June 24
Superintendent Jim Rouse and Reg. Hydrologist Don Barrett watch as a large timber wolf walks in front of their vehicle at Lost Creek Campground at 5:20 in the evening. Attempting to photograph the animal, they approach within 20 yards.
July
Due to budget problems, the resident YCC program is replaced with a nonresident Job Corps program.
July 8
Ranger Lloyd Smith physically arrests Lodge employee, Neil Neet of Eugene, Oregon for disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and assault in the Lodge Dorm after Neet threatened the life of several employees. Mr. Neet was lodged in the Jackson County Jail.
July 11
Ranger Marion Jack dispatches (shoots) two domestic sheep found grazing at the Cloud Cap viewpoint. The sheep had been observed living in the Park for the past two years.
July 27
Second latest opening of the Rim Drive. The snow is allowed to melt out, rather than being plowed because of cost considerations.
Summer
Teri Thomas spots cougar droppings and tracks along Sun Creek while studying her research plant plots. Two years previously Teri had collected cougar droppings near Lightning Springs. (The Back Country fire crew located and made casts of cougar tracks along the Pacific Crest Trail during the summer of 1964 or 1965.)
Three more wolf sightings in the Park, mostly around Lost Creek. Two of the sightings are by Chief of Maintenance, Marion Clark.
The Hillman Crater Lake Discovery Living History program is cut because the Park’s budget can no longer afford Hillman’s horse.
An Inclinometer is installed on the Rim, near the Lodge. Readings do not indicate any significant movement of the Rim, but the meter did detect a small movement, putting the Lodge in some danger of eventually falling into the Lake.
Studies show that snow loads on structures in Munson Valley are calculated at up to 500 pounds per square foot.
August
Visibility studies in the Lake with an 8 inch white disc reach 29.1 meters. In the 1930’s and the 1960’s, an eight inch white disc was visible in the Lake to a depth of 39 to 40 meters. A one meter white disc is visible down to 32.5 meters, while in the 1960’s, the one meter disc was visible down to 44 meters, or 106 feet.
Rather than scattering the ashes of famed geologist Howell Williams over Crater Lake as first requested by the family, Park Superintendent Jim Rouse places the ashes in a silver container and drops it in the Lake near the water gauge at Cleetwood Cove.
August 7 & 8
Two consecutive days of 91 degree temperature set a new record for Park Headquarters. Local temperatures in Medford reach 114 to 115 degrees.
August 8
538 runners take part in the sixth annual Rim Run. Many runners shorten their anticipated distances because of the record heat.
6.5 Pat Fox beats his time from last year 34:29.7
Karen Bushey of Klamath Falls 45:47 (number 47 overall)
13.1 Matt Doty of Merlin, Oregon 1:23.10
Eileen Clangus of Sacramento
26.2 Richard Stewart of Arcata, California 2:51.26
Bob Jones, Crater Lake Lodge 2:52.03
Joan Reiss of Sacramento, California 3:28.26 (a new women’s record)
August 8 & 9
The mean temperatures at the Panhandle weather station reach 99 degrees F.
August 10
Following a period of record heat, the Lake warms to new record highs near the Wineglass.
Top inch: 19.4 degrees C or 66.72 degrees F
One foot down: 15.2 degrees C and Ten feet down: 14.2 degrees C.
August 12
Crater Lake Lodge’s former owner, Ralph Peyton, wins his $1,082,205 lawsuit against the U.S. Government and the National Park Service in Federal Court with U.S. Magistrate Edward Leavy issuing the award. The Lodge was sold in 1976 for 1.6 million, but had been valued at 2.6 million prior to the water contamination crisis.. Leavy ruled that, “the Park Service was negligent in its design, location, construction and maintenance of the Park’s water system.”
