of the large trees — prepared the year before — were moved to the rim, and shrubs were planted on the north side of the lodge.
In 1932, ten additional planting beds were laid out between the Sinnott Memorial and the lodge. Sodding was carried out as far east as the Kiser Studio (although an area immediately around the building was left open in anticipation of the removal of the structure). The entire bank above the Sinnott Memorial was planted and additional shrubs were placed at the southwest corner of the building. Many large trees were moved during this construction season. Three large hemlocks were planted on the west corner of the lodge, two smaller hemlocks were placed on the southeast comer of the Sinnott, and many large hemlock and fir trees were installed in front of the Kiser Studio.
In 1933, the final two acres along the rim, from the Kiser Studio to the lodge, were carefully planted with sod, shrubs, and trees. This area of the rim was the most disturbed and required the greatest amount of work to restore and landscape. Grading was done in order to reestablish “natural” contours along the side of Rim Village Road which had been impacted during construction. Subfill was hauled to fill low spots and peat and top soil were added prior to the plantings. Also during this year, the area in front of the lodge was prepared for planting.
By 1934, the entire area between Rim Village Road, and the caldera was landscaped as designed in the master plan. Three CCC men were stationed full-time at the rim to maintain existing plantings, water, prune, and generally cleanup debris as needed. The next phase of naturalization at Rim Village, which lasted three years, involved the establishment and integration of plantings around individual buildings, and supplemental plantings in the campground for design and functional purposes.
Plant beds were prepared around the Cafeteria and initial plantings were established in order to “improve the ridged appearance that confronts the arriving tourist.” Planting areas were also prepared around the lodge and the Community House. As a component of the Rustic design at Rim Village, foundation plantings were an important landscape tool for integrating and easing the demarcation between the building and the ground plane. At the lodge, tall coniferous trees were transplanted and clustered at the corners of the building to give height and define the structure within a landscape context. Shrubs were massed against the building to mask the foundation and reflect indigenous plant associations. During the year, planting was also completed in the circle on the south side of the lodge and along the north side of the building. In the campground, individual units were laid out, each with a stone fireplace, tent site, table, and parking area. Plantings were used to delineate individual spaces and create privacy between sites.
Between 1935 and 1938, 75 small trees, 250 shrubs and 300 miscellaneous plants were planted in the campground and around the lodge and Community House. The following year, 2000 shrubs and 225 small trees (2-4 feet in diameter), and 12 truck loads of sod, were used at the rim in what was called “undifferentiated plantings.”
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